Operating Theatre (OT) Nurse (Specialised Nurse) at Medecins Sans Frontieres

Main Purpose

• Organise and carry out all nursing activities related to operating theatre (OT) running, according to MSF health protocols, universal hygiene standards and in coordination with the surgeon and anaesthetist, to ensure the smooth functioning of surgical activities (pre-, intra- and post-operative care) offered to patients.

MSF Section/Context Specific Accountabilities
Job Summary:

• The Operating Theatre (OT) Nurse at MSF Jahun plays a vital role in delivering high-quality, patient-centred, and safe surgical care within the CEmONC and Obstetric Fistula project
• This multifaceted role encompasses pre-, intra-, and post-operative responsibilities, including patient preparation, surgical assistance, recovery monitoring, and infection prevention.
• The OT Nurse ensures proper documentation, equipment readiness, and adherence to hygiene and safety protocols, while supporting patients’ physical and emotional well-being throughout the surgical continuum.
• As a Scrub, Circulating, or Recovery Room Nurse, they collaborate closely with the surgical team to uphold sterility, manage instruments, and facilitate smooth patient transitions.
• Additionally, the OT Nurse contributes to staff training, data collection, and continuous quality improvement, embodying MSF’s commitment to compassionate, competent, and dignified care.

Key Responsibilities

• Carry out and supervise administrative procedures and documents (check identity of patient and his/her consent for the operation, fill in patients’ files, forms, statistics, quantitative surgical data collection, etc.), and report any problematic situations and cases arising, in order to have updated and correct information about the day-to-day activity and ensure proper transfer of information.
• Knowing, promoting, implementing, and following up the universal hygiene standards/ precautions, bio-hazard prevention and infection control, security rules and other protocols and procedures in the medical premises and ensuring high standards of hygiene of his/her working environment, including participating in Unit Deep Cleaning at scheduled times.
• Demonstrate thorough knowledge of and strict adherence to the Accidental Exposure to Blood (AEB) Protocol, ensuring immediate and appropriate response to any exposure incident in line with MSF guidelines to safeguard personal and patient safety.
• Monitors patients’ physical and emotional well-being throughout the care continuum, always respecting medical secrets and confidentiality, as well as patients’ privacy.
• Provide targeted health education to patients and their families as needed, ensuring they understand their condition, treatment plan, and post-operative care requirements to support informed decision-making and promote recovery.
• Carrying out and supervising administrative procedures and documents (fills in patients’ files, forms, consumptions, statistics, etc.), ensuring appropriate written/oral handover, and reporting any problematic situations and cases that may arise.
• Filling in all necessary registers and health files; participating in data collection.
• Participating in the department-related pharmacy and medical equipment inventories, control and maintenance (quality and its functioning, storage conditions, follow-up of expired drugs, stock taking of medicines and materials at every team changeover, ensuring no material is taken out of the nursing area/wards without prior authorisation, etc.)
• Participating in preparing for each and every shift by ensuring the availability of adequate instruments and all other supplies required for surgical procedures and general patient care in the OT; ensures all user maintenance protocols are observed and that all accompanying checklists are correctly filled out, among other preparations.
• Ensuring proper care and maintenance of materials in the Operating Theatre by checking the function of equipment and instruments as per protocol; informing the OT Nurse Specialist Supervisor of appropriate actions if there are defective ones; checking of expiry dates of instruments and supplies in general.
• Properly collects and disposes of materials used for surgery and ensures that the cleaning of the Operating Room is completed before the next operation and at the end of the day, while ensuring that all recyclable instruments and materials used for surgical procedures are promptly transported to the CSSD for processing. 

Scrub Nurse Responsibilities:

• Preparing for each and every surgical procedure by ensuring that every member of the Surgery Team puts on correct attire, and patient is properly draped; ensures that instruments and supplies for surgery are available and properly used; ensures surgical hand washing as per protocol; ensures correct operation site preparation; ensures that surgical count sheet and surgical safety checklist are properly used, among other preparations.

Data Collection and Reporting:

• Accurately and promptly documents all surgical procedures, patient outcomes, and any adverse events or complications in designated registers and official records, ensuring traceability, accountability, and compliance with institutional and regulatory standards.
• Participates in the collection of data essential for monitoring and evaluating the performance of the surgical team, contributing to quality improvement initiatives, accountability, and evidence-based decision-making within the Operating Theatre.

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 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 the commencement of work. Packing up long hair is important.
• Contribute to a culture of safety by modelling exemplary IPC practices and encouraging others to do the same.
• Ensure timely dispatch and retrieval of materials requiring sterilization by coordinating with the Sterilization Unit via the Unit Hygienist, maintaining proper tracking, and verifying that all items are processed and returned in accordance with infection control protocols.
• Note: 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:

• Essential: Recognized Nurse Degree/Diploma
• Preferred: Nursing Diploma with specialization as a Theatre Nurse
• Desired: Bachelor of Science in Nursing.

Experience:

• Desirable two years of experience
• Having worked in MSF or other NGO’s and in developing countries is desirable.

Languages:

• Hausa language and project language (English) are essential,
• Fulani language would be an asset.

Competencies:

• Results
• Teamwork
• Flexibility
• Commitment
• Service.