Community ART Nurse at Heartland Alliance

Project Background

Heartland Alliance Ltd-Gte is currently implementing a USAID funded Accelerating Control for HIV Epidemic (ACE) Project in Lagos, Edo, and Bayelsa States. Implementation is targeted at promoting new and underutilized partnerships to accelerate the achievement of the HIV epidemic control in Nigeria through the delivery of high impact HIV prevention, care, and support services to general populations who are living with HIV and those at risk of contracting HIV.

The program is intended to provide evidence-based services that will deliver measurable results by addressing programmatic and systems barriers to epidemic control, including but not limited to, the following areas: HIV Case Finding and Linkage (HTS), Adult Care and Treatment, Paediatric/Adolescent Care and Treatment, Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT), Cervical cancer screening, TB/HIV Care, Laboratory, Health Systems Strengthening to Support Clinical Services, Expertise with the Private Sector and Operations and Implementation Research.

We seek applications from qualified persons for the position below:

Job Title: Community ART Nurse

Reports to:  State Program Manager

Location(s): Bayelsa, Edo and Lagos

Persons Required: Bayelsa (2), Edo (3), Lagos (3)

Employment Type: Part Time

Job Summary

The Community ART Nurse will support the CART clinician to implement high quality care and support activities with primary focus on  community based prevention, care and treatment activities through improving activities across the continuum of care – case finding for adults and paediatrics, genealogy testing scaling up cervical cancer screening activities as part of prevention services, PrEP, PMTCT, retention in care, viral load sample collection and suppression, differentiated models of care at the community, Support safe and ethical models of care both at the facility and community that would efficiently achieve results thereby maintaining program fidelity.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Ensure all clients screened receive full pre and post-test counselling.
• Ensure all newly identified clients are lined to care and treatment support same day.
• Ensure the 28 days adherence calendar is followed strictly for all newly identified clients linked to care.
• Ensure chronic care screening of all newly identified clients using the care and support checklist.
• Ensure adequate nutritional and psychological counselling of clients.
• Ensure all newly identified pediatric clients are enrolled in OVC care package.
• Mentoring clients on HIVST and distribution.
• Support the delivery of health talks on HIV/AIDs, myths, and misconceptions at both supported and unsupported community structures.
• Ensure full follow up of community DSD models with clients. 
• Support the provision of minimum PMTCT package of care to clients at the community and receiving care at community structures e.g., healing homes and TBAs.
• Follow up with mother baby pair same day ART services.
• Support clients to set up reminders for taking their drugs and for drug pickup.
• Support screening of eligible clients for cervical cancer.
• Screen and initiate eligible community general population clients on PrEP.  
• Ensure enhanced adherence counselling is conducted for virally unsuppressed clients.
• Support clients/care givers literacy education.
• Support the establishment of support groups at the community.
• Support adolescent /youth friendly activities and services at the community.
• Ensure proper documentations on source documents.
• Perform other assigned responsibilities as occasion demands by the Supervisor.

Qualifications

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or competency required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Education and/or Experience:

• B. Sc Nursing or its equivalent with 2 to 3 years relevant experience in clinical care with a sound understanding of HIV/AIDs programmatic and technical implementation in resource constraint settings.
• RN or RM will be an added advantage. 
• Demonstrated skills to use data for program refinement and implement targeted interventions with highest degree of efficiency and impact.
• Familiarity with Nigerian public sector health system, NGOs and CBOs is highly desirable.
• Knowledge of Nigerian clinical setting, including government and non-government settings.
• Proven ability in supervising staff.

Other Competencies:

• Time Management – Ability to prioritize tasks, manage time and complete projects in a fast-paced, changing environment with minimal supervision.
• Quality Management - Looks for ways to improve and promote quality; demonstrates accuracy and thoroughness.
• Written Communication - Writes clearly and informatively; edits work for spelling and grammar; varies writing style to meet needs; presents numerical data effectively.
• Adaptability - adapts to changes in the work environment; manages competing demands; changes approach or method to best fit the situation; able to deal with frequent change, delays, or unexpected events.
• Cultural Sensitivity – Respects cultural environment in which person is working and does not act in a manner that is outwardly offensive to the local community.
• Non-discriminatory- Does not discriminate persons based on sexual orientation or gender identity, age, preferred jobs, or behavioural habits.

Language Skills:

• Excellent oral and written English communication skills.
• Knowledge of Local Language preferred.
• Demonstrated competency in public speaking.

Computer Skills:

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, Internet Explorer, Outlook/Exchange, Windows operating systems, Power Point.
• Other software routinely used by Heartland Alliance.