Nutrition Nurse at COOPI - Cooperazione Internazionale

Background

• COOPI started its operations in North-East Nigeria in July 2014 to carry out a rapid evaluation of the most relevant constraints suffered by the Internally Displaced People (IDPs) displaced by the food crisis and the Boko Haram insurgency in the Lake Chad Basin.
• The COOPI Nigeria Field Office is located in Potiskum, Yobe State, in order to cover five LGAs in Yobe State and to provide direct assistance to the IDPs and their hosting communities, through a multi-sectorial programme covering Food Security, Nutrition and Child Protection interventions. COOPI's capacity to respond to the humanitarian situation in the country is confirmed by its experience in providing humanitarian aid in more than 24 other Countries around the World, in over 50 years of operations.

Scope of the Vacancy

• Provides nursing and nutritional care, treatment and follow up of patients according to doctor’s prescriptions, as defined by Federal Ministry of Health Nigeria protocols, values and universal hygiene standards.
• Reports to the Assistant Nutrition Project Manager. Collaborates with the field medical team

Main Duties/Responsibilities
Under the direct supervision of the Assistant Nutrition Project Manager and in collaboration with the Medical Doctor, Chief Nursing Officer, Project Managers, Field Coordinators, and other collaborators of the projects and of the Base, they will:
Patient Care:

• Organises and carries out care and treatments according to The Federal Ministry of Health Nigeria protocols (esp. Nutrition Protocol).
• Assists the doctors during their daily rounds and keeps them informed of the progress of each patient
• Attend with emergency cases and consult with your supervisor/clinic doctor any medical complicated cases
• Ensures that new patients are received and installed properly in the health service. (Triage)
• Respects the doses and administration times of treatments, checking the expiry dates of medicines:
• Supervises the patients assesses their health state evolution, informs the doctors on time when needed.
• Carries out first aid care and treatment according to protocols in case of emergency and rapidly alerts the medical activity manager/line supervisor in charge
• Knows and implements Patient Therapeutic Education (PTE), i.e. keeping contact with all patients, giving them information regarding their state and their treatment and responding to their questions.
• Support health education/ psychosocial stimulation sessions
• Trains and motivates team of nutritional assistants, cleaners or other relative staff working in health facility under his/her supervision.
• Take Measurements for weight/Height, MUAC and check for Oedema at admission and follow the nutritional status throughout the whole stay of the patient
• Ensure that mothers are well informed about the functioning of the centre, the state and evolution of their child, their tasks
• Collect information about the patients’ appetite
• Encourage and advise mothers who have difficulties in feeding their children, support, encourage and educate about Breastfeeding and different feeding methods
• Follow the appetite of the patient and the feeding in collaboration with the Nutrition Assistants (i.e. inserting NG Tubes if criteria met, Communication about changes of the nutritional treatment)

Psychosocial and Physical Stimulation:

• Encourages the caretaker for emotional support (feed, hold, comfort, play with the child)
• Support the team for psychosocial and physical stimulation
• Ensures a quiet and comfortable atmosphere in the SC

Basic Hygiene Rules:

• Knows and applies universal precautions, bio-hazard prevention, and infections control in medical premises, ensuring asepsis during all nursing cares, as well as quality sterilisation procedures.
• Follows the procedure for waste segregation
• Follows the procedures in the case of accidental blood exposure
• Ensures the cleanliness of his working environment: regularly cleaning the work place, equipment, work surfaces, etc.
• Ensuring patient cleanliness on arrival and during their hospitalization (shower, soap distribution, mattresses/mats, following the protocol )

Drugs and Material:

• Looks after all equipment provided, use and store it appropriately
• Ensures that no material is taken out of nursing area and wards without prior authorisation.
• Keeps an updated inventory of all material and equipment used and asks in advance for all renewable material needed.
• Carries out daily consumption of medicines and material
• Sends material to be sterilized/recuperating it from sterilization
• Informs line manager of the various needs or of any problems linked to equipment or material (ex. Broken, missing).
• Ensure rational use of all drugs and material

Recording:

• Records in individual patient’s card and registration books all nursing activities performed.
• Records in each patient´s chart drugs administered, dose, and time.
• Records daily, weekly and monthly consumption of drugs given as required
• Fills in the handover book, noting everything that happened during the shift and any changes in prescription or patients to be followed up
• Fills out nurse liaison forms during the transfer of a patient
• Promotes and maintains confidentiality regarding all patient cases and records.

Reporting:

• Informs medical staff about any possible serious problem or complication, ex. worsening of state of patients, problems in medicines, etc.
• Ensures an oral handover to next duty team regarding patients and their status.
• Informs line manager of any problems that might be linked to work of nurses as well as problematic equipment or material (ex. broken, missing).

Others:

• Participates in emergency activity or exploratory visit in or out of the COOPI area of work upon request
• Support other departments if needed

Additional Responsibilities:

• This job description is not intended to be all inclusive and the employee will also perform other related tasks as required and assigned by his/her supervisor.
• Profile of the Candidate (Education, Training, Competences, Skills)

Minimum Requirements

• Essential Diploma in Nursing related studies
• Share the humanitarian mission of the organization
• Good communication skills
• Ability to communicate with vulnerable populations
• Proven experience in related field
• Demonstrated ability to work both independently and as part of a team
• Accuracy and promptness in performing duties
• English writing and speaking skill preferred
• Be proficient in statistics and other software (Microsoft Office – Excel, Word, PowerPoint)
• Have the capacity to be flexible and supervise and coach health workers.
• Have the ability and willingness to frequently travel to villages and stay at the field.

Desired Competencies/Skills:
Essential:

• Professional, motivated, open, creative, mature, responsible, flexible and culturally sensitive

Preferred:

• Previous experience in similar roles in a humanitarian set up
• Good knowledge of the intervention area/s and local context
• Knowledge of the local language (Hausa/Kanuri)