Licensed Practical Nurse

Job Description

SUMMARY: The Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) provides safe, developmentally appropriate nursing care to pediatric patients and their families within the outpatient/ambulatory care setting. The LPN delivers direct and indirect nursing care to patients from infancy through adolescence and, when applicable, young adulthood.

The LPN practices in accordance with the Illinois Nurse Practice Act, organizational policies and procedures, demonstrated competencies, and established standards of pediatric ambulatory nursing practice. The LPN functions as a member of the interdisciplinary healthcare team and works under the direction of a Registered Nurse (RN), Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN), physician, or other authorized healthcare provider as appropriate to the activity and consistent with applicable law and organizational policy.

The LPN contributes to the nursing process by collecting and reporting patient data, implementing established plans of care, performing authorized nursing interventions, reinforcing patient and family education, documenting care provided, and promptly communicating changes or concerns to the RN or appropriate licensed provider.

The LPN supports efficient clinic operations and patient flow while promoting patient safety, family-centered care, service excellence, and collaboration across the outpatient care team.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

1. Provides Safe, Developmentally Appropriate Patient Care – 50%

• Provides direct nursing care within the LPN scope of practice, demonstrated competency, organizational policy, and established plan of care by:

• Collecting and documenting patient information, including vital signs, height, weight, pain score, medication history, allergies, and other assigned clinical data.

• Observing patients for changes in condition and promptly reporting abnormal findings, symptoms, or concerns to the RN or appropriate licensed provider.

• Implementing nursing interventions based on established plans of care and provider orders.

• Utilizing knowledge of pediatric growth and development when providing care to infants, children, adolescents, and young adults.

• Preparing patients and families for examinations, procedures, treatments, and diagnostic testing.

• Assisting physicians, APRNs, RNs, and other members of the healthcare team with examinations, procedures, and treatments.

• Administering medications within the LPN scope of practice and according to provider orders, hospital policy, medication-administration standards, and demonstrated competency.

• Administering routine pediatric and adolescent immunizations in accordance with provider orders, organizational policies, vaccine storage and handling requirements, and demonstrated competency.

• Completing medication and vaccine safety checks and accurately documenting administration in the electronic health record and applicable immunization systems.

• Performing point-of-care testing and specimen collection for which competency has been established, including tests routinely performed within the outpatient clinic.

• Collecting, labeling, handling, and routing specimens according to hospital and laboratory procedures.

• Performing ordered treatments and nursing procedures within the LPN scope of practice and demonstrated competency.

• Supporting preventive health services, including age-appropriate screenings, health-maintenance activities, and follow-up of established care needs as assigned.

• Reinforcing education previously established by the RN or provider regarding medications, treatments, preventive care, and follow-up instructions.

• Providing developmentally appropriate support and comfort to pediatric patients during procedures, vaccinations, specimen collection, and other clinical interventions.

• Maintaining a clean, organized, safe, and appropriately stocked patient-care environment.

• Identifying urgent or potentially emergent patient concerns and immediately escalating the patient to an RN, provider, or emergency response process according to organizational policy.

• Supporting patient flow by preparing rooms, coordinating assigned nursing activities, and assisting the interdisciplinary team as patient-care needs change throughout the clinic day.

2. Communication, Documentation, and Care Coordination – 30%

• Communicates effectively with patients, families, and members of the healthcare team and manages assigned electronic clinical work by:

• Reporting pertinent patient information and changes in condition to the RN, provider, nurse manager, or other appropriate member of the healthcare team.

• Accurately and timely documenting nursing care, observations, medications, immunizations, treatments, screenings, patient/family education, and other required information in the electronic medical record (EMR).

• Routinely monitoring and addressing assigned EMR staff tasks, messages, work queues, and electronic "buckets" throughout the workday in accordance with departmental expectations.

• Managing assigned EMR tasks within the LPN scope of practice, including prior authorizations, patient forms, school/daycare forms, letters, medication-related requests, clinical documentation requests, and other administrative or clinical tasks routed to the nursing team.

