Health and Nutrition Nurse

As a global leader, CARE is shaping the future of the humanitarian and development sector. Each year, we deliver support and services to millions of people in over a hundred countries. We do this by focusing on our mission and living the values that drive our organization. A career at CARE is an opportunity to be part of a movement that brings communities together to solve complex problems and foster lasting change throughout the world. We seek individuals who are passionate about humanitarian and development work, collaborate well with others, embrace learning and innovation, and deliver results.

CARE’s Work Culture (What It’s Like to Work at CARE?)

CARE is a mission-driven international humanitarian aid and development organization that offers an opportunity to work with people across the world. Not a day will go by that you won’t learn something profound, meet an expert, or write a sentence that can change a life. We are committed to an environment where everyone can succeed

Job Summary

The Health and Nutrition Nurse support Health facility by providing screening, treatment and care to under-five children with SAM and MAM, performing nursing procedures, assisting medical staff, and delivering health and hygiene education sessions in the target health facility. Specific key duties include managing admissions, treatment, follow-up, and discharge of U5 children, maintaining supplies, ensuring clinic readiness, and preparing routine reports. In addition to nutrition related activities, the health and nutrition nurse is responsible for taking care of clients/patient/injured visiting the health facility for emergency services and performing OPD counseling and treatment in the absence of the medical doctor according to treatment protocol/guidelines line NSTG and IMNCI. The role requires organizational skills and a commitment to quality care in challenging settings.
The HF health and nutrition nurse will perform all his routine activities and assigned tasks under well-defined guidelines and according to his technical capacity will be responsible overall and reportable to the HF doctor as direct line manager for any issue. The holder of this position will conduct screening and provide treatment for children under five with Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) and Moderate Acute Malnutrition (MAM) in accordance with IMAM guideline treatment protocols. He/She will also perform dressing, nursing care and OPD in the community outreach areas or in absence of medical doctor in health facility as per national treatment guidelines and treatment protocols.

Admissions, Follow-up, and Health & Nutrition Education, discharge

Admissions, Follow-up, and Health & Nutrition Education

Admissions and Follow-up of Under-Five Children:

·       Conduct screening in OPD to identify children at risk based on SAM/MAM admission criteria.

·       Perform and support medical examination at admission, ensuring eligibility and proper registration of beneficiaries.

·       Refer severe acute malnutrition (SAM) cases with medical complications to Therapeutic Feeding Units (TFU).

·       Review vaccination status and refer children to immunization services as needed.

·       Ensure regular medical and nutritional follow-up for admitted SAM/MAM cases.

·       Conduct discharge assessments, ensuring all clinical and nutritional recovery criteria are met.

·       Verify immunization status prior to discharge following referral.

·       Trace and follow up on defaulter cases to ensure continuity of care.

·       Provide health and hygiene education to caregivers during facility visits.

·       Support Nutrition Counselors in service delivery and counseling activities.

At Discharge:

·       Ensure completion of all required procedures, including anthropometric measurements, medical and nutritional treatment, routine medications, and counseling.

·       Accurately record all relevant information in beneficiary registers and treatment cards.

Health and Nutrition Education:

·       Provide regular education sessions to caregivers on breastfeeding, complementary feeding, hygiene practices, care of pregnant and lactating women, and prevention of common illnesses.

Treatment and OPD Service Provision

·       Provide nutritional treatment to under-five children with SAM and MAM in accordance with IMAM guidelines and approved treatment protocols.

·       Prescribe and administer routine medications for admitted patients at admission and during follow-up, following standard clinical protocols.

·       Deliver outpatient department (OPD) services in community outreach areas where applicable, and provide clinical care in the health facility in the absence of a medical doctor, in line with approved guidelines.

·       Perform essential nursing procedures, including administration of IV fluids, injections, wound care, and dressings, as well as management of burns, trauma cases, and road traffic injuries (RTAs).

Materials Preparation and Reporting

·       Ensure all required materials and equipment are available, functional, and prepared in advance, including registers, anthropometric tools, nutrition supplies, and essential medicines.

