Licensed Practical Nurse-Acute Medsurgical A-Full Time

Company: Christus Health
Location: Alexandria
Posted on: May 10, 2025

Job Description:

Description
Summary:

Responsible for patient assessment, patient care planning, and provision of quality nursing care to an assigned group of patients for a defined work period. Provides direction and supervision to LVN/LPNs, nursing assistants, unit secretaries, and other clinical/clerical associates. By assignment, may function as a charge nurse for the unit. Involves provision of patient care/service to older adolescents, young adults, adults, geriatric and pediatric patients.

Responsibilities:

• Meets expectations of the applicable OneCHRISTUS Competencies: Leader of Self, Leader of Others, or Leader of Leaders.
• Patient Care Planning
• Develops a comprehensive nursing care plan which addresses all significant needs and problems identified through nursing assessment.
• Prepares nursing elements of the interdisciplinary care plan prior to the initial team conference.
• Reviews and updates nursing care plan and collaborates with team members as changes occur.
• Patient Care Provision
• Implements patient care as planned in nursing care plan and interdisciplinary care plan.
• Sets priorities based on knowledge of patient acuity and patient needs.
• Provides safe and therapeutic care and seeks resources when appropriate.
• Safely performs and accurately documents procedures, consistent with established nursing policy and procedure.
• Patient Care Evaluation
• Evaluates patient response to interventions and attainment of goals in collaboration with interdisciplinary team.
• Evaluates progress toward nursing goals and revises goals as needed on a weekly basis.
• Completes nursing progress note for assigned patients on a daily basis.
• Completes nursing flow sheets for assigned patients on a daily basis.
• Teaching
• Evaluates education needs of patient and significant others and documents their response to teaching.
• Utilizes, adapts, and revises teaching resources to meet patient education needs.
• Explains procedures, tests, and disease process to patients and families as needed.
• Acts as role model for health care students and other team members.
• Acts as preceptor to assigned orientees.
• Assists in the orientation of new staff by sharing knowledge and experience.
• Patient Care Communication
• Reports and documents accurately and concisely to appropriate persons the patient's condition.
• Maintains patient confidentiality.
• Applies basic verbal and nonverbal skills to maintain open, effective communication among care team members, patients, and significant others.
• Encourages direct discussion between staff members when differences occur and seeks assistance to arbitrate differences as needed.
• Gives and accepts constructive feedback appropriately.
• Identifies actual and potentially unsafe patient care practices, reports them in the designated manner, and suggests alternatives. CORE COMPETENCIES
  
  Standard I: Utilizes the Nursing Process
  • Uses critical thinking skills to assess the basic physical, psychosocial, social, cultural,
  • Spiritual, and development needs of patient and families
  • Communicates findings to appropriate healthcare team members
  • Develops and uses a specific plan of care and modifies it to meet individual patient
  • needs using evidence-based practice. Implements patient care and therapeutic
  • procedures; monitors and documents progression of treatment and teaching goals
  • Evaluates the care and treatment(s) provided to the patient and the patient response to
  • the care and treatment(s). Performs timely reassessment and documentation
  • Must be able to perform unit specific competencies based on the specific patient care need for designated unit's patient population Standard II. Patient Throughput & Patient Flow Process
    • Anticipates and plans for admission/discharge/transfer needs to facilitate patient flow
    • Utilizes appropriate systems of communication and tools to facilitate the discharge process
    • Coaches on tools and techniques for checking, cross checking and validating orders to ensure accuracy Standard III. Unit Operations
      • Plans, directs, and evaluates the overall nursing care and functions in a particular nursing unit during an assigned shift
      • Demonstrates good stewardship in proper use and maintenance of equipment and Supplies
      • Assesses departmental staffing needs; actively participates in resourcing efforts.
      • Educates and trains others on the operations, ethics, and regulations within the industry Standard IV. Safe Practice/Quality Care/Regulations
        • Incorporates patient safety practices/guidelines to promote a safe environment resulting in positive patient outcomes
        • Demonstrates accountability for nursing research and quality improvement activities
        • Provides evidence-based nursing care
        • Communicates patient information effectively across the continuum of care
        • Educates and trains others on the operations, ethics, and regulations within the industry.
        • Knowledge of federal, state and local healthcare related laws and regulations; ability to comply with these in healthcare practices and activities TECHNICAL COMPETENCIES
          
          Clinical Policies and Standards
          • Follows a specific set of standards and associated clinical procedures
          • Analyzes policy and standards documentation and ensures organizational compliance
          • Provides feedback for improvement of procedures
          • Assists in the development and implementation of specific procedures
          • Works with control and monitoring mechanisms, tools and techniques Health Information Documentation
            • Shares experiences with maintaining paper and electronic patient documentation
            • Walk through the steps and procedures for receiving, validating and updating patient records
            • Describes the flow of information between various stations or units
            • Discusses the functions, features and document flow of electronic documentation
            • Transcribes verbal orders; explains techniques for ensuring their accuracy
            • Explains health information documentation best practices and their rationale across health care practices Medical Equipment
              • Describes experience with basic medical equipment used in own unit or facility
              • Uses standard diagnostic tools and techniques to resolves common equipment problems
              • Educates patients about the appropriate use of home medical equipment
              • Ensures that all equipment and related supplies are in proper working order prior to use to ensure patient safety
              • Inspects, troubleshoots and evaluates incoming equipment Medical Order Processing
                • Shares experiences with processing medical orders for one or more groups of patients or conditions
                • Describes functions and features of the system used to enter, validate, update and forward medical orders
                • Discusses common errors, their sources and procedures for correcting
                • Explains considerations for entering and following standing orders
                • Differentiates between standing orders and preprinted orders and considerations for each Patient Chart Reading and Interpretation
                  • Describes experiences in reading and interpreting patient charts for patients on unit and under own care
                  • Reviews patients' charts for completion and accuracy; identifies and alerts to mistakes or omissions
                  • Recognizes unexpected readings and alerts nursing or medical staff
                  • Relates examples of mis-readings or misinterpretations and lessons learned
                  • Reviews, discusses and validates own interpretation with others Patient Safety
                    • Shares experiences with ensuring safety for one or more patient groups or settings
                    • Explains key features of safety guidelines and procedures for those groups and settings
                    • Listens and responds to safety inquiries from patients and family members
                    • Recognizes and addresses physiological and psychological signs of problems
                    • Describes considerations for patients who can cause to harm to self, versus harm to others
                    • Utilizes appropriate systems to document misses and near misses, participates in immediate investigating, analysis and reporting in real time Job Requirements:
                      
                      Education/Skills
                      • Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing, preferred Experience
                        • Six months to a year of experience as a licensed RN or holder of an active GN permit Licenses, Registrations, or Certifications
                          • BLS required
                          • RN License in state of employment or compact
                          • Graduate Nurse Permit
                            • Associates with an unsuccessful licensure application or on the 75th day following the effective date of the temporary permit; will be transferred to another position within CHRISTUS Health Position Requirements:
                              
                              Experience:
                              
                              Education:
                              • All newly hired experienced RNs must attend New Nurses Orientation within the first 30 days of hire.
                              • New hires are precepted by a designated trained staff member and initial on-boarding requirements are validated through successful completion of the designated organizational entry competency validation and an MedSurg Department-specific competency validation.
                              • All newly licensed RNs may participate in a residency program or other specific orientation . click apply for full job details

Keywords: Christus Health, Lafayette , Licensed Practical Nurse-Acute Medsurgical A-Full Time, Healthcare , Alexandria, Louisiana