REGIONAL NURSE MENTOR
AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) is an International Non-Governmental Organization that was founded in 1987 and has been at the forefront of the HIV response, currently supporting HIV/AIDS programs in 45 countries including Rwanda.
AHF’s mission is to provide cutting edge medicine and advocacy, regardless of ability to pay and core values are to be Patient-Centered, Value Employees, Respect for Diversity, Nimble, and Fight for What’s Right
AHF Rwanda is looking for very competent candidates to fill up the position of Regional Nurse Mentor to be based in Kayonza District; and support Nyakabungo, Mukarange and AVEGA Health Centers.
Summary
The HIV/AIDS Nurse Mentor is responsible for coordination and supervision and mentorship of activities at AHF -Rwanda supported sites. He/she will support the improvement of quality care and treatment for people living with HIV in the supported sites.
The HIV/AIDS Nurse Mentor ensures that AHF’s mission statement, core values, key partnership standards, and practices are the foundation of AHF’s overall strategies and work.
Essential Duties & Responsibilities
Site Level Activities:
Reinforce Pediatric, adolescents, and adult HIV testing services, enrollment, retention and to enable implementation of PITC/index testing:
- Support staff at sites to institute /reinforce targeted HIV testing at different entry points for children and adults
- Support the sites to improve the quality of pre-test and post-test counseling at all adult and pediatric entry points.
- Support sites to reinforce linkage and retention system of HIV positive clients to ART
- Provide CMEs to site staff on appropriate testing procedures and tools for exposed infants, children, adolescents, and adults.
- Ensure that testing systems including PCR for early infant diagnosis and provision of prophylaxis are done and supervise its quality.
Improve pediatric, adolescent, and adult HIV care and treatment(C&T):
- Assist sites to strengthen systems for identification and follow-up of exposed infants.
- Support sites to strengthen appropriate referral and linkage systems for infected infants and children, adolescents, and adults to care and treatment.
- Train/verify proper OIs prevention, diagnosis, and management.
- Support sites to reinforce integrated clinical care and prevention including immunizations, malaria, NCDs, STIs, hepatitis, etc
- Support sites to institute/reinforce medical and psychosocial follow-up consultations.
- Assist site staff to manage client flow and referral system intra and extra site.
- Support sites to strengthen clear systems for HIV Viral load, CD4, and other laboratory examinations are done according to national guidelines.
- Support sites to institute/reinforce pediatric diagnostic disclosure and psychosocial support sessions in sites.
- Promote viral load suppression for the patients infected with HIV through enhanced adherence counseling and clinical follow-up.
- Verify if all Clients receive ART and other drugs according to the national guidelines.
- Support sites to strengthen pre (PrEP) and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP):
- Support sites to institute/ reinforce an identification system for clients who missed appointments and those lost to follow up
- Support sites to institute/ reinforce regular pediatric, adolescent& adult support groups.
Integrate Family planning:
- Train site staff on family planning HIV integration.
- Support sites to institute/reinforce sensitization sessions on FP.
- Facilitate client access to family planning methods.
- Support sites to institute/reinforce behavior change counseling in PMTCT, in VCT, ART clinic and link them to family planning practices.
- Ensure FP tools are made available on the sites.
Logistical support for ART & OI drugs, reagents, test kits, equipment, and other medical supplies:
- Support site staff on quantification and requisition of drugs using the approved National tools and data collection tools
- Support site staff to identify equipment needs support and support acquisition
- Ensure availability of basic materials and supplies.
- Support and train sites on the preparation of timely consumption reports and use of the different reporting and monitoring tools.
Activities to support TB/HIV integration:
- Strengthen the capacity of staff at ART and TB clinics in integrated TB and HIV/AIDS services through ongoing supervision visits and mentoring.
- Provide technical support for the implementation of TB screening of PLHIV attending HIV care and treatment services.
- Establish and support multidisciplinary team meetings at sites to discuss case management of HIV+ patients with TB.
- Participate in TB/HIV training for staff at the health facility level.
- Serve as a resource for AHF – Rwanda in the evaluation of ongoing programs, and the subsequent development of new and/or expanded programs for integrated TB and HIV/AIDS.
