Licensed Vocational Nurse at Family HealthCare Network

Primary Accountability

The Licensed Vocational Nurse is responsible for supporting efficient patient flow while performing various aspects of the back office patient visit.

Description of Primary Responsibilities

1. Responsible for supporting and monitoring patient flow in the back office.
   • Scrubs appointments in advance to ensure necessary information is available for patient visit.
   • Assists in the effective distribution of patients, including walk-ins using clinical assessment skills 
   • Keeps patients informed of wait times and ensures patients are properly flowed in system.
   • Schedules patient appointments.
   • Follows-up on “no-show” appointments and ensures messages and requests are responded to accordingly.
2. Responsible for performing various aspects of patient visit.
   • Serves as a leader within the clinical support team in providing guidance and mentoring with clinical skills.
   • Assesses and monitors patient’s conditions based on signs and symptoms and notifies provider for disposition.
   • Educates and counsels patients concerning their disease, treatment, and prevention of disease.
   • Reviews health record with the patient and updates clinical information such as current medication, medical, and surgical histories.
   • Obtains vital signs and patient data.
   • Initiates the follow-up of specialty care referrals and services per policy. 
   • Supports dispensary-related functions, including requests for prescription refills, logging of medications, and pharmacy/patient phone calls. 
   • Completes necessary clinical forms required for patient visit such as patient assistance programs, PM-160’s, and Staying Healthy Assessment forms. 
   • Maintains continuous communication within the patient care team.
   • Administers medications by hypodermic injection.
3. Responsible for performing important medical tests and procedures on patients. 
   • Starts and manages intravenous fluids, catheter placements and removals, applies splints, cast removals, suture/staple removals, eye irrigations, pregnancy tests and other medical procedures in support of patient care and under the clinical supervision of a Medical Provider.
   • Verifies medications, injections, and immunizations on behalf of the ordering provider before they are administered.
   • Prepares and administers Tuberculin skin tests based on standing orders and interprets skin test readings.
   • Prepares and administers immunizations based on standing orders.
   • Documents all appropriate patient care activity within the health record, including verification and administration of medications, injections, and immunizations. 
   • Prepares necessary instruments, room set up, and obtains consent for required procedures.
   • Performs CLIA waived screenings and proper documentation in system.
   • Performs standing orders and clinical indicators such as immunizations and foot screenings.
   • Performs specimen collection, preparation, and labeling. 
   • Performs veni-puncture procedures.
4. Responsible for obtaining medical record releases, and ensuring the processing of medical record requests.
   • Scans relevant documents into the electronic health record system.
   • Performs documentation in the patient’s electronic health record according to policy and training.
5. Responsible for preparing and stocking exam rooms/lab and monitoring adequate supplies in stock.
6. Responsible for discarding of Biohazard waste and sharps.
7. Responsible for weekly testing and weekly/monthly cleaning of sterilization equipment and the sterilization of medical equipment.
8. If functioning within the PACE program:
   • Assessment: Collects patient data and completes required forms with appropriate responses according to unit standards.
     • Identifies patient’s overt problems/needs and sets priorities.
     • Identifies problems requiring further referral and follow-up.
     • Observe and record the latest diagnostic results.
   • Planning Care: Makes referrals to interdisciplinary support services and follows patient care plan developed by RN.
   • Implementing/Managing Care: Care provided conforms to accepted practice standards. Provides correct treatments/procedures and other care according to patient care standards.
     • Demonstrates understanding of age-related characteristics and needs of patients served.
     • Explains nursing procedures in appropriate forms.
     • Provides discharge teaching.
     • Identifies emergencies and takes appropriate action.
     • Understands and demonstrates respect for patient rights and identifies mechanisms for managing ethical issues in patient care.
     • Provides clinical support to the provider during participant visits.
   • Documents participant changes appropriately in the medical records and promptly communicate participant changes to the Interdisciplinary Team (IDT). 
   • Delivers and documents nursing interventions as assigned, accurately responding to provider orders, and correctly administering medications, and performing ordered tests and treatments.
   • Supports the clinic and home health staff in managing smooth care transitions between settings (hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, homes, etc.).
   • Provides and documents in-person supervision and instruction to home care staff assigned to participants' homes at least as frequently as specified in the Home Health Agency regulations and more often if necessary.8. Performs other duties as assigned.

Description of Primary Attributes

Professional & Technical Knowledge:

1. Possesses work-related skills at a higher level than completion of high school, including formal written and verbal communications skills, computational and computer skills, mathematical, technical or health care related knowledge frequently acquired through completion of a trade school, para-professional, or certificate type program.
2. For a Licensed Vocational Nurse working in the PACE program – A minimum of one (1) year of documented experience working with the frail or elderly population. If there is no experience working with the elderly population, then training will be provided. 

Technical Skills:

1. Ability to prepare more complex documents in Microsoft Word, including creating tables, charts, graphs and other elements.
2. Ability to use Microsoft Excel to review and compile data, including the use of formulas, functions, lookup tables and other standard spreadsheet elements.
3. Ability to create basic presentations in Microsoft PowerPoint.
4. If functioning within the PACE program:
   • Work independently and effectively interact with a wide range of health care and social services staff members who work together as an interdisciplinary team.
   • Act within the scope of his or her authority to practice medicine.
   • Before working independently, Meet a standardized set of competencies for the specific position description established by FHCN PACE and approved by CMS.
   • Be medically cleared for communicable diseases and have all immunizations updated before engaging in direct participant contact.
   • Pass a criminal background which will verify that the candidate is not excluded from participation in Medicare and Medicaid programs; has not been convicted of criminal offenses related to their involvement in Medicaid, Medicare, other health insurance or health care programs, or social services programs under title XX of the Act; and have not been convicted of physical, sexual, drug or alcohol abuse.
   • Complete all orientation requirements before providing direct participant care.

Licenses & Certifications: 

Licensed as an LVN in the state of California. Intravenous Therapy Certification and Blood Withdrawal Certification are preferred.

Communications Skills:

1. Job duties require the compilation of information prepared in effective written form, including correspondence, reports, articles or other documentation.
2. Effectively conveys technical information to non-technical audiences.

Physical Demands: The physical demands described here in this job description are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 

While performing the duties of this position, the employee is regularly required to stand or walk and use repetitive hand movement to type and grasp. The employee is frequently required to bend waist, twist waist, squat, climb, kneel, reach above shoulder height as well as below shoulder height, and/or move items up to 20 pounds.

Pay Scale:

Min Hourly Rate: $25.26

Max Hourly Rate: $36.01