Licensed Practical Nurse- Medical Foster Care

Under the supervision of the MFC Nursing Supervisor, the licensed practical nurse is responsible for the coordination of care for medically fragile or special needs children residing in long-term care facilities, and some in foster homes, as part of assuring a quality medical home at The Children’s Aid Society.  The LPN is also responsible for making appointments for specialty referrals, following up with foster care parents to ensure that the appointments are kept and obtaining referral consultation reports once the child is seen at the outside referral sites. Other responsibilities include making mandated monthly facility visits, providing health education and skills building for the foster parents and biological parents, accompanying foster parents to medical appointments and advocating for the needs of the children on the caseload.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Nursing assessment and patient care:
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• • Creates, implements and maintains a care plan for each identified problem. 
• • For those children residing in foster homes, provides daily management and coordination of appointments, supplies, and medication for foster children on caseload and acts as a resource to other staff members involved in patient care
• • Performs mandated monthly facility and emergency home visits, jointly with case planner, and provides complete, purposeful, accurate and detailed assessments of the home environment, including follow-up from previous home visits.
• • For those children residing in foster homes, accompanies foster parents to specialty appointments and acts as a liaison between the health care provider and foster parent.
• • Provides health education and skills building for foster and biological parents on the child’s medical condition, proper administration of medication, safety precautions including response to side effects, universal precautions, age anticipatory guidance, and any other training based on the care plan.
• • Shows competency in nursing practices: proper nursing skills, proper use of medical equipment and terminology, employs current nursing protocols and procedures.
• • Assists the NP/MD with well child care, follow-up and sick visits of foster children. 
• • Administers immunizations as directed by NP/MD.
• • Triages daily phone calls.  
• • Ongoing telephone communication with foster parents to ensure continuity of care.
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• Referrals and follow-up
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• • Schedules appointments within a medically appropriate time frame.
• • Completes all forms and provides any necessary documentation including HIPAA compliant demographic information, consent for treatment and request for consult reports.   
• • Communicates scheduled appointment information to all relevant parties: patient, parent, foster parent, contract agency liaison, etc. by telephone and / or written format and notes such in patient’s health record.
• •  Tracks appointment compliance and reschedules when appropriate.
• • Maintains the referral appointment database, including eCW and data enters appointment information in foster care database. (I don’t know if this is still accurate)
• •  Maintains system to obtain consult reports and ensures distribution to requesting provider.
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• Administration
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• • Maintains documentation in health records updated (real-time) and organized, including medication, feeding and therapy changes.
• • Assures medical reports are scanned in the electronic health record within a reasonable time frame (within one week after appointment). 
• • Communicates in a timely manner with team (nurse case manager, social worker, foster parent, biological parent, psychiatrist, and pediatrician) about missed or rescheduled appointments and any special assistance required, i.e. translator, transportation and others
• • Completes and submits school forms, reports, rate forms and summaries in a timely manner.
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• Professional Development
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• • Continues to update professional knowledge both formally and informally by actively pursuing continuing education units through an accredited organization.
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• Interdisciplinary skills
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• • Attends Program-Based Health Center meetings, weekly nurse case conferences, and monthly foster care staff meetings, Family Team Conferences, and other CAS site meetings.
• • Works collaboratively with social workers, administrative staff, doctors and community health care providers.
• • Implements philosophy and objectives of the program.
• • Performs other related duties as requested.
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• SKILLS AND QUALIFICATIONS:
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• • NYS Licensed Practical Nurse
• • 3-5 years experience in pediatric nursing with special needs children.
• • Excellent verbal and writing skills.
• • Goal oriented with strong time management skills
• • Flexibility and ability to work under pressure.
• • Bilingual (Spanish) ability a plus.

Please upload a cover letter and resume  below: