Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN)

Department: Clinical FLSA: Non-exempt

Reports to: Manager of Clinical Support Approved Date: May 16, 2014

Summary

The clinic nurse is a care team member with unique responsibilities that touch all aspects of patient care. The clinic nurse embraces a team-based approach and is competent to function as an integral part of the patient care team. Nurses in this position can function in all care team job roles including care coordination, case management, and patient navigation.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Communication: Conveys information accurately and efficiently. Written communication is direct, concise, and easy to understand.
• Decision-making: Gathers necessary information to make good and timely decisions. Uses sound judgment and instincts.
• Directing others/Delegation: Assesses other staff member abilities and provides coaching and recognition. Continually monitors and oversees other support staff performance.
• Planning/Priority setting: Organizes tasks and objectives in order of importance, timing, and predicted results. Works within measurable goals and outcomes.
• Problem solving: Works systematically to solve problems. Develops reasonable and timely resolutions.
• Initiative: Takes prompt action to accomplish objectives. Seeks to resolve problems without being asked.

Key Functions

• Provides comprehensive nursing assessment and documents appropriately according to developmental level and emotional state. Assists provider with obtaining patient histories and anticipating current needs.
• Plans care by reviewing schedules and charts to proactively prepare for patient encounters.
• Knowledgeable of clinical quality measures and preventive health maintenance recommendations. Educate patients, family members, and other staff members in these areas.
• Performs nursing interventions in a professional, competent manner. Maintains competency in nursing skills and stays current with professional practice guidelines.
• Maintains strong knowledge base in medication management to include medication reconciliation, refills, immunization guidelines, etc.
• Understands population health and works collaboratively with the health care team to promote health and wellness.

Other Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Grace Health recognizes that managing patient care is a team effort involving both clinical and non-clinical staff. All employees must embrace a team-based approach to patient care and understand that each role is important to our success.
• Team members must demonstrate excellent communication and coordination skills to provide quality patient care.
• Care coordination includes communication with community organizations, health plans, facilities, and specialists.
• Care team members must understand and embrace the concept of population health management and proactively address the needs of patients and families served by the practice.
• Team members must demonstrate the skills and knowledge necessary to communicate effectively with vulnerable patient populations.
• Team members must participate in Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) activities within the organization to ensure patients receive high-quality care.
• All team members will be involved in improving quality outcomes.
• Team members will participate in the review and evaluation of practice performance and help identify opportunities for improvement.
• Team members will participate in Grace Health's advocacy program.

General Duties

• Follows all organizational policies and procedures, including administrative, clinical, quality assurance, and personnel policies.
• Maintains satisfactory attendance, including attendance at meetings and completion of assigned tasks.
• Maintains timely documentation of all work assignments.
• Maintains patient confidentiality.
• Routinely keeps the supervisor informed regarding attendance and job assignments.
• Demonstrates flexibility and the ability to multitask.
• Works effectively and efficiently.
• Works cooperatively with providers, administration, and peers.

Qualification Requirements:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to support and advance Grace Health's mission while satisfactorily performing each essential duty. The requirements listed below represent the knowledge, skills, and abilities required for the position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job.

Skills

• Communication
• Computer/Technology
• Conflict resolution
• Customer service
• Team building
• Time management
• Critical thinking
• Leadership

Education and/or Experience

• Current license to practice nursing in the state of Kentucky.
• 1-3 years nursing experience preferred.
• Basic Life Support (BLS) certification required.

Physical Demands:

The physical demands described herein represent those that must be met by an employee to perform the essential functions of this job successfully. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to stand, walk, sit, and use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, tools, or controls. The employee occasionally is required to reach with hands and arms, stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl, and taste or smell.

The employee must occasionally lift and /or move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.

Work Environment

Grace Health is a faith-based, federally qualified health center (FQHC). We provide primary healthcare services to underserved, underinsured, and uninsured individuals throughout southeastern Kentucky. Our mission is "to show the love and share the truth of Jesus Christ to southeastern Kentucky through access to compassionate, high-quality primary healthcare for the whole person."

The work environment characteristics described herein are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the position.

The noise level in the work environment is typically moderate.

Grace Health provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.