Licensed Practical Nurse/LPN

When you join the growing BILH team, you're not just taking a job, you’re making a difference in people’s lives.

The BIDMC Nursing Mission is to build on a legacy of nursing excellence by caring with compassion, advancing the art & science of nursing, and advocating for the health of patients, families, and communities. Reporting directly to the Ambulatory Hematology/Oncology Nurse Manager, the LPN II performs the duties of a Licensed Practical Nurse in an outpatient hematology/oncology clinic setting. Training, evaluation and competencies for this role are overseen by a Nurse Leader to the department.

Job Description:

Essential Responsibilities:

• Cares for patient within context of patient's life and culture. Performs accurate and ongoing observations of patient and reports information to clinician. Communicates status and pertinent information about designated patients accurately and concisely. Performs competencies and tasks within scope of license as a practical nurse.
• Administers medications and intravenous fluids accurately, safely and in accordance with established policies and procedures. Provides continuity of care to designated patients by following care plan. Coordinates and follows through on wide variety of patient care issues as directed by the prescribing clinicians.
• Accurately records on approved hospital forms and in accordance with established policies and procedures for medications and treatments administered and information gathered. Communicates with patient, family, and members of health care team clearly and courteously and facilitates cooperation and positive work environment. Interacts with other care providers while maintaining confidentiality.
• Communicates with other health care team members to ensure continuity of care and the coordination of services. Refills prescription requests in collaboration with physicians and call in orders to pharmacy. Supports department in maintaining emergency equipment. Maintains all continuing education to maintain licensure in accordance with state law and BLS training.
• Assesses patient and family educational needs with particular attention to self-care. Participates in patient education activities in collaboration with physicians, registered nurse and other division professionals. Identifies self-learning needs and updates clinical knowledge and skills through formal and information education and review of current literature.
• Maintains positive relationships with all patients, families, visitors, co-workers, physicians and hospital personnel. Contributes to decisions and formulating recommendations related to patient care issues or general practice issues. Recommends ways resources can be used differently or more effectively. Provides coverage in the absence of other staff or to assist with patient flow.
• Supports interdisciplinary program to optimize overall patient care. Demonstrates accountability for own practice. Complies with hospital and departmental policies related to mandatory education including fire safety, universal precautions and other specified topics.
• Initiates and discontinues peripheral IV's used in supportive and therapeutic care. Administers medications and blood products according to hospital policies excluding High-Risk medications. With assistance, manages patients with hypersensitivity reactions. Facilitates admission of patient including IV start and initiation, documentation in nurses notes and communication with RN prior to handoff.
• Supports RNs in care of oncology patients. Uses and cares for central venous access devices that require heparin. Provides wound care, respiratory care and enteral feedings as prescribed and within practice scope. Performs phlebotomy according to hospital standards. Cares for patients receiving medications and blood products. Safely and accurately obtains medications from pharmacy and Omnicell.
• Performs count checks and notifies appropriate clinician for abnormalities. Places referrals to home care agencies. Performs phone triage for patient questions/concerns, notifies appropriate clinicians and documents using appropriate OMR template. Documents care on flow sheets and in OMR, using appropriate templates, including med reconciliation.

Required Qualifications:

• Associate's degree required.
• License Licensed Practical Nurse required., and Certificate 1 Basic Life Support required.
• 1-3 years related work experience required in clinical setting, preferably within a specialty of hematology or oncology.
• Demonstrated technical competency performing procedures and techniques related to nursing needs of patients. Knowledge of hospital systems and requirements in scheduling test appointments as well as conducting nursing assessment. Knowledge of health and safety standards, medical procedures and equipment.
• Knowledge of the principles of growth and development from adult through geriatric stage of life. Ability to assess patient-relative data pertinent to age specific needs and provide care as described in nursing department policy and procedure manual.
• Strong problem solving, interpersonal and organizational skills. Ability to establish priorities handling multiple tasks and initiating appropriate responses. Ability to respond positively in stressful situations. Ability to work with all levels of personnel including management.
• Experience with computer systems required, including web based applications and some Microsoft Office applications which may include Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint or Access.
   