• Assisting with prior authorization processes by gathering required clinical information, completing appropriate documentation, communicating with pharmacies, payers, providers, and families, and routing requests requiring provider or RN review to the appropriate team member.

• Reviewing and processing patient forms and letters within established departmental turnaround times, ensuring required information is complete and obtaining provider review/signature when indicated.

• Communicating laboratory and diagnostic test results to patients and families when specifically authorized by the provider and consistent with organizational policy, established protocols, and the LPN scope of practice.

• Providing only the interpretation, education, and follow-up instructions established by the ordering provider or approved protocol when communicating results. Abnormal, critical, unclear, or otherwise concerning results are promptly escalated to the RN or provider for clinical review and direction.

• Documenting all patient/family communications regarding laboratory results, forms, letters, prior authorizations, medication requests, and other clinical matters in the EMR according to organizational standards.

• Routing tasks that require independent assessment, triage, clinical interpretation, diagnosis, prescribing, modification of the plan of care, or other decision-making outside the LPN scope to the appropriate RN or licensed provider.

• Maintaining responsibility for assigned EMR tasks through completion, appropriate reassignment, or documented handoff; tasks should not be closed, deferred, or transferred without appropriate action and documentation.

• Reviewing assigned EMR buckets regularly throughout the shift to identify new, urgent, overdue, or unresolved patient-care needs.

• Prioritizing time-sensitive tasks and promptly escalating urgent patient concerns, critical results, medication access barriers, or other issues that may affect patient safety or continuity of care.

• Collaborating with providers, RNs, medical assistants, nurse care managers, pharmacy staff, laboratory personnel, registration staff, and other team members to facilitate timely resolution of patient needs.

• Reviewing and implementing established nursing and provider plans within the LPN scope of practice.

• Supporting care coordination by communicating established plans, assisting with follow-up activities, and identifying barriers requiring escalation to the RN, provider, nurse care manager, social worker, or other appropriate team member.

• Utilizing approved interpreter services and communication resources when caring for patients and families with language, hearing, visual, developmental, or other communication needs.

• Maintaining patient confidentiality and complying with HIPAA and organizational privacy requirements.

• Providing clear, respectful, age-appropriate, culturally responsive, and family-centered communication.

o EMR Task Accountability

The LPN is accountable for the timely management of assigned electronic work queues and staff buckets as an essential component of outpatient nursing practice. Assigned tasks are expected to be reviewed and acted upon during each scheduled shift.

The LPN will:

• Maintain awareness of outstanding tasks within assigned EMR buckets.

• Complete tasks within established departmental turnaround times.

• Prioritize tasks according to clinical urgency and patient-safety needs.

• Document actions taken and communications with patients, families, providers, pharmacies, insurers, and other healthcare team members.

• Follow assigned tasks through resolution when within the LPN's scope and role responsibilities.

• Escalate tasks requiring RN assessment, provider interpretation, prescribing decisions, clinical triage, or other decision-making outside the LPN scope.

• Provide a clear handoff of unresolved or time-sensitive tasks when responsibility must be transferred to another team member.

• Avoid leaving unresolved patient-care tasks without appropriate action, escalation, reassignment, or handoff.

3. Quality, Safety, and Regulatory Compliance – 15%

Promotes quality and safety within the pediatric outpatient environment by:

• Providing care in accordance with hospital policies and procedures, the Illinois Nurse Practice Act, and applicable regulatory and accreditation requirements.

• Following infection prevention practices, including hand hygiene, standard precautions, transmission-based precautions, environmental cleaning expectations, and appropriate use of personal protective equipment.

• Following medication and vaccine safety practices, including appropriate storage, handling, preparation, administration, documentation, and reporting requirements.

• Demonstrating competency in the safe operation of outpatient clinical equipment and point-of-care testing devices.

• Recognizing equipment malfunction, removing unsafe equipment from service, and promptly reporting concerns according to policy.

• Participating in organizational and departmental quality-improvement initiatives.

