Anaesthetist Nurse at Medecins Sans Frontieres

Main Purpose

• Performing all anaesthetic medical activities according to MSF policies, protocols and universal hygiene standards, in  order to ensure the quality of pre, during and post-operative care of patients.

Job Description

• Performing consultations to patients due for surgery, evaluating of the risks of operating (in collabora-tion with the surgeon), obtaining patient’s written authorization for their operation, providing patients with appropriate information on their illness and treatments, and deciding on what type of anaesthetics to be used
• According to set procedures, carrying out all nursing anaesthetics related activities during surgery in order to collaborate in patient's adequate anaesthetized state and safety during the process. Preparing the drugs, material, and equipment required for the surgery. Monitoring patients throughout the whole in-tervention and administering and maintaining anaesthetics following the rules of hygiene and asepsis in force.
• Providing post-operative care, including immediate post-operative surveillance in the recovery room and special patients present in the intensive care unit, in order to adapt the prescriptions, with special focus on patient's pain relief, during the stabilization and recovery process. Does round consultations with the Surgeon Doctor once or twice a day, discussing therapeutic orientations with the department manager, renewing prescriptions and ensuring they are followed. Systematically evaluating patients' pain to adapt prescriptions and/or therapies for their relief.
• Respecting, promoting and ensuring medical confidentiality and implementing and following hygiene rules, procedures and protocols at all times as well as looking after the integrity of anaesthesia material (decontamination,sterilisation, storage conditions, etc.) and other equipment, in order to ensure the safety and protection of patients and other staff. Knowing accidental blood exposure policy and pro-cedure and implementing them when necessary.
• Ensuring that all staff using medical devices are qualified and trained. Ensuring cleaning and minor maintenance tasks are performed according to the protocols. Reporting any malfunction to the project biomedical service.
• Carrying out all pharmacy related activities (stock control, station's re-stocking, inventories, expired drugs, etc.) and other equipment of anaesthetic ward, doing special follow-up of narcotics and seda-tives (register, consumptions, empty phials, etc.), ensuring enough stock-up and the good functioning to carry-out the medical activities. Drawing up pharmacy orders according to needs.
• Collaborating with other departments and supporting other medical services in order to support the overall MSF project with his/her expertise and capabilities. Training other medical staff when applicable and working particularly in close collaboration with the accident and emergency department and mid-wifery and obstetrics team in the maternity department (especially to resuscitate new-borns).
• Carrying out administrative procedures and documents (fill in of patients files, forms, statistics, data base, etc.), in order to have updated and correct information about the day-to-day activities.
• In collaboration with the Surgeon Doctor, carrying out quantitative surgical-anaesthesia data collection, drawing up and sending out reports for the monthly follow up of peri-surgical mortality and for the quali-ty of anaesthesia/pain management and informing the direct supervisor immediately in the event of medical error.
• Comprehensive Pre-Anesthetic Assessment and Postoperative Management: Conduct comprehensive pre-anesthetic evaluations for all scheduled patients by reviewing medical history, identifying potential risks, and confirming patient readiness for anesthesia. After surgery, implement protocol-based pain management, perform thorough postoperative follow-ups, and monitor recovery to ensure optimal patient outcomes.
• Preparation and Administration of Anesthetic Agents: Ensure that all necessary drugs, supplies, and equipment  for surgical procedures are meticulously prepared and organized; precisely administer the appropriate anesthetic agents; and vigilantly monitor patients throughout the intervention while consistently adhering to established  hygiene and aseptic protocols.
• Surgical Case Documentation and Data Management: Accurately log all surgical cases into the OT register and support broader data management initiatives.
• Participation in Postoperative Recovery: Actively participate in the recovery process for post-operative patients in the Recovery Room by monitoring vital signs, managing pain, and providing care coordination. Work collaboratively with OT nursing staff to ensure a smooth and safe transition from anesthesia to full recovery.
• Recovery Room Equipment Oversight: Ensure that all equipment in the Recovery Room is meticulously cleaned, maintained, and fully functional. Conduct regular inspections and promptly address any malfunctions to guarantee a safe space for patient recovery.
• Controlled Substance Management: Manage and document the administration of controlled substances following the OT Controlled Drugs Standard Operating Procedures (SOP). This responsibility includes secure storage, accurate record-keeping, and vigilant monitoring to minimize the risk of discrepancies or misuse.
• Blood Transfusion Management: Responsible for retrieving blood products from the blood bank, performing bedside compatibility checks including crossmatching, and safely administering blood transfusions in accordance with established protocols and patient safety standards.
• Routine Cleaning and Equipment Maintenance: Ensure all anesthesia machines and related equipment are cleaned and maintained in strict accordance with Operating Theatre (OT) cleaning protocols. This includes scheduled routine cleaning, ensuring preventive maintenance checks, and prompt resolution of minor technical issues to minimize infection risks and ensure equipment longevity.
• Biweekly OT Deep Cleaning Participation: Actively participate in biweekly deep cleaning exercises designed to uphold the highest standards of infection prevention. This involves close collaboration with the cleaning and maintenance teams to guarantee that the OT environment is fully decontaminated and safe for patient use.
• Pharmacy Inventory Assistance: Support in pharmacy inventory processes. Upon reception, carefully verify and properly store medical supplies, ensuring that all pharmaceutical stocks are maintained accurately for seamless patient care.
• Resuscitation Support Across Hospital Units: Provide critical assistance during patient resuscitation efforts across various all units, including the neonatal unit.This role demands readiness to act swiftly in emergency situations while supporting the multidisciplinary team with life-saving interventions.
• Preoperative Patient Preparation Collaboration: Work closely with OT Nurses to ensure patients are fully prepared for surgery. This includes verifying patient identities, ensuring all preoperative checks are complete, and positioning patients correctly to optimize surgical outcomes.
• Cold Chain Monitoring: Monitor the temperature of cold chain storage equipment (e.g., refrigerators) twice daily, documenting readings to ensure the integrity of stored medications and biological materials.
• Patient Transport and Trolley Management: Assist with the safe transportation of patients between units while ensuring that every patient trolley is thoroughly cleaned and sanitized after each use, thereby mitigating risks of cross-contamination and ensuring optimal hygiene standards.
• Biomedical Equipment End-User Maintenance: Perform routine end-user maintenance on anesthesia-related biomedical equipment, ensuring each unit is operational, and safe for use. Report any technical issues promptly to the Anesthesia Team Supervisor to facilitate timely repairs and minimize disruptions to the OT workflow.