Activities to support sites to do nutrition support to HIV infected patients:
- Mentor site staff on proper nutrition screening, monitoring, and management
- Train providers in infant feeding practices and nutritional counseling.
- Support sites to institute/integrate group nutritional education including cooking and gardening demonstrations and food distribution when available/possible.
Improve PMTCT:
- Train PMTCT nurses in PMTCT National guidelines, protocols and follow up of pregnant women, their partners, and infants
- Reinforce HIV testing services in ANC, labor, and delivery as per guidelines
- Support the site to strengthen communication and referral system between ANC, maternity, and PMTCT services.
- Ensure clear client flow and develop Client flow algorithm.
- Support sites to strengthen linkages between PMTCT – Maternity – and exposed infant follow-up.
- Improve lab specimen collection e.g.: for VL, CD4 for women in PMTCT, and verify proper result records.
- Support sites to institute/ reinforce regularly scheduled PMTCT care coordination staff meetings between PMTCT/maternity and VCT/Exposed infant follow-up/ART/Community outreach services.
- Support sites to institute/reinforce peer mother groups support in PMTCT
Improve site coordination of activities:
- Support sites to institute/reinforce monthly coordination meetings to monitor ongoing activities and reinforce linkages between services.
- Help site staff to identify clients that need Health insurance.
- Support sites to strengthen the link between the health facility and the community.
Support site in M&E functions:
- Support site staff to utilize M& E tools and ensure they are always available at the site. These should include
- Client’s files: exposed infant files, HIV infected children files, Adults infected files.
- Registers: Pre ART and ART Register, PMTCT/ANC register, VCT/PIT Register, PMTCT Labor/Delivery register, etc.
- Reporting forms: VCT/PMTCT form, Pediatric form, ART form, etc.
- Support site staff in data analysis.
- Support Quality improvement and documentation activities at the site
- Conducted a baseline assessment for the site when required.
- Conduct quality care assessments every quarter.
- Identify priority areas of intervention in sites and share targets and achievements with site staff.
- Strengthen District/RBC/MOH/ AHF -Rwanda reporting systems.
Non-site Activities
- Coordinate and organize formal training in collaboration with RBC.
- Participate in RBC/MOH activities to improve the national HIV care and treatment training program through the development and introduction of new modules on pediatrics and psychosocial care and support and nurse-focused training methodologies etc.
- Participate in RBC/MOH activities to revise national HIV care and treatment protocols and development of different tools.
- Facilitate sites provision of different material/tools in collaboration with RBC, Medical Supplies Systems, and National Reference Lab.
- Facilitate medical supplies requisition and procurement as per national guidelines
- Organize provider’s refresher training and workshops to share experiences.
- Participate in site targeted evaluation to determine barriers to uptake.
- Disseminate national policies at the site level.
Experience and skills.
- · Education: Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent health-related degree in Nursing (A0 or A1 in Nursing).
- Bachelor in Social Sciences, Clinical Psychology, and/or Master of Public Health would be an added value.
- Experience: More than 8 years’ experience in clinical HIV/AIDS care, including the provision of ART and PMTCT.
- Demonstrated experience in program planning, assessment, and implementation of comprehensive HIV/AIDS clinical care.
- Demonstrated experience in HIV/AIDS clinical mentoring of health care workers in health facilities.
- Proficient in Computer and Internet skills, including MS Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
- Proven skills in management, supervision, and leadership.
Personal qualities and behavioral competencies.
- Demonstrated ability to analyze, interpret data and write reports.
- Have strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work with people of different backgrounds.
- Strong organizing, planning, and prioritizing skills, and applying sound problem-solving skills to ongoing challenges.
- Capacity to operate both as a team player in large diverse teams as well as individually.
- Self-motivated and maintain sound levels of work ethic.
How to apply
Submission of applications – to include a one-page cover letter, updated CV with contacts of three professional referees, and copies of qualification certificates – should be submitted via email globalhr.africa@aidshealth.org with subject RWANDA – REGIONAL NURSE MENTOR KAYONZA. The deadline for submission of applications is 8th March 2023.
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