Licensed Practical Nurse (35 Hour)

State of Connecticut • Enfield, CT

7d • Onsite

About The Position

The State of Connecticut, Department of Correction (DOC) is seeking a highly motivated and experienced Licensed Practical Nurse (35 Hour) in Enfield, CT. This role offers professional growth and development opportunities, a healthy work/life balance, and potential eligibility for Public Service Loan Forgiveness. The position involves managing daily schedules for medical providers, handling administrative tasks like email and phone calls, responding to medical emergencies, managing medication renewals and medical devices, assisting providers with treatments, supporting inmates requiring higher-level care, maintaining medical supplies, educating inmates on treatment changes, managing chronic care, serving as a liaison between nursing staff and providers, performing routine nursing duties when no provider is on-site, and coordinating with various healthcare disciplines for holistic patient care.

Requirements

• License or temporary permit to practice nursing in Connecticut by the State Board of Examiners for Nursing OR hold a Multistate or Compact Licensed Practical Nurse license.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with problem solving in a fast-past environment.
• Experience organizing and maintaining stock, monitoring supply expiration dates, and ensuring clinical readiness.
• Experience with medical equipment tracking, including issuing, collecting, and maintaining assistance devices.
• Experience managing specialty clinics (e.g., optometry, podiatry, orthopedics), including scheduling, pacing, and pre-/post-procedure counts.
• Experience triaging and responding and documenting urgent medical situations, including emergency codes.
• Experience administering medications, including DOT/KOP, first-dose administration, and medication reconciliation.

Responsibilities

• Manage the daily MD sick call list and specialty service schedules (Optometry, Podiatry, Orthopedics, etc.), ensuring appropriate pacing for each provider.
• Check state-issued email.
• Assist with incoming telephone calls and route them appropriately.
• Respond to all codes and complete required documentation.
• Ensure medication renewals are reviewed, ordered, and forwarded to the provider.
• Manage and collect active medical devices (crutches, canes, walkers, wheelchairs, ACE wraps, braces) as needed.
• Administer first doses of new medications (KOP/DOT) and place new DOT medications in the housing unit med cart.
• Assist providers during treatments and minor surgical procedures.
• Support providers when inmates require higher-level care (e.g., ED evaluation, labs, EKG, W10).
• Stock and maintain supplies in the MD nurse room, including checking expiration dates.
• Notify and educate inmates regarding medication or treatment changes.
• Manage the Chronic Care (CC) in collaboration with providers and nursing supervisors, including contributing to QI data.
• Serve as a liaison between nursing staff and providers.
• When no provider is on-site, participate in routine nursing duties as directed by the lead nurse or CHN on duty.
• Complete pre- and post-counts for all specialty clinics (tools/syringes) and ensure all used tools are autoclaved.
• Communicate with the OSS Coordinator, Infectious Disease Nurse, and other disciplines to support holistic patient care.
• Render bedside care or mental health services to individuals with physical disabilities and/or an intellectual disability in instances where the services of a registered nurse are not required.
• Assists doctors and nurses in the general care and treatment of individuals.
• Measures doses and administers medications including insulin injections.
• Documents medications using appropriate forms.
• Performs narcotic counts.
• Checks and may administer intravenous medications.
• Reports changes in individuals to doctors.
• Ensures that restraints are applied correctly.
• Transcribes doctors medication orders.
• Dispenses certain medications in doctor’s absence.
• Applies topical medication.
• Takes and charts temperatures, pulses and respirations.
• Performs simple nursing treatments.
• Monitors general individual needs including personal hygiene.
• Reports on individual conditions and behavior.
• Keeps the unit safe and healthy.
• Administers enemas or suppositories.
• Performs Foley catheterization care.
• Orients individuals concerning medications and their use.
• May perform emergency first aid.
• May drive individuals to necessary appointments/outings.

Benefits

• Professional growth and development opportunities.
• A healthy work/life balance to all employees.
• Potential eligibility for Public Service Loan Forgiveness after 10 years of service.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: Associate degree