Nurse
Working with Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders' (MSF) as a nurse is demanding and rewarding. In many situations, nurses are the backbone of our medical operations.
From basic healthcare to helping set up health posts, nurses are vital to our work.
The nursing activity manager oversees nursing activities in projects, ensuring quality care while adhering to MSF standards. Responsibilities include organising nursing activities, supervising staff, and coordinating with other services. Nurses provide nursing care, treatment and follow-up of patients, according to doctors’ prescriptions, protocols, and universal hygiene standards/precautions.
This is an exciting and diverse role involving some of the following:
Responsibilities
- Plan and organise nursing activities across various departments (inpatient, outpatient, maternity, nutrition, etc.)
- Define annual planning and budget for nursing activities
- Schedule duty rosters, shifts, and on-call duties for nursing staff
- Coordinate and supervise implementation of legal therapeutic protocols and standards
- Provide technical support to ensure quality nursing care, patient confidentiality, and adherence to therapeutic rules
- Supervise nutritional activities to ensure compliance with quality and quantity standards
- Ensure correct usage of administrative procedures and documents
- Supervise pharmacy activities, including distribution, ordering, and stock management
- Coordinate with the biomedical service for appropriate use of medical devices
- Supervise laboratory outputs related to nursing activities
- Plan and supervise human resources processes for nursing staff, including recruitment, training, and evaluation
- Report relevant information linked to nursing activities to the line manager
- Organise and carry out care and treatments according to medical prescriptions, and assist during consultations, daily rounds, and other medical procedures
- Establishing and managing health posts
- Operating feeding centres and in/outpatient clinics and hospitals
- Planning and implementing vaccination campaigns
- Participate in health education of the patient (and family) when necessary.
If you hold a specialisation in SRH/SV or sexual assault examination, you may work in mobile clinics or hospitals providing care and responding to the needs of survivors of sexual violence where you will be supporting outpatient SRH services such as PMTCT, PReP, contraception and safe abortion care, community-based care programmes as well as care for survivors of sexual violence
Depending on our activities and needs, your responsibilities may be adapted and evolve according to specific projects.
You will not be facing these challenges alone—other MSF team members, both international and locally hired staff, will provide technical support, including extensive guidelines and protocols
Role requirements
- Valid Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) or Irish Nursing Board registration
- Minimum of 2 years relevant post-qualification nursing experience, with at least 6 months of clinical nursing within the last 2 years, preferably in one or more of the following areas:
- infectious diseases
- A&E/ER
- obstetrics
- nutrition
- paediatrics
- operating theatre
- intensive care
- burns
- Professional Diploma in Tropical Nursing
- Available for a minimum of nine months
- Minimum of three months’ work or volunteering in low- and/or middle-income countries
- Previous NGO experience
- Willingness to work in unstable areas
- Proven ability to train, teach and supervise team members, ensuring performance quality and development
- Strong background in people management, including team leadership, performance evaluation, and conflict resolution
- Flexible and able to manage stress
- Adaptable and able to work in a multi-cultural team
- Fluency in English
Please note our shortlisting is based on the specialisations that we need in the field.
If your experience doesn't match the specialisations that we need we may not be able to recruit you.
Languages
We're currently looking for nurses with any additional languages, especially French or Arabic skills.
If you have a minimum of B2 level French or Arabic you're much more likely to be accepted onto the MSF register.
Your language level may be tested during the recruitment process.
In their own words
Before you apply
Make sure you read our application process guide for an overview of what to expect when you apply for an overseas role with the UK.
MSF UK/IE has a strict zero-tolerance policy on all forms of abuse, including sexual abuse, exploitation, harassment, and other misconduct, including failure to act on concerns. All staff are expected to uphold our values and Code of Conduct, treating everyone with dignity, respect, and without discrimination.
We are committed to fostering a workplace culture rooted in dignity, equity and respect. We actively encourage applications from individuals of diverse backgrounds and experiences and are committed to creating an environment where all staff can contribute fully and safely.
We take your safety, security and wellbeing seriously. Please watch these videos before you decide whether or not to apply for this job.
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