Nurse

In terms of numbers, nurses make up one of the largest groups of volunteers in MSF. As an MSF nurse, you may work in a primary health care project, a malnutrition program, a vaccination campaign, or an epidemic outbreak response. Your primary responsibility will be as a manager. Your role can vary from leading an outreach team to managing a department or clinic.

In most projects, the basic patient care is taken over by family members and care takers. Your main responsibility is therefore the supervision, training and coaching of your (local) team of nurses and community health workers (team size varies from around 10 to 40 nurses).   

Your tasks might include: 

• Conducting regular team meetings, creating a respectful work environment, strengthening interdisciplinary and interdepartmental collaboration 

• Organizing monthly duty roasters 

• Assessing training needs and organizing relevant trainings 

• Supervising the implementation of new standards and protocols, according to the project’s objective, to ensure the quality of care 

• Building up and maintaining a network of community health workers to improve access to the communities 

• Supporting the HR team in the recruitment, evaluation, and development of team members 

• Data collection, analysis and reporting as an intrinsic part of your role.  

• Forecasting medical supply needs and managing medical stocks.  

• A valid nursing licence (diploma or university degree) 
• At least 2 years post-qualification nursing experience  
• Experience in leading teams is essential (training, coaching and supervision) 
• Availability of at least 6 to 12 months 
• A good level of English AND French (or another foreign language) 

• Knowledge of tropical medicine, public health, and TB/HIV are required for some regions. Therefore, we highly recommend taking a tropical medicine course.  
• Relevant work experience in one of these areas or work experience in a low resource setting will be an asset, as well. 
• Work experience in any of the following will be an asset: intensive care, emergency department, paediatric care, obstetric care, infectious diseases, HIV/Aids, outreach programs 

On mission, surgical nurses often have to work with the most basic technical equipment and under difficult conditions. An as versatile practical experience as possible is necessary.  

Most surgery carried out in MSF projects is acute emergency surgery, often in contexts of armed conflicts or natural disasters, predominantly trauma and emergency obstetric interventions.

As an OT nurse with MSF, your main task will be to organize and carry-out all nursing activities related to the operating theatre (OT), according to MSF health protocols, universal hygienic standards and in coordination with the surgeon and anaesthetist, to ensure a smooth functioning of the surgical activities (pre, during and post-operative care) offered to patients 

Your job will be to ensure: 

• Preparation of the OT 
• Reception of the patient in the OT and his/her installation for surgery.  
• Instrumentation during surgical procedures 
• Patient’s transport to the recovery room and supervision of all the post-operative activities  
• Follow-up of hygiene, sterilization, asepsis, and disinfection protocols at all times 
• Supervision and training of local staff members, nurse-aids and cleaners  
• Efficient use of material resources  
• Data collection and reporting 

• A valid nursing licence (diploma or university degree) plus specialization as theatre nurse  
• At least 2 years post-qualification nursing experience  
• Experience in leading teams is essential  
• Availability of at least 3 to 6 months 
• A good level of English AND French (or another foreign language)

• experience with general surgery, trauma, orthopaedics and/or obstetrics  
• willingness to work in highly unstable environments, such as armed conflicts or natural disasters