·       Maintain cleanliness, organization, and proper storage of all clinic items to ensure readiness for daily operations and service delivery.

·       Update all recording and reporting tools on a daily basis to ensure accuracy and completeness of data.

·       Establish and maintain a well-organized filing system for all program and patient-related documents.

·       Prepare and submit timely daily, weekly, and monthly reports in accordance with standard reporting formats and guidelines.

OTHER RESPONSIBILITIES AS ASSIGNED          5        % of time

Key Relationships

Internal:

·       Reports directly to the Health Facility In-Charge; in their absence, the Field Supervisor serves as the line manager.

·       Receives technical guidance and support from HERP (Health and Emergency Response Program) team.

External:

·       Coordinates and exchanges information, as required and directed by the line manager, with EPHS and BPHS health facilities to ensure continuity of care, appropriate referrals, and effective service delivery.

Safeguarding Responsibilities:

Uphold CARE’s Safeguarding Policy (https://www.care-international.org/resources/care-international-safeguarding-policy) and Safeguarding Code of Conduct.

Must read the Safeguarding Policy and either sign the Safeguarding Code of Conduct or sign a Code of Conduct that is consistent with or references this policy and Safeguarding Code of Conduct.

 Safety and Security Responsibility:

We all have a responsibility to promote a safe and secure work environment, foster a safety and security culture, and ensure consistent application of, and compliance with, CARE Afghanistan safety and security policies and procedures.

Responsibilities on Safety and Security, Gender and Inclusion and Safeguarding and Child Protection:

 CARE are expected to adhere to Safety & Security responsibilities, emphasizing team and individual accountability to maintain a safe environment. This includes readiness, compliance, and active engagement to mitigate risks through awareness, reporting, and policy enforcement.

 Gender equality and inclusion are fundamental at CARE, promoting equal rights and challenging discriminatory norms to achieve social justice. We foster an inclusive workplace respecting diverse gender identities, abilities, backgrounds, and experiences through dialogue, training, and diversity initiatives. All CARE staff must uphold ethical standards, following codes of conduct to prevent abuse, including sexual harassment, exploitation, and neglect. Regular monitoring ensures accountability to uphold these principles and support our mission of social justice and poverty alleviation.

Education: 

- Graduated from Nursing or has a nutrition diploma from a recognized institute.
- bachelor’s in medical sciences or relevant field and IMAM, IMNCI training

Work Experience:

At least 2 years’ experience in the field of health and nutrition in NGOs or BPHS.

Languages Skills:

Fluent in local languages (Dari & Pashto), knowledge of English is a plus.

• Please submit your completed CARE Standard Job application form (ACBAR: Application Form)  to afg.vacancies@care.org.
• Applications after the closing date (12:00 AM) and without CARE Application form will not be accepted.
• Please Indicate the position title, Vacancy Number in the Subject Line (Health and Nutrition Nurse, CARE-AF-1419_2026) otherwise your application will not be considered.
• Please note that there is no telephonic inquiry and only shortlisted applicants will be contacted with and call for Interview.
• The successful applicant will be expected to undergo a Background Check, Bridger check & Reference check and be compliant and sign up to Care Afghanistan’s Code of Conduct, PSHA (Prevention from Sexual harassment, exploitation and abuse) and other Care Afghanistan policies prior to a final offer being made.
• CARE IS COMMITTED TO CHILD PROTECTION POLICY (Available at:  http://bit.ly/CAREAFG_Child_Protection_Policy)

Equal Opportunity Statement

CARE is an Equal Opportunity employer. We provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, sex, religion, ancestry, national origin, age, disability, marital status, or veteran status, or any other characteristics protected under applicable law.

MDS (Misconduct Disclosure Scheme)

CARE participates in the Inter-Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. In line with this Scheme, we hereby request information from the candidate’s previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment during employment, or incidents under investigation when the candidate left employment. All offers of employment are subject to satisfactory references and appropriate screening checks. By submitting an application, the job applicant confirms his/her understanding of these recruitment procedures.