Licensed Practical Nurse

Meadowbrook at Black River Falls•Black River Falls, WI

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The primary purpose of this role is to conduct the day-to-day nursing care and activities of the facility during the assigned shift, ensuring adherence to current federal, state, and local standards, guidelines, and regulations. The Licensed Practical Nurse is delegated the administrative authority, responsibility, and accountability necessary for carrying out assigned duties. While essential functions are identified, the role may involve other duties that are similar, related, or essential to the position.

Requirements

Must possess, as a minimum, a Nursing Degree from an accredited college or university, or be a graduate of an approved LPN/LVN program.
Must possess a current, unencumbered, active license to practice as an RN or LPN/LVN in this state.
Must be able to read, write, speak, and understand the English language.
Must demonstrate the knowledge and skills necessary to provide care appropriate to the age-related needs of the residents served.
Be a supportive team member, contribute to and be an example of team work and team concept.
Must possess the ability to make independent decisions when circumstances warrant such action.
Must possess the ability to deal tactfully with personnel, residents, family members, visitors, government agencies/personnel, and the general public.
Must be knowledgeable of nursing and medical practices and procedures, as well as laws, regulations, and guidelines that pertain to nursing care facilities.
Must possess leadership and supervisory ability and the willingness to work harmoniously with and supervise other personnel.
Must possess the ability to plan, organize, develop, implement, and interpret the programs, goals, objectives, policies and procedures, etc., that are necessary for providing quality care.
Must have patience, tact, a cheerful disposition and enthusiasm, as well as the willingness to handle difficult residents.
Must be willing to seek out new methods and principles and be willing to incorporate them into existing nursing practices.
Must be able to relate information concerning a resident’s condition.
Must not pose a direct threat to the health or safety of other individuals in the workplace.
Must be able to move intermittently throughout the workday.
Must be able to speak and write the English language in an understandable manner.
Must be able to cope with the mental and emotional stress of the position.
Must be able to see and hear or use prosthetics that will enable these senses to function adequately to ensure that the requirements of this position can be fully met.
Must function independently, and have flexibility, personal integrity, and the ability to work effectively with residents, personnel, and support agencies.
Must meet the general health requirements set forth by the policies of this facility, which include a medical and physical examination.
Must be able to relate to and work with the ill, disabled, elderly, emotionally upset, and, at times, hostile people within the facility.
Must be able to push, pull, move, and/or lift a minimum of 25 pounds to a minimum height of 5 feet and be able to push, pull, move, and/or carry such weight a minimum distance of 50 feet.
May be necessary to assist in the evacuation of residents during emergency situations.

