***Position is dependent upon contract award***
Principle Accountabilities:
· Obtains patient history, and pertinent family history, and advanced medical directive information. Observes, assesses, and records symptoms, reactions, and progress: assists physicians during treatments and examinations; administers medication and prescribed treatments, completes admissions and discharges, and promote convalescence and rehabilitation
· Functions as a patient advocate. Assesses patient/family knowledge level, develops and implements a plan of instruction and documents demonstrated level of understanding. Assessment plans will be targeted at age specific needs. Each nurse will manually and/or electronically document all patient care given and the progress of the patient utilizing the SAMMC/WHASC documentation standards in the patients' medical record.
· The LVN assesses the patient and plans for appropriate nursing care.
· Communicates pertinent patient information to charge nurse and/or physician as appropriate, The LVN verifies transcription of physician orders.
· Administers medications and monitors blood products with the knowledge of actions and usual dosages of commonly used drugs. Medications shall be administered within the scope of nursing practice and include intravenous, subcutaneous, oral, transdermal, rectal, and intramuscular. Each nurse will have knowledge of actions, adverse effects, interactions, and dosages. LVNs shall not administer IV push medication or start blood product transfusions.
· Performs a vast array of direct patient care procedures.
· Assists with care of patients for a wide range of procedures of an advanced nature and difficulty where there is a high risk for infection and bodily functions arc mechanically assisted by life support equipment.
· Assists with and ensures proper procedures are followed with the tissue/Skin bank and blood bank.
· Registered nurses shall provide professional oversight for LVNs and unlicensed ancillary personnel. The LVN will be a part of the team that plans and implements care with the collaboration of other healthcare providers, calls report to the appropriate unit/ward and provides pertinent data such as surgical procedures performed, patient problems, nursing diagnosis and actions, patient response, specialized care and equipment necessary to support the patient.
· Responsible for quality assurance/risk management and responds to breaches of standard procedures which compromise the patient or staff members. May also serve as a project officer for select committees and participate in research projects that are consultative in nature and involve shared information or data gathering for new or existing technologies.
· LVNs who will assist in monitoring conscious sedation patients, must have conscious sedation training provided at SAMMC/WHASC prior to working in this capacity.
· LVNs shall utilize comprehensive knowledge of workload requirements in conjunction with knowledge of the composition and capabilities of assigned staff, to distribute/redistribute personnel resources in response to unforeseen patient care needs.
· Demonstrates the ability to manage interpersonal relationships and maintains composure and reacts appropriately while relating to patients and families; manage distraught, irritable, unreasonable or angry individuals; and to maintains positive rapport with all individuals involved in patient care.
· Demonstrates the ability to react with alertness and skill in any emergency situation, e.g., cardiac or respiratory arrest, hemorrhage, shock, severe physical trauma and psychiatric reaction, initiates life saving measures in the absence of a physician, depending on position and protocol, may serve as member of resuscitation or emergency code team.
· Assess patients' conditions for potential or life threatening crises and distinguishes between normal and abnormal physical findings; initiates life saving measures in the absence of a physician. Knowledgeable of the pharmacology of most commonly used emergency drugs, anticipated results, usual dosages, and their location on crash cart.
· Capable of emergency equipment operation: defibrillator
Knowledge & Skills:
· Graduate from an approved, accredited Vocational Nurse program located in a State, the District of Columbia, or a U.S. territory.
· Maintains current, active and unrestricted LVN license in at least one US State, District of Columbia, Commonwealth, territory or jurisdiction.
· All licenses shall be unencumbered and remain in effect during employment. Any changes to license must be reported to employer immediately.
· Must have a minimum of one year experience in a hospital, medical office or residential setting.
· Continuous provider CPR/BLS certification required.
· Maintains professional clinical skills via continuing education opportunities as required by state of practice.
· Must adhere to practical nursing principals, procedures and techniques for appropriate patient care and take direction from registered nurses and onsite administrative personnel.
· Must adhere to medication administration guidelines, understand pharmaceutical agents and their desired effect recognize adverse effects and take appropriate corrective measures.