Infection Prevention and Control:

• Implement and uphold hand hygiene protocols before and after every patient interaction using the WHO moments of hand hygiene as a guide.
• Utilize personal protective equipment (PPE) appropriately to prevent cross-contamination
• Employ proper sterilization and aseptic techniques during all medical procedures.
• Educate and guide families and visitors on the importance of IPC measures, including hand hygiene and visitation policies, to prevent infection transmission.
• Participate actively in cleaning of all designated work materials, instruments, and equipment as well as the work area in-between patients, daily, weekly, or bi-weekly in line with the unit IPC guidelines.
• Be sure to wear the appropriate work attire. Watches, bracelets, rings, and other jewelry should be taken off prior to commencement of work. Packing up lengthy hair is important.
• Contribute to a culture of safety by modeling exemplary IPC practices and encouraging others to do the same. The above-mentioned responsibilities are not exhaustive. You may be required by your supervisor to perform other tasks even if they are not documented in the job description.

Requirements
Education:

• Nursing diploma with specialisation as anaesthetics nurse is essential

Experience:

• Essential 1 year of previous supervised work experience as an anaesthetist nurse
• Experience in other NGO’s and /or developing countries is desirable

Language:

• Mission language and local language essential

Knowledge:

• Desirable basic computer skills

Contract:

• 208 working hours per month.

Renumeration

• According to MSF salary scale plus 13th month allowance equivalent to 1 month of gross salary.