"Licensed Practical Nurse"

Position Summary

Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is seeking a Licensed Practical Nurse for the department of Family Medicine at the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.

The Licensed Practical Nurse in collaboration with physicians, resident physicians, nurse practitioners, and the designated Resource Unit supported Medical Assistant, other members of the healthcare team, coordinates care for our patients with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (I/DD) that are service recipients of NJ Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD). Supports the education of resident physicians through processes of care coordination which requires significant interaction with community disability service provider agencies, including direct support professionals and program directors, families, and specialists in a range of disciplines. In coordinating services for this vulnerable population, many of whom have communication and other functional limitations, the Licensed Practical Nurse serves as a bridge between patients, resident/attending physicians, families, and community service providers.

Among the key duties of this position are the following:

• Provides experiential education to resident physicians through care coordination as described in the summary.
• Coordinates with DDD provider agency staff including direct support professionals and other program staff to ensure that patients with I/DD are able to meet appointments and effectively communicate health status, presenting problems, and follow through with prescriptions, physician orders, and treatment recommendations.
• Communicates with patients with I/DD effectively to collect information on their healthcare needs, including staff, family, and others that care about the individual in order to gather accurate information.
• Triages all incoming patient problems/concerns and gathers clinical information for the physician and nurse practitioners.
• Serves as liaison between clinicians, patients, caregivers, pharmacies, medical suppliers, insurance companies, community provider agency staff, and families in ensuring appropriate preventative care and care for ongoing primary and disability related healthcare needs.

Physical Demands and Work Environment

• Physical Demands: Position requires standing to 2/3 of the time, walking to 2/3 of the time, requires sitting to 2/3 of the time, use of the hands to finger, handle or feel to 2/3 of the time, reach with hands and arms over 1/3 of the time, stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl under 1/3 of the time, talk or hear over 2/3 of the time. Position requires lifting 1/3 of the time up to 10 pounds, and under 1/3 of the time up to 25 pounds.
• Work Environment:Moderate noise environment with some exposure (less than 1/3 of the time) to blood borne pathogens requiring the use of personal protective equipment; some potential exposure (less than 1/3 of the time) to hazardous waste.