Practical Nurse

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. NOTE: Your resume must include job title, duties for each job listed, month and year start/end dates AND hours worked per week for all relevant work experience. 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) and 7407(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 Current GS-0620 LPN/LVN employee of the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) who was converted to an appointment under 38 U. S. C. 7401(3) in implementation of Public Law 98-160, enacted November 21, 1983, or who was converted to an appointment under 38 U. S. C. 7405 in implementation of Public Law 99-576, enacted October 28, 1986. OR Individual granted a license by a jurisdiction that does not require graduation from an approved school. Part-time experience is credited according to the relationship it bears to the full-time workweek (e.g., an LPN[/LVN] who worked 20 hours per week, i.e., half-time, would receive 1 full-time workweek of credit for each 2 weeks of such service.) 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. Grandfathering Provision. 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 for each grade. The candidate's qualifications must clearly demonstrate the level of competence required for the grade. GS-03 - None beyond the basic requirements. LPNs at this grade level are expected to perform all duties within the scope of their license (e.g., medication administration); however, completed work may require routine or detailed higher level review depending upon the complexity of the duties involved. GS-04 - Employees may be appointed at or advanced to GS-4 if they meet any of the criteria below: Six months of qualifying experience as an LPN or LVN; OR Graduation from an approved school (which may be waived as provided in paragraph 4 of Section C) and one year of experience that involved nursing care work in a hospital, outpatient clinic, nursing home, or other supervised medical, nursing, or patient care facility that provided a practical knowledge of human body structure and sterile techniques and procedures; OR Graduation from an approved school of at least 24 months duration. LPNs at the GS-4 grade level perform all duties expected of employees at the GS-3 grade level; however, they are expected to exercise greater judgment, require less supervision, and to operate in accordance with all established policies, procedure, and techniques GS-05 - Completion of at least 1 year of qualifying experience at the GS-4 level or equivalent. In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the required grade level KSA's as outlined in the Assessment. GS-06 - Completion of at least one (1) year of additional qualifying experience at the GS-5 level or equivalent, fully meeting all performance requirements for the GS-5 LPN/LVN. In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the required grade level KSA's as outlined in the Assessment. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-3. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-3 to GS-6. Physical Requirements: This clinical position includes a physicality normally associated with direct patient care. The physical requirements of this position include lifting, prolonged standing, sitting, frequent bending, stooping, walking, reaching, repetitive motion, and climbing stairs. The mental/sensory requirements include logical thinking, processing, and retaining information, reading, recall, reasoning, complex problem solving, hearing, clear distinct speech, writing, keyboarding, use of a telephone, and use of video connectivity. This position requires face-to-face patient care, use of available IT software and equipment for virtual visits, and timely and accurate navigation of and documentation in electronic medical records. The environment's pace can vary from steady to fast-paced requiring handling multiple priorities in a single day, frequent, sometimes intense customer interactions, and the ability to adapt to frequent changes in a sometimes-noisy environment. There may be the need to use personal protective equipment to prevent exposure to disease, illness, and hazardous materials. This position involved working with persons with communication difficulties, cognitive loss including dementia, behavioral challenges, altered mentation and caregivers that are stressed. Collaboration with multiple stakeholders is essential. This position requires compliance with VHA mandated vaccinations and meeting employee health requirements.