Clinic/Specialty Clinic LVN III

TX-HHSC-DSHS-DFPS•Denton, TX

1d•Onsite

About The Position

Come work in an environment where we truly value and respect those we serve and believe in the mission that all people can achieve a higher level of wellness and independence. The state supported living centers serve people with intellectual and developmental disabilities who are medically fragile or who have behavioral problems. The centers provide campus-based direct services and supports at 13 centers located throughout the state. Learn About Our State Supported Living Centers If you are looking for a place to work where you can establish a career that is filled with purpose, this is the job for you! Free CEUs and updated resources through Lippincott access for all nurses. The Clinic Nurse performs advanced vocational nursing work, delivering the nursing care necessary to meet the health care needs of individuals who live at the SSLC. Responsible for the organization and overall daily functioning of the clinic. Supervises staff who work in the clinic as assigned. Makes clinical appointments and ensures the individuals appointment information is processed in a timely manner. Oversees the preparation and maintenance of patient records and reports in the clinic. Reviews documentation prepared by other clinic staff for completeness, within the scope of expertise. Within the clinic setting, performs focused assessments and care intervention, such as health screenings, and collects specimens for lab work. Evaluates and documents healthcare needs and/or issues and reports health care needs and/or issues to the appropriate person(s). Works directly with the Primary Care Provider (PCP) such as the assigned physician, consultant physician, psychiatrist, and/or dentist, and closely with other clinic and nursing staff to ensure pertinent results for their assigned clinics are entered into the database. Communicates with others, such as direct care staff, physicians/PCP, administration, and other nursing staff to ensure optimal care as part of the interdisciplinary team. Identifies trends and concerns and notifies the supervisor or assigned Registered Nurse Case Manager (RNCM) of trends and concerns to ensure that communication is in place to provide consistent, high-quality care for all persons served. Serves as a direct care/floor nurse as needed, performing basic and advanced, routine and non-routine nursing tasks to promote the health of the individuals within the assigned areas and assigned shift. Instructs direct support professionals and other staff on how to provide service and care that support the individual’s medical needs. Performs technical nursing procedures according to facility and state regulations. Keeps informed of and follows all agency, SSLC and unit/home policies and procedures. Provides direction and assists with on-the-job training to others such as newly hired LVNs and direct care staff. Monitors, oversees the work of, and assigns work to, LVNs as needed. Evaluates nursing intervention outcomes and provides input to other members of the healthcare team. Assists Registered Nurses (RNs) with implementation of protocols, procedures and programs to improve overall health and safety of staff and individuals. Works under limited supervision of a RN or other appropriate supervisor, based upon the assigned clinic, with considerable latitude for the use of initiative and independent judgment. This position may be eligible to earn additional pay for work performed on evenings, nights and/or weekends.

Requirements

Knowledge of anatomy, physiology, and pathophysiology, nursing techniques and procedures, medications and side effects, adverse reactions and signs of toxicity associated with medications.
Knowledge of, or ability to learn the techniques of, administering medications to developmentally disabled individuals.
Knowledge of nursing care standards, nursing procedures and techniques and of the principles and processes used in providing appropriate patient care.
Knowledge of emergency procedures and emergency equipment, i.e., CPR., and ability to assess and care for residents and/or staff members in emergency situations.
Skill in using reasoning to identify problems and in considering appropriate resolution of situations.
Skill in the operation of computers and applicable computer software.
Skill in the care and treatment of patients.
Ability to apply principles and practices to do focused assessments, and to prevent and treat disease processes.
Ability to utilize critical thinking skills to identify problems, assess the situation, and ensure resolution.
Ability to prioritize work and practice time management to ensure timelines are met.
Ability to perform focused assessments and evaluate the healthcare needs and or issues of persons served.
Ability to provide patient care to a wide variety of individuals with complex medical, mental health and/or behavioral health issues.
Ability to prepare and maintain records and to use an electronic health record system once trained.
Ability to communicate effectively and to instruct others.
Ability to appropriately interact with individuals with intellectual/developmental disabilities, with their family members, and with staff members.
Must maintain current CPR certification. Must have strength and flexibility to safely perform Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR).
Licensed to practice as a licensed vocation nurse in the state of Texas, or a state that recognizes reciprocity through the Nurse Licensure Compact
Graduation from a LVN program
6 months prior employment experience as an LVN.

Nice To Haves

At least 12 months of prior employment as an LVN is preferred.
Experience working or volunteering directly with persons with intellectual disabilities or other developmental disabilities is preferred.
Experience organizing or leading others in a clinic setting is preferred.
Experience using an electronic health record system is preferred.
Experience training/teaching or leading others is preferred.

