Stabilization Center (SC) Nurse at Future Resilience and Development Foundation (FRAD)

Job Overview / Summary

• The nurse plays a key role in the management of acute malnutrition within basic health services, following both national and international guidelines. In the Stabilization Centre (SC), the nurse oversees the nutritional rehabilitation of admitted children, particularly those suffering from Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) with medical complications. This involves managing medical conditions, administering therapeutic feeding, providing routine and specialized medications, and delivering health and nutrition counselling to caregivers to prevent further deterioration of the child’s nutritional status.
• The SC nurse contributes to maintaining high standards of care by providing technical guidance and capacity strengthening for nutrition assistants working in the SC. This support ensures that complications related to Severe Acute Malnutrition are properly identified and managed according to approved national and international stabilization centre protocols.

Major Responsibilities

• The Nurse will work with the Doctors to provide clinical and nutritional care for complicated cases of severe acute malnutrition (SAM) admitted at the SC.
• He/she will maintain accurate patient’s records, provide input into FRAD reports and actively participate in the smooth functioning of the SC.
• Ensuring comprehensive medical examination, vital signs, frequent medicines and treatment according to the protocols.
• Following and adhering to the current protocols on drug administration i.e. antibiotics, antimalarial, anthelminthic.
• Ensuring timely therapeutic preparation and administering the appropriate feeds and medicines for the malnourished children in the SC.
• Carrying out daily nutritional status monitoring of severely malnourished children as prescribed in the protocol.
• Providing appropriate nutrition counselling and health education to the mothers and caretakers in the SC based on the protocols and guidelines.
• Ensuring adequate availability of all drugs and nutrition supply and ensuring stock is pre-positioned as planned.
• Consulting and informing the SC Doctor and/or Multi-sectoral Manager on issues that may affect the smooth operations of the stabilization Centre.
• Ensuring proper handing over of duties within the SC.
• Preparing and updating the medical and nutritional record for ward rounds on a daily basis.
• Ensuring all criteria are adhered to and documented, including admission, discharge and transfer to and from the OTP
• Completing and updating the patient file to ensure a track of patient progress.
• Compiling the statistical data (admission, default, cured, absent, death) and drafting a report on activities.
• Maintaining supply consumption reports.

Provision of High Quality Nursing care to Complicated SAM children

• Admit all patients presenting into the SC in line with the admission criteria.
• Provide quality nursing clinical care to complicated cases of SAM admitted at the Stabilization Centre (SC). 
• Ensure Nursing and clinical care provided at the SC is in accordance with the National guidelines for In-patient Management of SAM.
• Stabilize all critical patients in line with the protocols in collaboration with the doctor and other team members. 
• Patient monitoring for patients in Phase 1, transition phase and Phase 2 in line with guidelines. 
• Report any medical or clinical complications on timely basis to the doctor and other team members. 
• Ensure nursing records and monitoring charts are up-to date and well maintained
• Appropriate use of resources, stock control and ordering procedures.

Program Documentation and Reporting:

• Ensure the utilization of medicines, medical supplies, nutrition-related commodities are routinely documented in the relevant tools
• Ensure timely collection and compilation of quality data for the production of quantitative and qualitative reports regarding all SC activities.
• Ensure that quality nutrition services are provided by the help mothers at night and during the weekend in the absence of the dieticians 
• Participate in weekly Nutrition related Meetings, trainings and workshops and feed information acquired back into programming.  

Required Qualifications & Experience

• Degree or Diploma in Nursing from a recognized/accredited University in Nigeria 
• At least two (2) years post-graduation experience.
• Previous experience with other local and international NGOs.
• Experience in Nutrition and in community based program
• Training and experience on treatment of acute malnutrition. 
• Computer literacy (MS Word, MS Excel, MS PowerPoint).
• Fluency in English, Kanuri and Hausa, spoken and written.
• Good interpersonal and communication skills. 
• Must have a valid practice license.

Key Competencies

• Should be a team player and culturally sensitive.
• Strong leadership, team building, conflict resolution and ability to deliver FRAD’s strategic objectives.
• Extremely flexible, and have the ability to cope with stressful situations