• Supporting clinic quality metrics, including completion and documentation of assigned screenings and preventive-care activities.

• Identifying patient-safety concerns, near misses, medication or vaccine errors, and other reportable events and following established safety-reporting procedures.

• Participating in continuous readiness for regulatory and accreditation surveys.

• Maintaining awareness of Joint Commission, Illinois Department of Public Health, HIPAA, infection prevention, and other applicable requirements.

• Participating in emergency preparedness, drills, and response procedures applicable to the outpatient setting.

4. Professional Practice and Clinic Operations – 5%

• Maintains current LPN licensure and all certifications required for the position.

• Completes mandatory education, annual competencies, and departmental education within established timeframes.

• Demonstrates accountability for assigned patient-care responsibilities.

• Reports to the assigned work area on time and prepared to provide patient care at the beginning of the scheduled shift.

• Participates in clinic opening, closing, stocking, safety, and operational responsibilities as assigned.

• Provides appropriate handoff of outstanding patient-care needs before breaks, lunch, transfer of responsibility, or departure from the clinic.

• Works collaboratively with RNs, MAs, providers, nurse care managers, and other members of the interdisciplinary team.

• Supports clinic operations and provides assistance within the LPN scope of practice based on patient-care and staffing needs.

• Demonstrates professionalism, respect, teamwork, accountability, and service excellence in interactions with patients, families, and colleagues.

LPN SCOPE AND ESCALATION

The LPN practices within the scope authorized by the Illinois Nurse Practice Act, organizational policy, provider orders, and demonstrated competency.

The LPN contributes to, but does not independently perform, functions requiring RN-level comprehensive nursing assessment, independent nursing diagnosis, development of the nursing plan of care, or other responsibilities reserved for the RN under applicable law and organizational policy.

The LPN will:

• Collect, document, and communicate patient data.

• Recognize and report abnormal findings or changes in patient condition.

• Implement established nursing interventions and plans of care within scope.

• Administer medications, vaccines, and treatments within scope and demonstrated competency.

• Reinforce established patient and family education.

• Seek RN or provider guidance whenever a patient's condition, clinical situation, or requested intervention exceeds the LPN's scope, competency, established plan, or organizational policy.

• Immediately respond to patients exhibiting urgent or emergent symptoms according to clinic procedures.

• Independent clinical triage, comprehensive RN assessment, independent development or modification of the nursing plan of care, and other functions reserved for the RN are not assigned to the LPN.

ADDITIONAL FUNCTIONS:

Performs other duties as assigned that are consistent with the individual's licensure, demonstrated competency, organizational policy, and applicable law.

Qualifications

QUALIFICATIONS:

Education: · Graduate of an approved practical nursing education program.

Related Work Experience:

· Previous nursing experience preferred.

Pediatric, ambulatory, primary care, specialty

clinic, community health, or other relevant

pediatric experience strongly preferred.

Licensure/Certification:

• Current, unrestricted licensure as a Licensed

Practical Nurse in the State of Illinois.

• Current Basic Life Support (BLS) certification

for healthcare providers from an organization

accepted by hospital policy.

Specialist Knowledge & Skills:

· Knowledge of pediatric growth and

development.

· Ability to provide developmentally

appropriate and family-centered care.

· Knowledge of medication and vaccine

administration principles.

· Ability to recognize and communicate

changes in patient condition.

· Ability to work effectively under the direction

and clinical guidance required by the LPN

scope of practice.

· Strong communication, teamwork,

organization, and time-management skills.

· Ability to function effectively in a fast-paced pediatric outpatient environment. · Ability to use electronic health records and other clinical technology required by the department.

Additional Information

La Rabida Children’s Hospital is very proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer

La Rabida is a place unlike any other. We understand the needs of families with children dealing with the most serious or complicated of conditions. With teams of the best healthcare providers in Chicago, we give continuous, comprehensive care, education, and support, helping families face their unique obstacles head-on.   

La Rabida Children’s Hospital is very proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer.  

Compensation: 24.39 to 39.03 (USD) (HOURLY)