Responsibilities

Attends work on a regular basis and may be required to work a specific shift schedule or, at times, even a rotating schedule, extended shift and/or overtime in accordance with agency leave policy and performs other duties as assigned.
May serve in an on-call status on a rotating schedule as required to meet operational needs of the facility.
Leads the work in the assigned clinic setting, ensuring the clinic is organized and functions in accordance with the daily schedule. Supervises staff who work in the clinic as assigned, such as the scheduler. Makes clinical appointments and ensures the individuals appointment information is processed in a timely manner. Ensures scheduling is performed in accordance with established methods. Ensures the clinic area is clean and organized that supplies are available, in advance, to provide the required procedure or treatment. Ensures the clinic is properly stocked or oversees others to perform this work. Orders supplies, or ensures they are ordered, through appropriate channels when they are needed.
Oversees the preparation and maintenance of patient records and reports in the clinic. Organizes, prepares and processes all paperwork for assigned clinics including but not limited to paper consults and billing sheets. Reviews documentation prepared by others in the clinic for completeness within the scope of expertise.
Works directly with and assists the Primary Care Provider (PCP) such as the assigned physician, consultant physician, psychiatrist, and/or dentist, and closely with other clinic and nursing staff. Assists with examinations and treatments. Monitors individuals’ weight, diet, feedings, and vital signs. Monitors individuals’ health status after treatments and procedures. Recognizes and monitors for signs and symptoms of illness. Instructs direct support professionals on how to monitor individuals after a treatment or procedure using instruction sheets such as that used for post-sedation monitoring of signs and symptoms. Draws blood samples in the lab as needed. Collects specimens for laboratory examination and conducts appropriate screening tests (after competency is documented) as requested by lab personnel.
Timely and accurately reports assessment findings, pertinent treatments, descriptors of actions and behaviors, and symptoms of illness or injury to provide information to PCPs and teams to guide treatment decisions. Timely and accurately documents nursing actions including assessments, interventions and communications with other team members in the individual’s medical record (electronic health record or paper chart) in accordance with SSLC procedures and protocols. Evaluates nursing intervention outcomes and provides input to other members of the healthcare team. Completes notes for missed appointments in the electronic health records and documents no-call/no shows in notes.
Fosters interdisciplinary collaboration and integration. Communicates pertinent information orally and in writing to other team members, such as the RN Case Manager, in order to ensure the treatment team has the best information possible to make decisions. Provides information and education to individuals, in accordance with their care plan, when performing procedures and treatments such as explaining the name and purpose of a particular medication and explaining why the individuals is taking the medication.
Administers medications and treatments orally, rectally, topically, internally, or by injection. Assists other medical staff, such as Registered Nurses (RNs), Physicians, Advanced Practice Registered Nurses and Physician Assistants, in examining and caring for patients. Demonstrates competency in performing complex and technical nursing tasks and procedures such as tracheostomy care, gastrostomy/jejunostomy care, wound care, breathing treatments and focused assessments in accordance with HHSC, SSLC and state regulations. Performs advanced nursing procedures skillfully and thoroughly in accordance with training and facility guidelines to assure delivery of appropriate and optimal nursing care. Ensures the individual is positioned correctly prior to providing a treatment and, when necessary, assists or instructs other staff in turning/repositioning individuals to administer treatments. Performs these duties in other locations at the SSLC such as making rounds in a home/unit, as needed.
Trains/instructs new LVN staff to perform nursing functions at the SSLC, including acclimating them to the individuals, their needs and preferences. Oversees and monitors the work of LVNs as assigned and provides feedback to the supervisor. Assists the new LVN to complete the “on the job training” checklist, observes and gives feedback as the new LVN performs daily assignments, plans daily learning experiences for new LVN, meets with the new LVN’s manager at the end of the orientation to discuss progress made, and is a continued resource for the new LVN. Cross-trains floor nurse(s) to back–up in the clinic, as needed.
Assists RNs with implementation of protocols, procedures and programs to improve overall health and safety of staff and individuals. Assists the Infection Control nurse by implementing measures that prevent the spread of disease, assists the Quality Assurance (QA) Nurse in developing and implementing quality assurance programs, and assists in the implementation of therapeutic nursing programs. Collects data for RN/Primary Care Provider and advises them of any trends or concerns.
Responds to emergency situations to ensure safety of individuals. Performs CPR, suctioning, and other emergency procedures as directed by physician/PCP/protocol. Administers emergency medications as prescribed. Follows safety and Infection Control Procedures of facility.
Other duties as assigned include but are not limited to actively participating and/or serving in a supporting role to meet the agency’s obligations for disaster response and/or recovery or Continuity of Operations (COOP) activation. Such participation may require an alternate shift pattern assignment and/or location.

Benefits

Our comprehensive benefits package includes 100% paid employee health insurance for full-time eligible employees, a defined benefit pension plan, generous time off benefits, numerous opportunities for career advancement and more.

Stand Out From the Crowd

Upload your resume and get instant feedback on how well it matches this job.

Upload and Match Resume