Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) - Operating Room - Days

VCU Health•Tappahannock, VA

2d•$21 - $36

About The Position

The Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) integrates technical skills and theoretical knowledge to meet the needs of patients and families. The LPN assists the health care team with illness and injury prevention, wellness maintenance, and comfort. The LPN delivers and accurately documents direct, age-specific care based on medical orders and an integrated, multidisciplinary plan of care, and safely administers prescribed medications while identifying incompatibilities or interactions. In the Operating Room role, the LPN primarily supports surgeries and invasive procedures for patients of all ages in perioperative and procedural areas. The LPN may also work in other areas according to demonstrated competency. Surgical Services includes operating rooms, an Endoscopy suite, a Pain Procedure Room, Pre-op, and PACU, and provides care for inpatients and outpatients. Procedures include orthopedics, laparoscopy, general surgery, vascular, urology, and podiatry. The department has a supportive, team-oriented culture and cares for patients from adolescence through geriatric age. The LPN gathers supplies for cases, practices sterile technique, sets up the sterile field, supports timely room turnaround, knows and uses surgical instruments and equipment, anticipates the sterile team’s needs, passes instruments to surgeons, handles medications in a sterile environment, performs required counts, manages sharps, and reprocesses instruments and equipment. The LPN functions under the direction of an RN or independent practitioner in providing patient care, emotional support, and problem-solving in accordance with hospital and unit policies and protocols. The position involves four nine-hour shifts, with flexible scheduling described. The schedule is typically two to three shifts per week, with one weekend per month (Friday through Sunday). The shift is listed as 4:30–7 a.m.; call responsibilities include a one-hour return time and a mix of first-call and buddy-call. The role may require on-call work across all shifts, weekends, and holidays. Assignments may include all perioperative operating rooms and procedure rooms, including SPU and the Cardiac Cath room, and may include other units for competency-based nursing care or tasks. Schedules and rotations may be adjusted to meet unit needs.

Requirements

Licensure, or eligibility to sit for boards, as an LPN in the Commonwealth of Virginia, in good standing with the Board of Nursing; continued employment requires Virginia LPN licensure in good standing.
Graduate from a Board of Nursing-approved School of Practical Nursing.
AHA BLS HCP Certification or equivalent is required for continued employment.
Ability to perform the role in perioperative operating rooms and procedure rooms, and to provide competency-based care or tasks in other units as assigned.
Ability to meet the stated physical requirements, including lifting 50–100 lbs., prolonged standing, frequent bending, walking, climbing, reaching, and repetitive motions.
Ability to work in a steady-to-fast-paced environment, manage multiple priorities, interact frequently with customers, adapt to frequent change, and tolerate a noisy environment.
Ability to work on-call shifts, weekends, and holidays as required.

Nice To Haves

Experience as an LPN in an acute care setting, or in an operating room or procedural area functioning in a scrub role or similar setting.

Responsibilities

Integrate technical skills and theoretical knowledge to meet patient and family needs.
Assist with illness and injury prevention, wellness maintenance, and patient comfort.
Deliver and accurately document direct, age-specific care based on medical orders and a multidisciplinary plan of care.
Safely administer prescribed medications and identify incompatibilities or interactions.
Gather appropriate supplies for surgical cases.
Practice sterile technique and set up the sterile field.
Participate in room turnaround and ensure it occurs in an acceptable and timely manner.
Use knowledge of surgical instruments and equipment and anticipate the sterile team’s needs.
Pass instruments to surgeons during surgery and invasive procedures.
Handle medications in a sterile environment and perform count procedures according to policy.
Manage sharps and reprocess instruments and equipment.
Provide direct patient care, emotional support, and problem-solving under the direction of an RN or independent practitioner and in accordance with applicable policies and protocols.
Fulfill on-call responsibilities, including call coverage across shifts, weekends, and holidays.