LPN, MHU

Overview

Hours: 24-Hours, Evenings, Every other weekend/holiday

$29.27 - $37.54

Responsibilities

• Assesses (and reassesses), plans, implements, and evaluates nursing interventions/plans of care/patient goals in collaboration with the Registered Nurse.
• Provides patient care based on standards of care, standards of practice, protocols, and established policies and procedures within scope of license.
• Respects each patient as an individual; provides care that fosters the patient’s sense of dignity and positive self-regard.
• Provides patient/family teaching based on identified learning needs, readiness to learn, and barriers to learning.
• Collaboratively plans and prepares patient/family for discharge with the RN, provider and interdisciplinary team.
• Appropriately delegates and supervises interventions performed by Certified Nurse’s Aides.
• Appropriately prioritizes patient care (e.g. seeks assistance as needed from appropriate resources, recognizes need for emergency intervention, etc.).
• Provides thorough, timely, and accurate documentation of all pertinent data, therapeutic interventions and patient responses according to established standards.
• Provides timely and thorough report on assigned patients to other health care team members to ensure integration of services and continuity of patient care.
• Promotes learning for colleagues and self, attends professional development programs, etc.).
• Proactively identifies risk to patient safety and identifies opportunities to reduce medical/health care errors (i.e. appropriate reporting of errors/incidents).
• Identifies ethical issues in care and develops plan in conjunction with RN and team to address
• Safely administers medications in accordance with physician’s orders, protocols, policies and procedures.
• Assesses patient pain level upon admission and as necessary, depending upon diagnosis utilizing the numerical pain scale.
• Reassesses effectiveness of pain control and notifies physicians as needed, as well as, documents assessment
• Responsible for obtaining supporting information and completing required documentation related to medication reconciliation for use by the Attending MD.
• Collects patient information from all available resources to assist in formulation of the comprehensive database, ongoing treatment plan, and ensures that all care delivered is appropriate to identified patient needs, standards of care and standards of practice
• Assures that all care is coordinated with the patient care provider (PCP), outpatient providers, and other services
• Responds to all case management within Heywood Hospital for the provision of differential diagnostics, treatment planning and disposition to appropriate level of care
• Identifies insurance and obtains approval and/or a referral for services provided
• Provides individual and group therapies according to Mental Health Unit standards to meet identified patient needs 
• Takes instruction from and reports updates to registered nurse and or overseeing provider
• Assesses the unit milieu and makes decisions to maintain a safe environment for all patients, staff and visitors
• Understands the indication, therapeutic effect, dosage, and side effects of psychoactive medications on the geriatric patient
• De-escalates volatile situations and/or individuals using non-violent techniques
• Reports unusual or drastic changes in patient’s symptoms or behavior to Registered Nurse or overseeing provider
• Participates actively in multi-disciplinary treatment team in planning, coordinating, implementing and evaluating patient care
• Meets with families and significant others and residential providers in planning appropriate disposition and discharge

Qualifications

• Completed state-approved LPN education program

• Six months skilled nursing care with dementia and behavioral health experience preferred

• Current LPN license to practice in MA
• American Heart Association CPR certified