MSF Belgium left Ethiopia in 2013 and got registered mid-March 2021. Resuming under an Emergency perspective, several projects have been opened and closed. Amongst those ones, two (in SNNP and Afar Region) are being re-oriented toward a longer-term perspective. But the strategy to develop an emergency response capacity remains a key component for the years to come.

Summary of Position

They are assisting all anesthetic medical activities: pre-anesthesia evaluation, administration of anesthesia, recovery period, specific pharmacy and biomedical equipment according to MSF policies, protocols, and universal hygiene standards, to ensure the quality of pre-, during, and post-operative care of patients. Main surgical activities in Korem General Hospital include Obstetrics-Gynecology and Pediatric surgery.

Essential Job Duties

• Anaesthetic consultations to patients due for surgery: evaluating the risks of operating (in collaboration with the surgeon / IESO), obtaining patient’s written authorization for their operation, providing patients with appropriate information on their illness and treatments, and deciding on what type of anesthetics to be used to collaborate in setting everything up before surgery.
• According to set procedures, carrying out all nursing anesthetics-related activities during surgery to collaborate in the patient’s adequate anesthetized state and safety during the process. Preparing the drugs, material, and equipment required for the surgery according to MSF protocols. Monitoring patients throughout the whole intervention and administering and maintaining anesthetics following the rules of hygiene and asepsis in force.
• Provide post-operative care, including immediate post-operative surveillance in the recovery room, to adapt the prescriptions during stabilization and recovery. Performing consultation rounds with the Surgeon Doctor / IESO once or twice a day, discussing therapeutic orientations with the department manager, renewing prescriptions and ensuring they are followed and systematically evaluating patients’ pain to adapt prescriptions and/or therapies for their relief.
• Respects, promotes, and ensures medical confidentiality.
• Perform cleaning and minor maintenance for biomedical equipment used. Follow user manual and protocols and alert supervisor in case of malfunctioning of any device.
• Implements and follows hygiene rules, procedures, and protocols at all times as well as looks after the integrity of anesthesia material (decontamination, sterilization, storage conditions, etc.) to ensure the safety and protection of patients and other staff. Knows accidental blood exposure policy and procedure and implements them when necessary.
• Carries out all pharmacy-related activities (stock control, station’s re-stocking, inventories, expired drugs, etc.) and other equipment of the anesthetic ward, doing special follow-up of narcotics and sedatives (register, consumptions, empty vials, etc.), ensuring enough stock-up and the good functioning to carry-out the medical activities. Draws up pharmacy orders according to needs in collaboration with the OT supervisor.
• Collaborates with other departments and supports other medical services to support the overall MSF project with his/her expertise and capabilities. Trains other medical staff when applicable and works in close collaboration with the accident and emergency department and the midwifery and obstetrics team in the maternity department (especially to resuscitate newborns).
• Carries out administrative procedures and documents (fill-in of patient’s files, forms, statistics, database, etc.), to have updated and correct information about the day-to-day activities.
• In collaboration with the Surgeon Doctor / IESO, carries out quantitative surgical-anesthesia data collection, draws up and sends out reports for the monthly follow-up of peri-surgical mortality and the quality of anesthesia/pain management and informs the direct supervisor immediately in the event of medical error.

Requirements

Qualifications : A Nursing Diploma and/ with specialization as an anesthetics nurse is essential.

Professional Experience

• Essential minimum of 1 year of previous supervised work experience as an anesthetist nurse. Previous autonomous experience in Obstetrics and Paediatric anesthesia is desirable.
• Experience in other NGOs and /or developing countries is desirable

Place of Work : Korem, Ethiopia (Korem Hospital)