Job Summary: The Licensed Practical Nurse provides supervision of health care and support to people with developmental disabilities who reside in Laura Baker residential facilities. She/he represents Laura Baker Services Association directly to the customers, using Laura Baker Services Association standards of conduct and guiding philosophies to promote the well-being of the people the Association supports. The Licensed Practical Nurse will provide training to direct care staff and monitor the delivery of all medical care to clients.
Conditions of Employment: The Licensed Practical Nurse must pass a Minnesota Department of Human Services background check and must be able to maintain that eligibility. She/he must be able to maintain work status based upon his/her health, including either a negative mantoux or a release to continue providing services from his/her physician. Upon hire, she/he must be able to prove that she/he has valid work status. He/she must be able to provide proof they have a valid nursing license.
Reporting Responsibilities: The Licensed Practical Nurse reports to the Consulting Registered Nurse, the Director of Oak Street Services. She/he is a member of the health team, and is responsible to regularly attend the scheduled meetings of that team. She/he provides supervision of health care and reports any concerns.
Internal Contacts: The Licensed Practical Nurse will primarily interact with Laura Baker Services staff members and the people she/he directly supports. Primary contacts will be with the clients, the health team, the Behavior Analysts, Household Directors and the kitchen staff.
External Contacts: The Licensed Practical Nurse will interact with any and all of the constituencies of Laura Baker Services Association and the community at large. Primary contacts will be with other community members, client families, and other medical professionals, as she/he assists clients to access community services, businesses and activities.
Responsibilities and Duties: The Licensed Practical Nurse is responsible to insure that the following responsibilities are completed promptly and to the best of his/her abilities:
Representing • the Association in a positive and professional manner;
• client and staff concerns to health professionals, dietary staff members, and supervisory staff in a timely and accurate manner;
Supervising the health, hygiene, and safety of residents at Laura Baker Service Association Oak Street Services residential facilities according to their individual needs. Providing health orientation to new staff and in-services as the need is identified. Training clients as needed in appropriate health and hygiene.
Monitoring all staff in the delivery of medical care and concerns of residents including: treatment pro¬grams and procedures, medication administration and documentation, routine and emergency appointments, behavior controlling medication documentation, communication with the health team, monthly height and weight records, and other medical aspects for Laura Baker Services residential residents.
Documenting all medical appointments on appropriate forms. Preparing forms needed for medical appointments and documenting all medical appointments. Receive and transcribe medical orders from physicians. Complete and/or review incident reports and medication errors as needed.
Reviewing medication records. Review medication supply and storage to assure compliance. Order medications as needed. Provide on-site medication administration training to staff. Administer medications per protocol.
Completing quarterly health examinations and corresponding report. Follow up on identified areas of concern. Perform DISCUS and MOSES evaluations as per protocol and complete all psychotropic medication monitoring forms as required.
Administering mantoux screening tests to new staff and annually, and to clients when necessary. Administer flu vaccine annually to all clients. Perform special treatments as or ordered or requested including: catheter changes, ear checks, dressing changes, injections and breast exams.
Communicating with various aspects of the Laura Baker Association Services and outside individuals, including: day programs, Night Residential Counselors, support personnel, medical staff, parents, social workers, administrators, and co-workers, medical professionals, pharmacists and dietitians.
Providing nursing consultation and phone triage to staff as needed. Provide recommendations and receive feedback from dietitian, pharmacist and other medical consultants.
Act as a liaison between medical professionals as an advocate of the client. Work with the Health Care Liaison to assure needed medical appointments are scheduled. Attend appointments as needed and assure necessary follow-up is done.
Participating in interdisciplinary team meetings, health staff meetings, training sessions, and workshops.
Adhering to the policies and procedures outlined in the Laura Baker Services Association Policy Manual including but not limited to the Reporting of Maltreatment of Vulnerable Adult Policy.
Performing other appropriate duties as assigned by the Director of Oak Street and Consulting RN.
Decision-Making Responsibilities: The Licensed Practical Nurse has the authority to make decisions as outlined in the "Levels of Decision-Making: LPN".
Knowledge and Education: The Licensed Practical Nurse must have a current license from the State of Minnesota. She/he must maintain current CPR certification. She/he must promote Self-Determination by respecting the life choices and dreams of the people she/he supports. Experience and/or education with people who have developmental disabilities is preferred.
Skills and Abilities: The Licensed Practical Nurse will have the skill and ability to work independently as a member of the health team, without constant supervision; communicate effectively with clients, co-workers, other medical professionals and the IDT members. She/he will act as a professional role model. She/he must possess organizational and time-management skills and maintain confidentiality.
The Licensed Practical Nurse will be able to meet the qualifications noted on the Environmental, Physical and Mental check lists.
Accountability: The Licensed Practical Nurse is directly accountable and responsible to the Registered Nurse and the Director of Oak Street Services.
Core Competencies
Collaboration: Develops cooperation and teamwork while participating in a group, working toward solutions which generally benefit all involved parties.
• Demonstrates respect for the opinions of others.
• Identifies and pushes for solutions in which all parties can benefit.
• Helps and supports fellow employees in their work to contribute to overall Association success.
• Keeps people informed and up to date.
• Shares information and own expertise with others to enable them to accomplish group goals
Discernment and Judgment: makes decisions authoritatively and wisely, after adequately contemplating various available course of action.
• Considers alternative available actions, resources and constraints before selecting a method for accomplishing a task, project or goal.
• Refrains from “jumping to conclusions” based on no, or minimal evidence; takes time to collect facts before decision-making.
• Considers the long-term as well as immediate short-term outcomes and actions.
• Appropriately balances needs and desires with available resources and constraints.
• Recognizes when to escalate appropriate or specific situations to the next higher level of expertise.
Planning and Organizing: establishes a systematic course of action for self or others to ensure accomplishment of a specific objective.
• Develops or uses systems to organize and keep track of information
• Sets priorities with an appropriate sense of what is most important and plans with an appropriate and realistic sense of the time demand involved.
• Keeps track of activities completed and yet to do, to accomplish stated objectives.
• Keeps clear, detailed records of activities related to accomplishing stated objectives.
• Knows status of one's own work at all times.
Problem Solving: builds a logical approach to address problems or opportunities or manage the situation at hand by drawing on one's knowledge and experience base, and calling on other references and resources as necessary.
• Undertakes a complex task by breaking it down into manageable parts in a systematic, detailed way.
• Thinks of several possible explanations or alternatives for a situation and anticipates potential obstacles and develops contingency plans to overcome them.
• Identifies the information needed to solve a problem effectively.
• Presents problem analysis and recommended solution to others rather than just identifying or describing the problem itself.
• Acknowledges when one doesn't know something and takes steps to find out.
Technical Expertise: applies and improves extensive or in-depth specialized knowledge, skills, and judgment to accomplish a result or to accomplish one's job effectively.
• Understands technical aspects of one's job and continuously builds knowledge, keeping up to date on the technical or procedural aspects of the job.
• Makes oneself available to others to help solve technical or procedural problems or issues.
• Thinks of ways to apply new developments to improve organizational performance or customer service.
• Applies technical/procedural knowledge to correctly address a situation in a timely manner.
• Recognizes trends in theory and practice of one's own technical area and effectively prepares for anticipated changes.