Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT) - Outpatient Licensed Practical Nurse

The GS7 Primary Care Outpatient Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) perform more complex nursing assignments. They posses comprehensive practical nursing knowledge and skills in specialized procedures. The LPN work is of considerable difficulty and responsibility and is performed under general supervision. To a considerable extent, the LPN is expected to exercise independent technical judgements and to process and apply a comprehensive working knowledge of the principles, art, and science.

• Promotes and demonstrates nursing concepts in the Medical Center. Works in collaboration with the Registered Nurse (RN), and Health Care Provider (HCP).
• Documents care provided, observations and responses on appropriate tools or forms, observing changes in patient's condition.
• Performs nursing care procedures (sterile techniques, blood glucose monitoring, suctioning, wound care, colostomy care, oxygen therapy, deep breathing and coughing, and specimen collection) according to policy, guidelines, and oversight from senior nursing staff.
• Complies with the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for pretreatment/cleaning Reusable Medical Devices (RMD) in applicable patient care setting.
• Accurately reports and records significant veteran information received from other team members and is able to analyze and implement modifications based on these reports.
• Assists other staff in order to prioritize the overall veteran care needs and adjusts the plan of care as needed.
• Able to work independently with intermittent need for readily available supervision and communicates effectively with the veteran, families, caregivers, professionals, and other supportive staff.
• Responsible for goals and interventions that promote veterans in attaining maximum functional potential. This is accomplished through but not limited to modalities such as ambulation, bowel, and bladder training, dressing, grooming, bathing, oral hygiene, range of motion exercises and fall prevention modalities.
• Responsible for participating within unit based and/or organizational level Shared Governance councils, utilizing clinical expertise, evidence-based practice, and knowledge to assist with finding solutions to problems or issues to improve the quality care provided to veterans.

Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 7:30am - 4pm
Recruitment/Relocation Incentives (Sign-on Bonus): May be authorized for a highly qualified candidate
Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases. When setting pay, a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of higher or unique qualifications or special needs of the VA (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade).
Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year)
Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior [work experience] or military service experience.
Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child.
Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment, full time employees with a total family income below $144,000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66.
Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA
Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement)
Telework: Ad-hoc
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 21373F
Preferred Experience: 3.5 years of experience as LPN

Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met.

Basic Requirements:

• United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
• English Language Proficiency. In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), no person shall serve in direct patient care positions unless they are proficient in basic written and spoken English.
• Education - Graduate of a school of practical or vocational nursing approved by the appropriate State agency and/or accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC) at the time the program was completed by the applicant. Exceptions include health care education in the military service or training in the military service which is accepted by the licensing body in the jurisdiction in which the individual is licensed as qualifying for full LPN/LVN licensure will be accepted as meeting the education requirements for VHA employment OR granted a license by a jurisdiction that does not require graduation from an approved school AND have at least one year of successful practice as an LPN/ LVN.
• Licensure - Active, full, current and unrestricted licensure as a Graduate Licensed Practical or Vocational Nurse in a State, Territory, or Commonwealth (i.e., Puerto Rico), of the United States or the District of Columbia.

May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria).

Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements stated above, the following qualification criteria must be met. The candidate's qualifications must clearly demonstrate the level of competence required for the grade.

GS-07: The GS-07 grade level is for select, complex LPN/LVN positions, as established by each health care facility. To be advanced, employees must meet all of the following standards, provided the standard is part of their assignment. Completion of at least one (1) year of additional qualifying experience at the GS-06 level or equivalent, fully meeting all of the performance requirements for the GS-06 LPN/LVN.

The following Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs) must be met:

• Knowledge and skills necessary to care out more specialized patient care duties, including assignments in more complex inpatient and/or outpatient care settings.
• Ability to assist RN and/or MD/DO to appropriately prioritize overall patient care needs and adjust plans for care delivery making astute observations of subtle, less obvious changes (both physical and emotional) in patient's conditions and taking the appropriate action.
• Ability to proactively assist the RN or MD/OD in addressing patient's needs for medication/treatments, accurately administering prescribed medications/treatments and appropriately recording patient's response to medications/treatments received.
• Knowledge and skill to promptly recognize potential urgent or emergent patient care situations.
• Assists individuals or groups of patients and their families to take an active role in promoting health lifestyles for more positive outcomes. Exercises skill in influencing and communicating with unusually difficult to care for or communicate with patients and/or family members who may exhibit problems with lack of self-control, resistant or abusive behaviors, or impediments in their ability to understand or follow instructions.
• Skill, creativity, and initiative in contributing to the improvement of overall care delivery and patient and/or family satisfaction levels.
• Comprehensive practical nursing knowledge and skills in specialized procedures and practices to serve as a resource person for other staff in organizing and implementing more complex/specialized patient care.
• Ability to support the RN or MD/DO in monitoring the practice of unlicensed nursing or non-medical staff in patient care delivery.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

Physical Requirements: The work requires physical exertion such as prolonged periods of standing, bending, reaching, crouching, stooping, stretching, and lifting moderately heavy items such as assisting patients, manuals, record boxes, or equipment. The work requires above average agility and dexterity. The incumbent may be required to travel between VA and/or CBOCs and possession of a valid driver's license is required.

Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Must pass pre-employment physical evaluation/examination.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.