LVN - La Mesa-HH/Hospice / Palliative Care - PT (32) - 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM

Job Summary:
Provides nursing care to patients under the direction of a Registered Nurse utilizes observational skills to assess nursing intervention and assists medical staff to insure optimal patient care within established policies, procedures and standards.

Essential Responsibilities:

• Upholds Kaiser Permanentes Policies and Procedures, Principles of Responsibilities and applicable state, federal and local laws.
• Exhibits excellent customer relations to patients, visitors, physicians, and co-workers; shows courtesy, compassion, and respect; conforms to the critical service standards established for the department and the hospital.
• Provides therapeutic patient care in accordance with the patients established by the physician and a registered nurse within scope of practice.
• Transcribes physicians orders as directed by policy.
• Communicates directly with registered nurse to institute changes in plan of care; assists with and contributes to development of nursing care plan (Interdisciplinary Care Plan).
• Give specified medication orally, hypodermically, intramuscularly and topically.
• Executes treatments such as urinary catheterizations, bladder irrigations and installations, suctioning procedures, throat irrigations and enemas; utilizing equipment as required; provides nursing care for patients in isolation.
• Performs related patient care functions such as taking temperature, pulse, respiration and blood pressure readings; applying and removing dressings, and bathing; may instruct patient in various self-administered treatments or procedures; obtains specimens; assures correct culture collection.
• Assists physician or other medical staff personnel with examinations and treatments by selecting and passing instruments, providing support and restraint to patient, draping and other assistance as directed or required.
• Within scope, evaluates patients condition by observing signs, symptoms, and reactions to therapy, to identify unexpected and/or significant findings, initiates appropriate emergency procedures as necessary and reports unusual conditions to the registered nurse as established by policy and procedure in a timely manner.
• Identifies learning barriers.  Provides non-complicated teaching following the registered nurses plan for education.
• Documents patient signs, symptoms, observations and therapeutic treatments to patients medical record.
• Ensures proper functioning of patient care equipment by visual inspection, routine testing, and other related methods.  Evaluates and reports environmental safety concerns to the RN case manager.
• Utilizes effective verbal and non-verbal forms of communication.
• Performs in other areas or units to which assigned as required by nursing administration to provide and maintain the established standards of care and safety.
• Participates in staff meetings and in-service programs.
• Assists in ordering and distribution of unit supplies and equipment.
• Accepts verbal and telephone orders from physician.
• Administers pulse oximetry, humidification therapy, spirometer, oxygen therapy via mask or nasal cannula, oral, nasal and trach suctioning and sputum induction.
• Documents care in medical record.
• Performs other related duties as required.  Assists in coordinating the discharge process.
• Required to drive/travel as part of doing visits to patients home.
• Promotes, ensures, and improves customer service to internal/external customers by demonstrating skills which are consistent with the organizations philosophy of providing extraordinary customer relations and quality service.  Age Related Competencies Skills assessments and validations are utilized to ensure that employees providing patient care to specific age groups (i.e. infants, adolescents, elderly, etc.) are proficient in identifying the special needs and behaviors associated with a particular patient population.

Basic Qualifications:
Experience

• One (1) year of recent (within the last three (3) years) experience as a LVN in a home health/hospice or acute care setting.

Education

• N/A

License, Certification, Registration

• Driver's License (California)

• Vocational Nurse License (California)

• Basic Life Support

• I.V. Certification

Additional Requirements:

• Driving/travelling as part of doing visits to patient's home.

Notes:

• May assist with Home Health as needed.