POSITION SUMMARY:
The Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) assists with the facilitation
of an organized system of coordinated care by providing oversight to the
physical, mental, emotional and social health for students as well as the
school based community within designated Prince George’s County Public Schools
(PGCPS). The LPN serves in a pivotal role that bridges health care and
education. Grounded by standards of practice, services provided by the LPN
include leadership, community/public health, care coordination, and quality
improvement. The goal of the LPN is to
maintain and/or improve the health status of students, thus enabling them to
profit fully from their educational experiences; and, to promote optimum health
status and lifestyles for all students through the joint efforts of the home,
school and community. The Maryland Nurse
Practice Act dictates this must occur in a team relationship with a Registered
Nurse (RN).
DUTIES and RESPONSIBILITIES: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily.
Applies
the nursing process in the assessment, development and implementation of care
plans that address the needs of students in the school setting; utilizes
nursing theory and evidence-based practice as the basis for decision making in
accordance with the Maryland Nurse Practice Act and School Nursing Scope and
Standards of Practice;
Administers
and manages medications, treatments and interventions for individuals with
acute and chronic diseases at any school facility according to orders and PGCPS
policies and procedures in collaboration with the RN;
Delegates
nursing procedures and various nursing duties, as needed, to unlicensed school
based personnel in accordance with the Maryland Nurse Practice Act and School
Nursing Scope and Standards and Practice in a team relationship with a RN;
Provides
professional nursing services for students including first aid for injuries and
care of ill students; documents nursing assessment diagnosis and treatment;
ensures timely documentation during the school day with the use of the School
Health Electronic Record (SHER) system;
Plans
with school administration and maintenance personnel for the environmental
needs of the school and provides the administration with recommendations to
ensure a safe and functional school environment;
Creates
and facilitates educational presentations for students and colleagues to
support student management of their health-related conditions and other various
health topics;
Reviews
student immunization status in accordance with PGCPS Administrative Procedure
5161; makes appropriate referrals to update immunizations when indicated;
identifies non-compliant students and provides recommendations to school
administration to exclude students who are non-compliant;
Collects
data, identifies trends and documents outcomes in coordination of care to
report on the health of students in the building as requested; prepares reports
for both internal and external agencies as needed and in accordance with the
Code of Maryland Regulations (COMAR) and PGCPS policies and procedures;
Maintains
student confidentiality in accordance with the Family Educational Rights and
Privacy Act (FERPA) and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act
(HIPAA);
Provides
counseling and guidance and makes appropriate referrals for services needed to
ensure the physical, mental and emotional well-being of all individuals in the
school-based community; serves as a resource to facilitate learning positive
health and wellness behaviors for students and the school community at large;
Attends
systemic and departmental professional development and in-service workshops;
and
Performs
other duties as assigned.
QUALIFICATIONS:The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.
Knowledge
of the principles and practices of nursing and child growth and development;
Ability
to use critical thinking skills and nursing judgement;
Ability
to handle and maintain highly sensitive and confidential information;
Ability
to work effectively with individuals and groups from various cultural
and socio-economic backgrounds;
Ability
to use appropriate written, verbal and electronic communication formats to
present information;
Ability
to enter data with accuracy into an electronic database system on a daily basis
and ensure that all electronic student data is up-to-date, secure and kept
confidential; and
Ability to work in a team relationship
with a RN.
EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS:
Graduation from an accredited Licensed
Practical Nursing (LPN) school with at least two (2) years of prior experience
in a health care setting required; previous experience in pediatrics preferred.
CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS:
Current
Maryland Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) License, First Aid, Basic Life Support
(BLS) for Healthcare Providers and Automated External Defibrillator (AED)
certifications.
SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:
Delegates
nursing procedures to unlicensed school based personnel in accordance with the
Maryland Nurse Practice Act (10.27.09.02e2d) and School Nursing Scope and
Standards of Practice in a team relationship with a RN.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS:
The physical demands are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to stand, talk, hear, walk, sit, and use fingers, tools or controls. The employee is occasionally required to reach with hands and arms and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision such as to read handwritten or typed material, the ability to adjust focus, and depth perception. While performing the duties of this job, the employee may occasionally push or lift up to 25 lbs.
WORKING ENVIRONMENT:
The work environment characteristics are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of the job.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
Driver’s license and a personal vehicle is required inasmuch as there will be a need to travel to sites throughout the school district.
While performing the duties of this job, the incumbent responds in emergency situations as a first responder to students, staff, and visitors in the school building including running/traveling across school grounds/building, up and down stairs, performing CPR and using a defibrillator.