Licensed Vocational Nurse - Progressive Care Unit

Overview

Location: Fort Sam Houston - Brooke Army Medical Center (BAMC), San Antonio, TX

Operation Coverage: 7 days a week, 24 hours a day, including holidays.

Pay: $28.50/hr, Health & Wellness $5.09*/hr worked (in lieu of benefits)

Shift Lengths:

• • 8-hour shifts (with a 30-minute unpaid lunch/dinner break), or

  • 12-hour shifts (with a 30-minute unpaid lunch/dinner break).

  • No more than 12 hours may be scheduled in a 24-hour period

Benefits: Vest vacation, sick leave, holiday leave, Life, Accidental Death and Dismemberment, Short Term Disability

Optional Benefits: Medical, Dental, Vision, 401(K) matching with employee participation in 401(K) plan

Responsibilities

• Perform the same clinical duties as military/civil service nurses of similar experience; may be designated for team lead responsibilities or clinical orientation.

• Insert IV catheters, perform phlebotomy and arterial blood draws (with required training).

• Obtain patient and family history; observe, assess, and record symptoms, reactions, and progress; assist physicians and RNs during treatments and exams; complete admissions/discharges.

• Assess patient/family knowledge, provide education, and document care in the medical record.

• Develop and manage nursing care plans; instruct patients/families on proper care and health maintenance.

• Administer medications within scope of practice (IV, oral, subcutaneous, intramuscular, rectal, transdermal); monitor administration of blood products (cannot start transfusions).

• Perform direct patient care (range of motion, lifting, turning, transporting, positioning, hygiene care, changing linen/clothing, feeding patients).

• Manage care for patients with high infection risk or on life-support equipment.

• Ensure proper procedures with tissue/skin bank and blood bank.

• Provide professional oversight for CNAs/unlicensed personnel, and collaborate with other healthcare providers.

• Follow infection control protocols, respond to breaches, and participate in research/committees as needed.

• Participate in patient care conferences, nursing reports, and discharge planning.

• Demonstrate ability to manage interpersonal relationships, stay composed under stress, and act in emergencies (e.g., CPR, hemorrhage, trauma)

• The PCU LVN provides an advanced level of specialized comprehensive nursing for highly complex patients with real orpotential life-threatening emergencies and involve labor intense nursing interventions. Plays an integral role in assisting the RNin observing the patient's changing conditions and participates in developing and updating in the electronic medical record thepatient plan of care and nursing diagnoses, based on comprehensive assessments in accordance with recognized professional andinstitutional standards of practice and scopes of care. Observes and monitors: vital signs, symptoms of deterioration in condition,and assists the RN in the identification of normal and abnormal cardiac rhythms. Utilizing the early warning scoring system,takes emergent corrective action within his/her scope of practice. Initiates lifesaving measures, which include cardiopulmonaryresuscitation and assisting the RN in performing arterial punctures and troubleshooting respiratory adjunctive therapy.
• Starts intravenous lines in accordance with institutional infection control standards. Works with non-titratable vasoactive dripsand assist in management of non-titratable vasoactive drips (i.e.amiodarone, diltiazem) and other non-titratable continuous IVinfusions (bumex, Lasix). LVNs are trained to assist in the management of ventilators and are validated through training andcompetencies to manage patients on long-term stable ventilators through tracheostomy. LVNs are trained to manage patients oncontinuous BIPAP/CPAP.
• Performs a vast array of direct patient care procedures to include but are not limited to: assist in the management of epidurals,range of motion exercises, lifting, turning, transporting and positioning patients, personal hygiene care, changing linen andclothing and feeding patients. Transports seriously ill patients for various diagnostic procedures.
• Administers and monitors the use of medications in accordance with Department of Nursing and unit level policies/guidelines.Assists in the administration of intravenous fluids Assist in the administration of anticonvulsants, insulin and thrombolytics andmonitors patient condition per recommended guidelines; is familiar with correct dosages and potential side effects. Assists theRN wi