Responsibilities

Assist the Director of Nursing Services in directing the day-to-day functions of the nursing activities in accordance with current rules, regulations, and guidelines that govern the long-term care facility.
Ensure that reference material (i.e., PDR’S, regulations, professional standards of practice, etc.) maintained at the nurses’ stations is current.
Recommend written material that will assist the nursing service department in meeting the day-to-day needs of the resident.
Ensure that the Nursing Service Procedures Manual is current and reflects the day-to-day nursing procedures performed in this facility.
Ensure that all nursing service personnel comply with the procedures set forth in the Nursing Service Procedures Manual.
Make written and oral reports/recommendations to the Director as necessary/required, concerning the operation of the nursing service department.
Assist in developing methods for coordinating nursing services with other resident services to ensure the continuity of the residents’ total regimen of care.
Participate in the development, maintenance and implementation of the facility’s quality assurance program for the nursing service department.
Participate in facility surveys (inspections) made by authorized government agencies as requested by the Administrator or Director of Nursing Services.
Periodically review the resident’s written discharge plan.
Participate in the updating of the resident’s written discharge plan as required.
Assist the Director in planning the nursing services portion of the resident’s discharge plan as necessary.
Meet with the nursing staff, as well as support personnel, in planning the department’s services, programs, and activities.
Complete accident/incident reports as necessary.
Interpret the department’s policies and procedures to personnel, residents, visitors, and government agencies as required.
Perform administrative duties such as completing medical forms, reports, evaluations, studies, charting, etc., as necessary.
Agree not to disclose assigned user ID code and password for accessing resident/facility information and promptly report suspected or known violations of such disclosure to the Administrator.
Agree not to disclose resident’s protected health information and promptly report suspected or known violations of such disclosure to the Administrator.
Report any known or suspected unauthorized attempt to access facility’s information system.
Attend various committee meetings of the facility (i.e., Infection Control, Policy Advisory, Pharmaceutical, Quality Assessment, etc.) as required.
Assist in preparing written and/or oral reports of the nursing service programs and activities to submit to such committee(s) as directed.
Provide information to the Quality Assurance and Assessment Committee as requested.
Participate in developing the agenda for the Care Plan Committee meetings as necessary.
Participate in regularly scheduled reviews of the discharge plans and make such plans available to the Care Plan Committee as required or as maybe necessary.
Implement recommendations from established committees as instructed by the Director.
Coordinate with and delegate tasks to certified nursing assistants to ensure that routine nursing care is provided to meet the daily nursing care needs of each resident.
Complete work assignments in accordance with acceptable nursing standards.
Supervise nurse aide trainees assigned to you.
Note absenteeism of certified nursing assistants (CNAs) to ensure that an adequate number of nursing care personnel are on duty at all times.
Report problem areas to the Director.
Follow established departmental policies and procedures, including dress codes.
Make appropriate reports to the Director as required or as may be necessary.
Develop and maintain a good working rapport with inter-department personnel, as well as other departments within the facility to ensure that nursing services and activities can be adequately maintained to meet the needs of the residents.
Create and maintain an atmosphere of warmth, personal interest and positive emphasis, as well as a calm environment throughout the unit and shift.
Meet with your shift on a regularly scheduled basis to assist in identifying and correcting problem areas and/or to assist in the improvement of services.
Participate in employee performance evaluations.
Report occupational exposures to blood, body fluids, infectious materials, and hazardous chemicals in accordance with the facility’s policies and procedures governing accidents and incidents.
Report known or suspected incidents of fraud to the Administrator.
Ensure that departmental computer workstations left unattended are properly logged off or the password protected automatic screen-saver activates within established facility policy guidelines.
Stay informed on new admissions, their expected time of arrival, room assignment, etc.
Ensure that rooms are ready for new admissions.
Greet newly admitted residents upon admission.
Escort them to their rooms as necessary.
Make rounds with physicians as necessary.
Encourage attending physicians to record and sign progress notes, physicians’ orders, etc., on a timely basis and in accordance with current regulations.
Inform the Director when physician visits are not made in a timely manner.
Consult with the resident, his/her family, and the resident’s physician in planning the resident’s care, treatment, rehabilitation, etc., as necessary.
Notify the resident’s attending physician and next-of-kin when there is a change in the resident’s condition.
Visit residents on a daily basis in order to observe and evaluate physical and emotional status.
Provide direct nursing care or assign a certified nursing assistant, and/or a nurse aide trainee qualified to perform the procedure.
Notate the nursing care provided in an informative and descriptive manner, reflecting the resident’s response to the care, and that such care is provided in accordance with the resident’s wishes.
Start IVs, obtain sputum, urine and other specimens for lab tests as ordered.
Take TPRs, blood pressures, etc., as necessary.
Admit, transfer and discharge residents as necessary.
Report problem areas to the Charge Nurse or the Director.
Keep the Director informed of the status of residents and other related matters through written/oral reports.
Assist the Charge Nurse in monitoring seriously ill residents.
Authorize the use of restraints when necessary and in accordance with the facility’s policies and procedures.
