Licensed Practical Nurse

Brief Description

Lowell Community Health Center (Lowell CHC) is a diverse, community-based health care organization. Our programs have been recognized as national models and LCHC was named one of the top five health centers in the nation for excellence in cultural competency. With a career at Lowell Community Health Center, you will be joining a dynamic team of passionate and talented people.

Summary:

Under the direction of a Registered Nurse, the Licensed Practical Nurse provides prescribed medical and nursing care to patients and is responsible for outpatient and ambulatory nursing tasks. The Licensed Practical Nurse is clinically competent in the standards of ambulatory care nursing and possesses excellent patient and customer service skills. The Licensed Practical Nurse works collaboratively with other disciplines to ensure an integrated approach to patient care. The Licensed Practical Nurse is accountable to the patients, family, peers, and the nurse coordinator for the totality of work performance.

Responsibilities:

Knowledge

• Provides direct care based on practical knowledge as evidenced by safe practice and beneficial patient outcomes in outpatient primary care.
• Knowledgeable about ambulatory care nursing standards, techniques, and practice.
• Safely performs initial and basic assessment of patient problems and needs based on age-appropriate criteria.
• Performs procedures and treatments according to established clinic guidelines.
• Accurately documents the plan, provision, and basic evaluation of care, care coordination, and patient education.
• Remains clinically competent in ambulatory care nursing through formal education and continuing education in the forms of in-services and presentations.
• Provide care based on physical, psychomotor, educational, and safety-related criteria appropriate to the age of the patient served in the clinic, for example, prenatal, neonate, pediatric, adolescent, adult, or geriatric.
  
  

Judgment

• Performs basic assessment on patient’s health status, records, and related health data.
• Uses nursing judgement in direct and indirect nursing care to the extent of their generic and continuing educational experience.
• Evaluates and modifies patient’s plan of care in response to their changing needs.
• Assesses patient’s ability to learn an appropriate teaching plan through effective nursing education.
• Understands and helps to translate patient rights.
• Encourages the patient to be actively involved in decisions about care and supports the nursing philosophy and concept of self-care.
• Rapidly intervenes and interviews, basically assesses, and triages patients to determine the urgency of problems and concerns.
• Aware of and utilizes accepted nursing telephone concepts, practices, and protocols.
• Communicates pertinent information to medical providers, clinic nurses, and support staff.
• Facilitates flow of patients through clinic.
• Keeps patients abreast regarding waiting times.
• Responds to emergent situations in an appropriate, professional, and calm manner.
  
  

Independent Action

• Takes full responsibility for the quality of care provided to patients.
• Follows the guidelines as set forth in the approved nursing intervention policy, including a skill list of those activities which do not require nursing assessment during implementation.
• Able to decipher and explain various test interpretations. Aware of and utilizes resources within the clinic, health care origination, and community to assist in the care and support of clinic patients.
  
  

Accountability

• Maintains accountability for their own safe and consistent nursing practice.
• Delivers care in an ethically as well as fiscally responsible manner.
• Always maintains patient confidentiality.
• Implements the philosophy and mission statement of the organization and nursing department.
• Participates constructively in the annual evaluation of nursing job performance.
  
  

Interrelationships

• Serves as an active participant with other members of the health care team.
• Effectively and openly communicates with the multi-disciplinary team, other health care professionals and agencies.
• Maintains a collaborative relationship with peers to create a positive work environment.
• Initiates interdisciplinary discussions to address and resolve patient issues.
  
  

Professional Behavior and Development

• Assumes responsibility for seeking out educational and professional opportunities for personal learning and growth.
• attends and actively participates in staff and sub-committee meetings.
• Participates in open communication with the Registered Nurse and actively supports an environment that values student learning.
• Promotes a cohesive work environment by looking beyond individual assignment to the needs of the department.
• Remains flexible in meeting the changing needs and expectations of the clinic or department.
• Recognizes own stressors, which affect behavior and assumes responsibility to modify or eliminate them.
  
  

Manual and Visual Skills

• Accurately performs the various psychomotor skills in nursing such as safe administration of specified medications, collections of laboratory samples, EKG, crutch measurement and teaching, suture removal, documentation, and other skills.
  
  

Character of Supervision:

Under the direction of a Registered Nurse the Licensed Practical Nurse functions within the framework specified by the nursing statutes and regulation of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing. Technical, clinical, consultative, and administrative supervision is provided.

Qualifications:

• 1 years of experience in an ambulatory or outpatient setting is desirable, with a focus on pediatric and/or adult nursing.
• Graduate of an accredited School of Nursing.
• Current license as a Licensed Practical Nurse in Massachusetts.
• Current CPR certification.
• Effective interpersonal and communication skills.
• Bilingual skills in English and Khmer, Spanish, Portuguese, Kiswahili, Pashto, etc. desired.
  
  

Physical Requirements:

• Frequent standing and walking for up to 80% of the work day or shift.
• Some lifting, pushing or pulling required up to 30 pounds.
• Ability to see and distinguish color.
• Ability to perform CPR (chest compressions).
  
  

Work Environment:

Frequent contact with patients, families, visitors, nurses and other department staff. Occasional requests to change work areas to cover another priority area to meet patient needs. Occasional stress and pressure caused by multiple simultaneous demands. May be exposed to various body fluids and/or infectious diseases. Universal precautions and techniques are included in orientation and the availability of protective wear is supported and encouraged when the employee is at risk for exposure.

Benefits:

Lowell Community Health Center offers a competitive salary with an excellent benefits program; including sick, personal and paid holidays, health insurance, company paid life and long-term disability, 403B, & flexible spending accounts.

Lowell Community Health Center is an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran, or disability status.