TFU Nurse

Médecins du Monde - France (MdM-F) is an international humanitarian organization whose mission is to provide medical care for the most vulnerable populations, the world over, including Afghanistan. It seeks to stimulate voluntary commitment from doctors, other health care providers, and from those whose expertise in other fields is needed for its activities, to enlist all competent support required for the achievement of its projects, and to seek at all times to encourage close working relationships with populations in its care.

Scope of Work:

The Female TFU Nurse will be responsible for providing nursing and nutritional care for SAM children admitted to the TFU in accordance with IMAM protocols.

Responsibilities:

Apply medical and nutritional protocols to ensure the care of the IPD SAM children in TFU.
Provide nursing care, treatment, and follow-up for children suffering from severe malnutrition with medical complications, according to IMAM treatment protocols, universal hygienic standards, and other procedures, in order to ensure a good delivery of care and improve their nutritional condition.

Providing preventive and curative health care to patients admitted to the TFU:

Admission of children: 

Understanding and applying the National admission criteria 
In collaboration with the nutrition worker: 

·         Measuring (MUAC, Z. Score) of the children and detecting the presence of Edema.

·          Ensure implementation and monitoring of Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) measures and patient safety standards within the TFU according to national and WHO guidelines.

·         Identifying the degree and types of malnutrition.

·         Note admissions in the register with all the requested information.

·         Informing mothers of the child's condition and results.

·         Drawing up nutritional surveillance forms and milk cards for the children.

·         Tracing the children’s weight-target line and noting their temperatures.

·         Administering treatment prescriptions after medical consultation.

·         Checking the children’s vaccination status, referring them to the vaccination station if necessary.

·         Explaining to mothers’ what hospitalization involves and providing advice if required.

Medical follow-up:

·         Ensuring medical parameters are taken (temperature, heart and respiratory rate, weight, weight/height accordance, presence of oedemas, etc.) following the protocols in use, noting the results on the corresponding forms in the patients’ files.

·         Taking part in the daily medical round and noting changes in prescriptions according to the patients’ state.

·         Checking the prescriptions are signed and dated.

·         Distributing treatments according to individual medical prescriptions. Following the doses, administration methods, and times, and signaling any problems

·         Ticking off and counter-signing treatments taken in the medical files.

·         Ensuring external care and dressing, referring the children for complementary examinations if required.

·         Following the rules of hygiene and asepsis during the delivery of all health care (washing hands, sorting waste, what to do in the case of accidental blood exposure, etc.).

·         Detecting all anomalies in the children’s health and behavior, providing first aid whilst waiting for a doctor to arrive.

Nutritional follow-up (in collaboration with the nutrition worker):

·         Inserting a Naso-gastric tube for feeding, responsible for checking the good position before feeding, evaluating, and notifying of any complications

·         Establishing the children’s food ration according to their weight and degree of malnutrition

·         Informing mothers about the importance of meals

·         Informing mothers about the children’s diets and the number and frequency of meals

·         Encouraging mothers to continue breastfeeding during hospitalization

·         Inciting mothers to give the children liquid intake

·         With the nutrition worker being present and ensuring that the children eat all their meals correctly

·         Noting the quantities absorbed and any identified problems (vomiting, diarrhea, etc.)

·          Ensure proper preparation, administration, and monitoring of therapeutic milk (F-75 and F-100) according to WHO and national IMAM/CMAM guidelines for the management of Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM).

·          Administer therapeutic milk in the correct dosage, frequency, and timing as prescribed, based on the child’s weight and treatment phase.

·          Monitor and record the child’s tolerance to therapeutic milk, including vomiting, diarrhea, poor appetite, aspiration risk, or feeding complications, and immediately report abnormalities to the medical doctor.

·         Maintain strict hygiene and Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) standards during preparation, handling, storage, and feeding of therapeutic milk.

·           Educate caregivers on appropriate feeding practices, breastfeeding support, and nutritional care during the child’s admission and discharge process.

·          Participate in routine monitoring of feeding practices and support quality improvement measures within the TFU

·         Watching over the weight curves

·         Ensuring the children's correct and regular growth by examining their weight curves

·         Identifying all anomalies in the curves and informing the doctor in the case of weight loss

·         Organizing daily information and education sessions in the TFU.

Discharge of the children from TFU:

·         Managing the children’s existence according to the criteria set out in the protocol and after medical agreement.

·         Measuring the children’s brachial perimeters.

·         Weighing and measuring the children to calculate weight/height associations.

·         Checking that oedemas have disappeared.

·         Reporting all this information on the follow-up forms and noting the exits in the register.

·         Providing handover notes on each team changeover. 

·         Informing mothers of measures to be taken and giving them nutritional advice adapted to the state of their children.

·         Managing the premises, medicines, and medical equipment

·         Being responsible for the material used

·         Ensuring the follow-up of medicine consumption during the inpatient phase, drawing up an order with the supervisor if needed

·          Ensure safe storage, stock monitoring, and proper management of F-75, F-100, ReSoMal, feeding materials, and related supplies to prevent contamination, wastage, stock-outs, and expiry.

·         Handing over the pharmacy and consumable medical equipment on each team changeover 

·         Prepare Oral Rehydration Solution on a daily basis, following the rules for doses, dilution, and storage conditions

·         Ensuring the cleanliness of the premises and work surfaces

Communication and teamwork

·         Introduce yourself to each patient, be polite.

·         Explain how to take any treatment prescribed and the importance of following it correctly. 

·         Always respect medical confidentiality

·         Working in collaboration with the medical and paramedical team

·         Being responsible for the correct execution of tasks by the team under his supervision

·         Organizing and managing training sessions if required

·         Ensuring written and oral handovers within the team and between the teams

·         Participating in departmental meetings and ongoing training sessions

·         Use language that the translator can understand

·         Ensure good communication with the team

·         Report problems encountered in the centre or within the team to the TFU head.

Objective 4: Recording and Reporting 

• Being responsible for the correct upkeep of registers and hospitalization forms
•  Ensure accurate documentation of milk intake/output, feeding schedules, and patient progress in TFU monitoring charts and medical records. .
• Participating in daily data collection (number of admissions and exits, morbidity, etc.)
• Participating in the calculation and analysis of weekly statistics (calculating weight gain, length of stay, etc.) in collaboration with the in-charge doctor and the TFU staff
• Reacting as necessary according to the results
• Follow clearly appropriate protocols and guidelines - National.
• Participate in the weekly/ monthly reporting of TFU activities 
• Support organization of transfer if needed (transport, paper… ).
• Monitor and lead the activities of nurses.

Education

Graduated from nursing of recognized university/Health Science Institute

Experience

Minimum 1–2 years’ experience in paediatric care, nutrition or in TFU with INGOs/NGOs

Experience in emergency or intensive care settings preferred.

The interested candidates should submit their applications with the updated CV, motivation letter, including references details to the following email – recruitment.afghanistan@medecinsdumonde.net – no later than the closing date.

The reference TFU Nurse must be stated in the application subject to be valid. If you do not clearly state the position for which you are applying & attach the required diploma & other supporting documents, your application may not be considered.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Please note that MDM-F does not reimburse transportation cost if applicants are asked for interview or a test.

MDM-F does not charge fee at any stage of its recruitment process. All applications are free for all candidates, and no one should require any payment or compensation during the recruitment process.