Job Requirements (Responsibilities)
- Provide and direct resident care in accordance with SNF/ICF guidelines, State and Federal Rules & Regulations for Nursing Homes, Resident Bill of Rights, Nursing Policies and Procedures, and the organization’s Personnel Handbook.
- Observe, assess, and report changes in resident’s condition to the immediate supervisor, attending physician, family, or designated contact person.
- Call or accept verbal orders from the resident’s physician and transcribe them according to established policies and procedures.
- Move the medication cart on hard surfaced and/or carpeted floors in nursing units to administer drugs and transfer treatment supplies from medication room bins to resident rooms in accordance with physician orders.
- Document appropriately and report any drug and/or treatment errors to an R.N. and physician.
- Administer drugs under the supervision of a Registered Nurse, pass oral medications, and give intramuscular and other subcutaneous injections as per nursing home policy and procedure.
- Adjust the drip rate, change an IV bottle or tubing, cleanse and check the IV site, and discontinue IV fluids when appropriate.
- Perform treatments and assist in procedures such as insertion of a retention catheter, administration of tube feedings, changing and applying dressings and compresses, performing oral, nasal, and tracheal suctioning, and collecting specimens.
- Initiate and update total plans of care and problem lists in the resident’s chart and MARs/TARs at all times.
- Participate actively in multidisciplinary staffing for residents on the assigned team.
- Serve as a role model in the implementation of facility policy and OSHA standards on standard precautions, ensuring staff compliance and follow‑up with required retraining and disciplinary action.
- Document in resident’s charts relative to facility policy and maintain clinical records in the prescribed manner.
- Review daily reports from assigned personnel and weekly team meetings related to the resident’s total plan of care.
- Operate equipment required for resident care and provide life‑saving care, including cardiopulmonary resuscitation and the Heimlich maneuver.
- Assist the physician during examination and/or treatment of residents, review orders with the physician, and suggest changes based on the resident’s condition.
- Participate in the development of policies and procedures to improve nursing care programs.
- Assist in training, supervising, counseling, and evaluating assigned staff.
- Attend scheduled meetings and continuing education programs as an active participant of the Nursing Department team to remain abreast of current trends in medical science, with special emphasis on gerontology.
- Maintain and safeguard entrusted confidential information.
- Support and remain loyal to the organization and its Mission Statement.
- Be flexible, receptive, and adaptive to change.
- Understand and apply basic principles of good housekeeping and safety.
- Exhibit professional behavior in all interactions with residents, their families, visitors, physicians, and staff.
- Adhere to the Professional Appearance Standards for the Facility Dress Code Policy at all times.
- Attend department staff meetings and staff development programs.
- Uphold the Standards of Practice of Lafayette Manor for the LPN position.
Qualifications and Experience
- Licensed Practical Nurse currently licensed by the State of Wisconsin.
- Knowledge of nursing and medical practices and procedures, as well as laws, regulations, and guidelines pertaining to nursing home operation.
- Basic leadership and supervisory skills.
- Physical ability to lift and carry light objects such as resident charts, Kardexes, and resident care treatment items without assistance.
- Occasional transfer ability up to 75 lbs. with assist while lifting, positioning, and transferring residents.
- Capacity to push/pull medication and treatment carts requiring a force of 10–30 lbs. on hard surfaced and/or carpeted floors.
- Ability to push/pull residents weighing 50–300 lbs. in wheelchairs and Geri‑chairs.
- Reposition residents weighing 50–300 lbs. in bed for treatments, nursing procedures, and as needed.
- Manipulate carts through doorways and into close‑fitting areas.
- Stand and/or walk up to 75% of an eight‑hour day to provide resident assessments and care.
- Stoop, bend, and squat as required to reach lower drawers in medication and treatment carts, adjusting resident items, etc.
- Arm/hand steadiness necessary for taking blood pressures, temperatures, and other vital signs.
- Hand/eye coordination to administer injections and adjust flow rates.
- Ability to wear gloves and other protective equipment.
- Occasional reaching overhead to obtain supplies or medications.
- Handling, fingering, and feeling continuously for palpation, operating and maintaining equipment, and providing medical treatments for abnormal conditions (e.g., wound care, resident care, and medication administration).
