Licensed Vocational Nurse III

Texas Health & Human Services Commission•San Antonio, TX

62d•$4,867 - $6,336•Onsite

About The Position

Performs advanced vocational nursing work. Provides for the care, treatment, and general welfare of individuals residing at the State Hospital (SH) who have complex medical, mental health and/or behavioral health issues. Performs basic and advanced routine and non-routine nursing tasks to promote the health of the individuals within the assigned areas and assigned shift. Collects specimens for lab work and performs health screenings. 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, SH and unit policies and procedures. Provides direction and assists with on-the-job training to others such as newly hired LVNs and direct care staff. Provides on-the-job nursing instruction and training for new LVNs, within their scope of practice, as requested by RN Supervisor. 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 RNs with implementation of protocols, procedures and programs to improve overall health and safety of staff and individuals. Works under the limited supervision of a Registered Nurse (RN), with considerable latitude for the use of initiative and independent judgment. Performs other duties as assigned. 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. This position may be eligible to earn additional pay for work performed on evenings, nights and/or weekends.

Requirements

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 an accredited LVN program.
Minimum twelve months’ employment experience as an LVN is required.
Must maintain current CPR certification.
Must have strength and flexibility to safely perform Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR).

Nice To Haves

Eighteen months of LVN experience is preferred.
Six months of experience working or volunteering directly with persons with mental illness preferred.
Six months year of experience training/teaching or leading others is preferred.

Responsibilities

Administers medications and treatments.
Makes rounds as needed and works in other locations at the SH as needed.
Demonstrates competency in performing complex technical nursing tasks and procedures in accordance with HHSC, SH and state regulations.
Performs complex and technical nursing procedures according to facility and state regulations such as tracheostomy care, gastrostomy/jejunostomy care, wound care, breathing treatments.
Collects specimens for laboratory examination and conducts appropriate screening tests when requested by lab personnel.
Monitors individuals’ weight, diet, mealtimes, and vital signs.
Monitors individuals’ health status after treatments and procedures.
Monitors for signs and symptoms of illness.
Evaluates nursing intervention outcomes and provides input to other members of the healthcare team.
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.
Timely and accurately documents and reports pertinent treatments and observations in the individual’s medical record (electronic health record or paper chart) in accordance with SH procedures and protocols.
Recognize symptoms of illness and reports accurately to RN and/or Primary Care Provider.
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.
Collects data for RN/ Primary Care Provider.
Leads, monitors, and oversees others who are monitoring individuals before, during, and after treatments and procedures are completed.
Evaluates nursing intervention outcomes and confers with other health care members as necessary.
Trains/instructs new LVN staff to perform nursing functions at the SH, 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.
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 QA Nurse in developing and implementing quality assurance programs, and assists in the implementation of therapeutic nursing programs.
Participates in facility Quality Assurance/Quality Improvement initiatives.
Participates in facility committees as requested on a regular basis.
Responds to emergency situations to ensure safety of individuals including de-escalation procedures.
Follows safety and infection control procedures of the SH.
Provides educational and safety training to SH staff upon request.
Performs other duties as assigned such as assisting the infection control nurse, medication variance, scheduling.
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.