Nurse at Medecins Sans Frontieres

Contract: Fixed term contract and Working hours according to Nigerian law

Job Description
Scope of responsibilities and accountabilities: (non-exhaustive list)

• Provide nursing care, treatment and follow-up for children suffering from severe malnutrition, according to MSF TFP (ITFC/ATFC/SFP) protocols, universal hygienic standards and other procedures, in order to ensure a good delivery of care and improve their nutritional conditions.
• Implementing and following at all times the universal hygiene standards, security rules and other protocols and procedures regarding nursing and children nutrition matters.
• Ensuring proper functioning of the Therapeutic Program. This includes:
• Daily collecting the number of new admissions and exits and to check the attendance
• Calculating the quantity of food needed for the day based on the number of children registered
• Ensuring triage of patients in waiting areas, detecting the priority acute cases, carrying out first aid care when necessary and referring them to the doctor if necessary.
• Carrying-out all patient’s related tasks for the admission, weighing and measuring the children, identifying the degree and types of malnutrition, administration (patient card, register,..) etc.
• Ensuring that medical and nutritional care is properly delivered to the patients and to daily follow the evolution of the patients.
• Carrying-out consultations to children and their parents, undertaking a complete clinical examination of children, looking for associated pathologies, drawing up nutritional surveillance forms and milk cards, providing required vaccination, etc.
• Carrying-out surveillance and follow-up of patients’ medical and nutritional evolution, identifying possible emergency situations arising and keeping doctors informed if necessary.
• Providing advice and inform children’s families about everything concerning the hospitalization, participate in the health education of the mothers and/or treatment process.
• Controlling all pharmacy, food, and medical equipment (carrying out inventories, checking its quality and its functioning, storage conditions, doing follow-up of expired drugs, etc.)
• Carrying-out and supervise administrative procedures and documents (fill in patients files, forms, statistics, etc.), ensure an appropriate written/oral handover, and report any problematic situations and cases arising.
• Performing minor maintenance and cleaning of the biomedical equipment following user manual and protocols. Alerting the supervisor in case of malfunctioning of any device.
• Organize and carry out care of ITFC patients, specifically regular surveillance, giving medications as prescribed and recognizing unwell and deteriorating patients and increasing level of care and attention.
• Adhere to a daily schedule and plan time to perform all care appropriate to each patient in your care.
• Documentation: responsible to filling in chart and registers each day and for every patient in your care. Help to collect data and fill in any forms deemed needed by nurse supervisors, doctors, expat supervisors, and data clerk.
• Responsible for health educating the caregivers on breastfeeding, hygiene and basic care.
• Understand and follow all COVID-19 prevention measures
• Follow instructions from supervisor about allocation of patients and be flexible to any changes deemed appropriate by supervisor.
• Responsible to organize and manage those under your supervision while on shift, including nurse assistants, milk mothers, and cleaners.
• Work as a team with Doctors and carry out orders following MSF protocols and procedures.
• Understanding and carrying out MSF protocols for care of the patients in ITFC, specifically adhering to the Nutrition protocols and the Paediatric Nursing Guidelines.
• Responsible for IPC measures in the ward, including cleaning biomedical equipment or delegating cleaning tasks to those under your supervision, example cleaners and nurse assistants.
• Treat all patients, caregivers and colleagues with respect and neutrality.
• Understanding the complex needs of patients can extend past providing medical care and instead provide holistic patient and family centered care.
• Understand and provide education to caregivers on how to best look after their children and improve feeding practices for discharge and the future. Especially important to educate mothers on breastfeeding and hygiene practices.
• Responsible for basic care for all patients/caregivers including feeding (as per protocol), bathing, c bed making and spacing and clean equipment.
• Responsible to ensure patients receive up to date, current and hygienic care, using best practice in all aspects of care provided. Including intravenous medications and devices, all must be used appropriately and according to protocol.
• Management: Responsible to organize own leave and sick leave as per regulations.

Requirements
Education:

• Bachelor's Degree or Diploma in Nursing with nutritional training essentials

Experience:

• Desirable 2 years of previous experience in nutrition program required. Experience in MSF or other NGO’s and /or in developing countries desirable.

Languages:

• Local language essential. Mission language desirable.

Competencies:

• Flexibility, organizational skills, teamwork and cooperation, team management, stress management and commitment to humanitarian objectives and to MSF Principles.