The International Rescue Committee is a global humanitarian aid, relief and development nongovernmental organization.

Responsibilities or duties

The Maternity Nurse is responsible for the day-to-day implementation of Maternal and Neonatal Care, in the maternity unit within IRC supported Health facilities. S/he will work closely with other maternity staff including Doctors, Nurses, Clinical Officer, Auxiliary nurses and by proxy with the theatre staff, to ensure quality of care for patients and babies admitted in the unit and aim to promote quality of care for Gynae and or Emergency obstetric and Neonatal Care patients in the IRC supported health facilities.

Qualifications or requirements (e.g., education, skills)

• Key skills include excellent clinical acumen (Certificate in EMONC training), critical thinking, communication, problem-solving, negotiating and a compassionate, patient-centered approach to care and being a team player.
• Able to communicate fluently verbally and written. Use of SBAR during hand over /referral.
• Leadership and management: Able to cover calls, hospital covering, performing doctor’s round, ward management, team leader able to make sound judgements in patient care and staff management. Attending Meetings, CMEs and trainings as required.
• Accountability: Able to clear after every procedure, Equipment and instrument processing as per national guidelines. Equipment inventory and safety to include functional emergency crash cart in every shift.
• Ensure emergency preparedness trays and equipment inventory is in place in maternity and items monitored and are updated daily through a structured handover during every shift.
• Executing any other duty allocated by your supervisor.
• Responsible for compiling daily Nursing care activity reports while handing over in shifts.
• Responsible for accurate record keeping, ordering and accountability of equipment and supplies.
• Attend ward meeting, monthly hospital meetings and or facilitate Continuous Medical Education
• Ensure that all admissions, discharges, transfers and deaths are properly documented and recorded as they occur and participate in respective mortality audits.
• Report any significant changes in clinical operations to the supervisor.
• Any other duties assigned by supervisor
• Operations: Maintain departmental equipment, suction machines, resuscitators, various procedure sets are maintained and always in good condition and submit regular inventory reports of the same.
• Report on any significant changes in operations to the head nurse.
• Systems Compliance and Improvement:
• Ensure IRC-Kenya program specific finance, logistics, IT, security, communications and human resource/administration policies and procedures are adhered to.
• Comply with any new procedures and guidelines designated in circulation from SMT and or Field team Management.
• Confidentiality:
• Ensuring the nondisclosure of any information whatsoever relating to the practices and business of IRC acquired in the course of duty, to any other person or organization without authority, except in the normal execution of duty.

Experience needed

More than 2 years of clinical maternity ward experience in a busy facility.

• Quality maternal and perinatal care: Able to offer high quality nursing care during admissions in maternity, hospital stay and discharging mothers and newborns. On spot/ Daily assessment of general /clinical condition, early identification of complications, Sound clinical judgement call for help, communicating promptly, as you stabilize the mother/newborn. Able to assess ready for discharge of mothers and their newborns, prepare their documentation.
• Antenatal Care: Conducting regular check-ups, monitoring maternal and foetal vital signs, ordering and interpreting diagnostic tests, and providing health education on nutrition and birth preparedness.
• Labor and Delivery Management: Monitoring the progress of labour using a partograph/labour care guide, providing physical and emotional support, administering medications as prescribed (e.g. antibiotics, uterotonics, analgesics), conducting normal vaginal deliveries, AMSTEL, being part of the MDT conducting difficult deliveries breech, AVDs which are rare and performing neonatal resuscitation.
• Postnatal Care: Monitoring mothers for signs of complications (e.g., haemorrhage, infection), assessing uterine involution and lochia, assisting with early ambulation, and educating mothers on breastfeeding, perineal care, and post-partum family planning.
• Emergency Response: Early Identification of obstetric and neonatal complications and instituting timely and appropriate interventions and escalating care to medical officers.
• Referral: Able to process patient referral documents, prepare equipment’s and medication for use on transit. Accompany patient during referral within hospital departments or during external movement to a healthcare
• Documentation and Reporting: Maintaining accurate and complete documentation of your work, up-to-date clinical records, patient charts, and reports in EMR to include Ministry of Health reports, in compliance with healthcare regulations in utilizing and sharing data for decision making.
• Continuous quality Improvement and Safety: Executing nursing care model and utilizing results with multi-disciplinary team to improve patient management. Adhering to infection prevention and control (IPC) measures, participating in MPDSR audits and quality improvement activities, Respectful maternity care and ensuring a safe clinical environment for staff, patients and relatives.

• Excellent clinical acumen (Certificate in EMONC training)
• Critical thinking
• Communication
• Problem-solving
• Negotiating
• Compassionate, patient-centered approach to care
• Team player
• Fluent verbal and written communication
• Use of SBAR during hand over /referral
• Leadership and management skills
• Ability to make sound judgments in patient care and staff management
• Accountability
• Ability to maintain departmental equipment, suction machines, resuscitators, various procedure sets in good condition

• Kenya Registered Community Health Nurse (KRCHN)/Kenya Registered Midwife (KRM) from a recognized Nursing Training Institution
• Registered with the Nursing Council of Kenya with valid practicing licence.
• More than 2 years of clinical maternity ward experience in a busy facility.
• Previous work experience in a limited resource setting is an added advantage.
• Ability to speak local language will be an added advantage.