Comply with written procedures for the administration, storage, and control of medications and supplies.
Monitor medication passes and treatment schedules to ensure that medications are being administered as ordered and that treatments are provided as scheduled.
Review medication cards for completeness of information, accuracy in the transcription of physician orders, and adherence to stop order policies.
Maintain your assigned nursing treatment area in a clean and safe manner.
Ensure that residents who are unable to call for help are checked frequently.
Meet with residents, and/or family members, as necessary.
Report problems to the Director.
Assist in arranging transportation for discharged residents as necessary.
Inform family members of the death of the resident.
Call funeral homes when requested by the family.
Assist the Director in planning clinical supervision for nurse aide trainees.
Assist support services in developing, implementing, and conducting in-service training programs that relate to the nursing service department.
Attend and participate in continuing education programs designed to keep you abreast of changes in your profession, as well as to maintain your license on a current status.
Assist the Safety Officer in developing safety standards for the nursing service department as necessary.
Assist the Director and/or Infection Control Coordinator in identifying, evaluating, and classifying routine and job-related functions to ensure that tasks in which there is potential exposure to blood/body fluids are properly identified and recorded.
Ensure that all personnel performing tasks that involve potential exposure to blood/body fluids participate in appropriate in-service training programs prior to performing such tasks.
Ensure that an adequate supply of personal protective equipment is on hand and readily available to personnel who perform procedures that involve exposure to blood or body fluids.
Ensure that personnel follow established procedures for the use and disposal of personal protective equipment.
Monitor your shift’s personnel to ensure that they are following established safety regulations in the use of equipment and supplies.
Ensure that all certified nursing assistants comply with established departmental policies and procedures.
Ensure that all resident care rooms, treatment areas, etc., are maintained in a clean, safe, and sanitary manner.
Follow established handwashing and hand hygiene procedures.
Participate in and conduct all fire safety and disaster preparedness drills in a safe and professional manner.
Participate in the infection control program for monitoring communicable and/or infectious diseases among the residents and personnel.
Follow established infection control procedures when isolation precautions become necessary.
Follow procedures for reporting hazardous conditions or equipment.
Wear and/or use safety equipment and supplies (e.g., back brace, mechanical lifts, etc.) when lifting or moving residents.
Report missing/illegible labels and MSDSs to the safety officer or other designated person.
Recommend to the Charge Nurse and/or Director the equipment and supply needs of the department.
Ensure that an adequate stock level of medications, medical supplies, equipment, etc., is maintained on premises at all times to meet the needs of the resident.
Follow procedures for the safe operation of all nursing service equipment.
Ensure that only trained and authorized personnel operate the nursing service department’s equipment.
Operate nursing service equipment in a safe manner.
Use nursing service supplies in an efficient manner to avoid waste.
Ensure that appropriate MSDSs are on file for hazardous chemicals used in the nursing service department.
Participate in the development of written preliminary and comprehensive assessments of the nursing needs of each resident as necessary.
Participate in the development of a written plan of care (preliminary and comprehensive) for each resident that identifies the problems/needs of the resident, indicates the care to be given, goals to be accomplished, and which professional service is responsible for each element of care.
Encourage the resident to participate in the development and review of his/her care plan.
Review resident care plans for appropriate resident goals, problems, approaches, and revisions based on nursing needs.
Ensure that all personnel involved in providing care to the resident are aware of the resident’s care plan.
Ensure that nursing personnel refer to the resident’s care plan prior to administering daily care to the resident.
Review nurses’ notes to determine if the care plan is being followed.
Assist the Resident Assessment/Care Plan Coordinator in planning, scheduling, and revising the MDS, including the implementation of RAPs and Triggers.
Review resident’s medical and nursing treatments to ensure that they are provided in accordance with the resident’s care plan and wishes.
Keep abreast of economic conditions/situations and recommend to the Director adjustments in nursing services that ensure the continued ability to provide quality care.
Recommend to the Director the equipment needs of the nursing service department.
Report suspected or known incidence of fraud relative to false billings, cost reports, kickbacks, etc.
Maintain the confidentiality of all resident care information including protected health information.
Report known or suspected incidents of unauthorized disclosure of such information.
Monitor nursing care to ensure that all residents are treated fairly, and with kindness, dignity, and respect.
Ensure that all nursing care is provided in privacy and that nursing service personnel knock before entering the resident’s room.
Ensure that all nursing service personnel are knowledgeable of the residents’ responsibilities and rights including the right to refuse treatment.
Review complaints and grievances made by the resident and make a written/oral report to the Director indicating what action(s) were taken to resolve the complaint or grievance.
Follow facility’s established procedures.
Maintain a written record of the resident’s complaints and/or grievances that indicates the action taken to resolve the complaint and the current status of the complaint.
Report and investigate all allegations of resident abuse and/or misappropriation of resident property.
Ensure that nursing staff personnel honor the resident’s refusal of treatment request.
Ensure that such requests are in accordance with the facility’s policies governing advance directives.