Preferred Qualifications:

• Knowledge of hematology/oncology
   

Competencies:

• Decision Making: Ability to make decisions that are guided by general instructions and practices requiring some interpretation. May make recommendations for solving problems of moderate complexity and importance.
• Problem Solving: Ability to address problems that are varied, requiring analysis or interpretation of the situation using direct observation, knowledge and skills based on general precedents.
• Independence of Action: Ability to follow precedents and procedures. May set priorities and organize work within general guidelines. Seeks assistance when confronted with difficult and/or unpredictable situations. Work progress is monitored by supervisor/manager.
• Written Communications: Ability to summarize and communicate in English moderately complex information in varied written formats to internal and external customers.
• Oral Communications: Ability to comprehend and communicate complex verbal information in English to medical center staff, patients, families and external customers.
• Knowledge: Ability to demonstrate full working knowledge of standard concepts, practices, procedures and policies with the ability to use them in varied situations.
• Team Work: Ability to work collaboratively in small teams to improve the operations of immediate work group by offering ideas, identifying issues, and respecting team members.
• Customer Service: Ability to provide a high level of customer service and staff training to meet customer service standards and expectations for the assigned unit(s). Resolves service issues in the assigned unit(s) in a timely and respectful manner.

Age based Competencies: Employees in this job must be competent to provide patient care to the following age groups: Young adult: 16-30 years, Middle Age: 30 - 60 years, Elderly: 60 - over.
 

Social/Environmental Requirements:

1. Work requires close attention to task for work to be accurately completed. Intermittent breaks during the work day do not compromise the work.

2. Work is varied every day and the employee needs to be adaptable to respond to these changes and use independent judgment and manage priorities.

3. Potential exposure to adverse environmental conditions

• Daily:  Protective equipment required(Respirator,earplugs,mask,gloves,eyewear etc), Potential exposure to infectious diseases and/or airborne pathogens, Potential exposure to infectious diseases and/or bloodborne pathogens.

4. Health Care Status:  HCW1: Regular, day-to-day contact; both face-to-face and hands-on (having close contact within three feet for at least five minutes). Examples: physicians, clinical nurses, phlebotomist, medical assistants, PFT tech, and x-ray tech.- Health Care Worker Status may vary by department
 

Sensory Requirements:

Close work (paperwork, visual examination), Monitor Use, Visual clarity <3 feet, Hot/Cold, Sharp/Dull, Smell, Conversation, Monitoring Equipment, Telephone.
 

Physical Requirements:

Heavy work: Exerting up to 100 pounds of force occasionally and/or 50 pounds of force frequently. Work is physically demanding and requires extended periods of standing and/or moving.

This job requires constant Endurance-working up to 3-4 hours without a break, frequent walking, standing, bending neck, bending waist, twisting neck, twisting waist, Pull up and/or reposition patient weighing up to 100 pounds without assistance. There may be occasional Pull up and/or reposition patient weighing up to 250 pounds with assistance.

Pay Range:

$34.65 - $48.52

The pay range listed for this position is the base hourly wage range the organization reasonably and in good faith expects to pay for this position at this time. Actual compensation is determined based on several factors, that may include seniority, education, training, relevant experience, relevant certifications, geography of work location, job responsibilities, or other applicable factors permissible by law.  Compensation may exceed the base hourly rate depending on shift differentials, call pay, premium pay, overtime pay, and other additional pay practices, as applicable to the position and in accordance with the law.

As a health care organization, we have a responsibility to do everything in our power to care for and protect our patients, our colleagues and our communities. Beth Israel Lahey Health requires that all staff be vaccinated against influenza (flu) as a condition of employment.

More than 35,000 people working together. Nurses, doctors, technicians, therapists, researchers, teachers and more, making a difference in patients' lives. Your skill and compassion can make us even stronger.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Veterans/Disabled