Licensed Vocational Nurse - Lancaster

About the position

The Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN) provides basic vocational nursing services to individuals receiving Full-Service Partnership (FSP) and outpatient behavioral health services. The LVN is managed by the Registered Nurse (RN) and works under the direction of an RN or authorized physician in collaboration with psychiatrists and the multidisciplinary treatment team. The position supports medication services, health monitoring, patient education, care coordination, and continuity of care within the California LVN scope of practice. This is a field-based nursing position requiring regular travel throughout the community to provide medication services, health monitoring, patient education, care coordination, and other vocational nursing services in patient homes, residential facilities, schools, shelters, board-and-care settings, and other community locations.

Responsibilities

• Collects, documents, and communicates objective and patient-reported health information, including vital signs, weight, medication history, symptoms, side effects, and changes in physical or mental status.
• Performs basic/focused data collection consistent with LVN scope and promptly reports clinically significant or abnormal findings to the RN and/or authorized provider.
• Administers prescribed medications, including injectable medications, in clinic and community-based settings, when permitted by law, provider order, demonstrated competency, and agency policy.
• Observes and documents medication response, adherence, side effects, adverse reactions, and post-injection concerns; promptly escalates significant findings.
• Supports medication reconciliation by collecting and documenting medication information for RN/psychiatrist review and assists with refill coordination, pharmacy communication, ordered laboratory appointments, and medication-access barriers.
• Provides basic nursing care and ordered treatments within LVN scope, competency, provider orders, and the established plan of care.
• Obtains and documents assigned health measurements and observes for medication side effects, extrapyramidal symptoms, tardive dyskinesia, metabolic concerns, and other changes requiring RN/psychiatrist follow-up.
• Reinforces medication, symptom-management, chronic- disease self-management, wellness, relapse-prevention, and healthy-lifestyle education established by the RN, prescribing psychiatrist, or treatment team.
• Provides individual education and leads group education and wellness sessions for patients within LVN scope of practice and established treatment plans.
• Refers questions requiring assessment, diagnosis, treatment modification, or independent clinical judgment to the RN or authorized provider.
• Supports coordination with the RN, psychiatrists, primary care providers, pharmacies, hospitals, caregivers, and community partners.
• Assists with follow-up after hospitalization, emergency department visits, and other transitions of care, and communicates relevant changes or barriers to the RN and treatment team.
• Participates in multidisciplinary treatment team meetings, case consultations, and care-planning activities.
• Contributes nursing observations and patient-reported information to treatment, wellness, and recovery planning and implements assigned interventions consistent with the established plan of care.
• Receives day-to-day management, nursing direction, assignments, and clinical guidance from the RN.
• Performs nursing functions only within California LVN scope of practice, demonstrated competency, provider orders, and agency policy.
• Seeks RN or psychiatrist direction whenever patient needs exceed LVN authority or require independent nursing assessment or clinical judgment.
• Recognizes and promptly reports suicidal or self-harm statements, escalating behavior, significant changes in mental status, medical concerns, or other urgent safety issues.
• Provides support within training and scope, follows agency emergency and crisis procedures, assists with de-escalation and safety measures as directed, and contacts the RN, psychiatrist, supervisor, 911/EMS, or other designated emergency resource when indicated by agency protocol.
• Follows agency infection-prevention, communicable-disease, exposure-response, and PPE procedures.
• Conducts assigned screenings and observations within LVN scope, reinforces education, and promptly reports suspected communicable disease, exposure concerns, or abnormal findings to the RN and appropriate leadership.
• Completes accurate, timely, and complete documentation of vocational nursing services, medication administration, patient contacts, observations, interventions, education, and care coordination.
• Provides services in office, community, and telehealth settings as appropriate to the assigned service.
• Travels independently to patient homes, residential facilities, schools, hospitals, shelters, board-and-care settings, agency sites, and other community locations.
• May transport patients when authorized by agency policy and procedure.
• Meets established expectations for scheduling, service delivery, productivity, timeliness, and documentation.
• Uses the electronic health record and agency-approved systems accurately and consistently and communicates barriers that may affect timely or safe service delivery.
• Provides respectful, strengths- based, recovery-oriented, culturally responsive, trauma-informed, and patient- and family-centered services.
• Demonstrates cultural humility and maintains professional boundaries in all interactions.
• Follows all applicable federal, state, county, LACDMH, licensing, contractual, OSHA, confidentiality, ethical, and agency requirements.
• Promptly reports injuries, illnesses, hazards, exposures, unsafe conditions, medication errors, and other safety or compliance concerns according to agency procedure.
• Performs other duties as assigned that are consistent with the employee's license, competency, scope of practice, and agency policy.

Requirements

• Valid California Driver's License, proof of automobile insurance, good driving record, and ability to travel to fulfill the duties of the position.
• Current, active California Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN) license in good standing.
• Current Basic Life Support (BLS)/CPR certification from an agency-approved provider, if required by agency policy.
• Any specialized certification required for assigned procedures must be current before the LVN performs those procedures.
• IV therapy or blood withdrawal may only be performed when separately certified and otherwise authorized under California law and agency policy.

Nice-to-haves

• At least two (2) years of experience working with transition-age youth and/or adult behavioral health population preferred.
• Experience with community-based, field-based, or outpatient behavioral health services preferred.
• Ability to work collaboratively under RN direction, recognize changes in patient condition, and communicate concerns promptly and appropriately.