What is a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN)?
A Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) provides nursing care to seniors through illness prevention, promoting health, and giving palliative/rehabilitative care. Most importantly, performing regular health assessments and managing various types of medications are just some of the things an LPN will do while working in a Healthcare and Clinical career at Shannex. Above all, LPNs use individualized care plans when providing medical services in our communities.
As part of a supportive and compassionate care team, Licensed Practical Nurses help with the daily medical needs of residents. For instance, their role requires them to take a hands-on approach while providing direct care and using their full scope of practice within long term care. As they perform their duties, LPNs often create special bonds with residents and get to know them in a personal way by hearing about their life stories and experiences. Working as an LPN means using one’s knowledge, skills, and abilities to support the meaningful work in our communities. In addition, they use their leadership skills to provide direction with Registered Nurses (RNs) to our Continuing Care Assistance (CCAs) and Personal Support Workers (PSWs).
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Roles and Responsibilities
Clinical Nursing Assessments, Interventions and Treatments
An LPN uses their knowledge and expertise as they assess, plan, implement and evaluate the nursing care of all residents. As a result, they provide medical support to residents by working both collaboratively and independently when using an established plan of care.
They regularly communicate the changes in health of residents to their care team by observing, recording, and reporting symptoms. For example, they recognize and identify when to respond to risk management needs.
Every day, LPNs are responsible for supporting residents with taking their medications, applying treatments for wounds, and measuring/recording temperature, pulse, blood pressure, and respiration rate.
Collaborating, Implementing and Evaluating Care Plans
LPNs collaborate with RNs to develop a resident’s care plan. For instance, each plan is developed so nurses can understand and deliver medical care that supports residents’ individual needs. The evaluation of the care plan is done to ensure seniors living with us maintain optimal health and wellness.
Leadership and Direction to CCAs and PSWs
LPN’s foster and promote best practices of services within our communities and help train new team members on the care team. They are responsible for providing guidance to CCAs and PSWs through supervision, evaluation, and education.
Moreover, a Licensed Practical Nurses also ensures regular and consistent communication through Shift Reports and Care conferences. Care conferences give the care team dedicated time to communicate with families, physicians, and the residents themselves.
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LPN Scope of Practice
Above all, working with Shannex means a Licensed Practical Nurse will use their full scope of practice specific to long-term care. An LPN will do this by applying their knowledge, skills, and relevant training into this type of nursing care. They support the care of seniors living within our communities in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Ontario.
Most importantly, they use their expertise when reviewing and implementing care plans that identify the needs of each resident. This work is done in collaboration with our RNs to best support the care provided to residents.
Want to learn more about LPN careers at Shannex? Read about A Day in the Life of an LPN with us.
Guiding Principles
Each Shannex community is guided by our guiding principles: compassionate, honest, professional, and safe.
Compassionate
Firstly, our teams lead by being compassionate when showing empathy, flexibility, and patience. They are Great People that are supportive, respect the privacy of others and are action oriented.
Honest
Additionally, our Great People are honest when building relationships with others. They value trust, responsibility, and clear communication.
Professional
The work team members do to support residents is done by being professional. They do this through being proactive and reliable. They show the commitment to developing skills and being detail oriented.
Safe
Lastly, being safe is important when leading the way in our communities. Team members help recognize hazards, are observant and remember self-care. They understand and operate with safe work practices, and procedures in mind.
Learn about what else guides our Great People with Shannex’s Strategic Plan.
Resident-Directed Approach to Care
Our LPNs lead with the resident-directed approach to care in mind. In other words, they put residents first when delivering their care. The work team members provide helps residents as they communicate how they would like their care given.
Have you heard about our employee benefits? Learn about our Great Rewards for Great People.
The Important Role of a Licensed Practical Nurse
As one of our Great People here at Shannex, LPNs provide essential healthcare services and support to seniors in our communities. They are team members that help keep residents safe and happy as they provide meaningful work and service excellence.
In doing this, LPNs create special bonds with residents and their families. Therefore, a career with us means while getting to use your skills and provide hands-on care, you can work in an environment that is collaborative and caring for one another.
Learn more about Healthcare and Clinical career opportunities with us.
