Vacancy Announcement

Job title:  

SECHN Primary Health Care 

Work Location:

Kono

Department:

Clinical

Reports to:

Director of Nursing and Primary Care Manager

Requisition #:

4285

Line Management

No

Application Status

External Advert

Organisation Profile

Partners In Health (PIH) is an international health organization relentlessly committed to improving the health of the poor and marginalized. PIH partners with local governments to build local capacity and works closely with impoverished communities to deliver high-quality health care, address the root causes of illness, train providers, advance research, and advocate for global policy change. Our delivered services in the field are based in our partnership with the Governments and Ministries of Health and the support to education, training and mentorship to Health care workers and students is one of our pillars for the Health care system strengthening.

PIH currently has implementation programs in Haiti, Rwanda, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Peru, Mexico, Russia, Sierra Leone and Navajo Nation. Through our partnership with Harvard Medical School and the Brigham and Women’s Hospital, we support a wide range of programs in dozens of other countries around the world. 

Our Work In Sierra Leone:

Partners In Health (PIH) began supporting the government of Sierra Leone in response to the Ebola epidemic in October 2014. Recognizing the large need for continued investments in the health system after Ebola, PIH is committed to long-term health system strengthening in support of the Ministry of Health and Sanitation (MOHS), guided by the same principles as our emergency response and our work around the world: public sector accompaniment, integrated and comprehensive services, social justice, nimbleness and flexibility, partnership, community ownership, and evidence-based interventions. In the aftermath of the epidemic, PIH is committed to supporting the delivery of comprehensive health services in Sierra Leone, from the community level to the health center and to referral hospitals.

Position Overview

The State Enrolled Community Health Nurse (SECHN) is a critical member of the clinical staff at PIH. The SECHN is expected to be versatile and be ready to take on responsibilities in various departments, including at the primary care level  and also work collaboratively alongside different members of the health care team.  The SECHN will provide high quality nursing care to patients and support to their families and other caregivers.  He/She will respond in a timely manner to patients who urgently need treatment as well as provide health education to patients and caregivers. The SECHN will also ensure accurate and proper documentation of all patient care activities, participate in Quality Improvement projects and be involved in clinical education sessions for professional development. 

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

General Nursing:

• Triage patients presenting to the clinic based on their level of acuity;
• Ensures that patients presenting to the clinic are managed appropriately including identifying those who need transfer to a higher level of care.
• Obtain and document patients’ vital signs, recognizing and responding to abnormal vital signs appropriately.
• Maintain proper patient records through effective documentation.
• Provide health education to the patients and their care-givers.
• Deliver high standards of care in collaboration with the rest of the clinical team.
• Responsible for the preparation of monthly reports to be submitted to the appropriate departments for further analysis. Display high level of commitment by being adaptable and being able to function in a busy work environment, including rotating to other units at the clinic as required
• Maintain confidentiality and impartiality and involve families in the plan of care.
• Promote patient/family-centered care to ensure that their needs are met.
• Engage and participate in clinical education or in-service training as determined by the Clinical Lead of the facility, Nurse Educator or the Director of Nursing.
• Participate in quality improvement projects and other related studies that could improve on the delivery of care to patients.
• Administer and record medication to patients in observation ward
• Monitor patients appropriately in the observation ward prior to discharge or referral
• Perform other duties related to the role, as may be required by the In-charge, Director of Nursing and PHU Manager

Nutrition and Feeding:

• Ensure that all patients are receiving the right diet according to age and diagnosis.
• Encourage lactating mothers to practice exclusive breastfeeding.
• Ensure that Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) patients are receiving their supplies according to the protocol.
• Ensure that motherless infants are receiving their supplies according to the protocol.
• Ensure that all children under five years are screened for malnutrition
• Ensure that Moderate Acute Malnutrition (MAM) patients and care-givers are educated on the preparation of local diet.

HIV/TB Clinic:

• Promote continuous medical education among other clinical staff.
• Conduct pre- and post- diagnosis counseling for patients, as well as education on adherence to treatment.
• Perform any other duties as assigned by the department lead or Clinical Lead of the facility.
• Ensures that all emergency cases are prioritized and seen appropriately regardless of the time of the day.
• Be willing to work or rotate to other department as determined by your supervisor or Clinical Lead.

NCD Clinic:

• Provide NCD care in the NCD clinic (Diabetic Management, Management of High Blood Pressure);
• Ensure proper follow-up care for patients scheduled to return to the clinic.
• Organization of the NCD clinic to ensure that it operates efficiently.
• Rotate to other departments as the need arises.

Prevention of Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Harassment

At Partners In Health, we are committed to ensuring that those who benefit from our work- including our patients, families and community members – as well as our staff are treated with dignity and respect and protected from sexual exploitation, abuse and sexual harassment. A range of pre-employment checks will be undertaken in conformity with Partners In Health’s PSEAH policy. Partner In Health will request information from applicants’ previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment during employment, or incidents under investigation when the applicant left employment.  By submitting an application, the job applicant confirms their understanding of these recruitment procedures.

Education and Work Experience Requirements

• Current and valid clinical license, (SECHN Certificate and License).
• Clinical experience in Maternal and Child Health, HIV/TB, NCD and General Nursing preferred.
• Strong communication, interpersonal, and organizational skills, must be able to take initiative and problem-solve, and must be flexible.
• Ability to work well with a team, be dependable, and hard-working.
• Ability to be adaptable and function well in a busy work environment, including rotating to other units as required.
• Commitment to social justice and human rights.
• Demonstrated understanding and respect for PIH’s mission and values.
• Must NOT hold dual employment from private or national consolidated funds.

Social Justice

We are a global health and social justice organization that responds to the moral imperative to provide high-quality health care globally to those who need it most. We strive to ease suffering by placing patients at the center of all care, bringing the benefits of modern medicine to all.

Method of application

Interested candidates are required to apply through our website: www.pih.org/employment  In your application, please ensure to include names, addresses, email addresses and telephone numbers of three (3) referees not later than 12:00pm GMT (Midnight) on Tuesday 3rd  September 2024