Maternity Unit – Midwife

***Due to the urgency to fill this role, applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Kindly note that the position might be filled before the vacancy announcement is closed; therefore, early applications are encouraged.***

***This role will be contingent upon securing available funds, and we might use this vacancy to fill more than one post.***

*** The location of the post will be Al Mawasi in Gaza. Transportation will be provided to the work location.

The Opportunity – Maternity Unit – Midwife

Post location: Al Mawasi – subject to change based on SC priorities and response in Gaza.

Contract Duration and Level of Effort: 3 months with possible extension

ROLE PURPOSE:

The focus of the field hospital Maternity Unit is on the provision of specialist Maternal, New-born and Child Health care, which complements their already pre-existing primary health care capability. The field hospital can provide inpatient care for mothers, newborns, and children, with a specialist emergency obstetric surgical capability, alongside emergency and outpatient care.

SCOPE OF ROLE:

Reports to: Maternity Unit Senior Midwife.

Staff reporting to this post: n/a

Role Dimensions: The Midwife will be a key clinical member of the field hospital team, with special focus on Reproductive Maternal and Newborn health.

Key activities will include:

• The Midwife will work in inpatient and outpatient obstetric services including antenatal care, conduct deliveries, essential newborn care, and post-natal care, manage common obstetric complications, provision of family planning and post abortion care services for women, girls, and their families, and quality adolescent services in humanitarian crisis.
• Screen and treat STIsn/A, HIV/AIDs, PMTCT cases according to Save the Children International/World Health Organization/Ministry of Health guidelines.
• Ensure quality adolescent specific SRH services for girls and boys and treatment and referral for gender-based violence survivors.
• Ensure highest quality Infection Prevention and Control standards are adhered to at all times.

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY:

The midwife’s primary responsibility is to provide inpatient and outpatient obstetric services in a humanitarian crisis setting and contribute to the improvement of reproductive, maternal and neonatal health by providing counseling, care, support and services to women and their families before, during and after delivery, as well as care for obstetric and neonatal complications as they arise, along with support from the Obs/Gyn and pediatrician ensuring compliance with clinical protocols and the provision of high quality compassionate clinical care.

Midwife activities for specific modules:

Emergency Department:

• Identify high-risk pregnancies on admission to the unit and notify physicians.
• Registration, performing triage, nutritional screening taking vital signs of patients presenting to the unit.
• Identification of severely/critically unwell patients and escalation as per existing pathways and triage tools.
• Placement of intravenous catheter and management of intravenous fluids according to protocol
• Identification of obstetric emergencies, stabilisation of the patient and initiation of management.
• Management of Sexual Gender Based Violence (SGBV) survivors in the health facility, provide clinical care and ensure appropriate referral to other services
• Identify referral pathways for patients requiring higher level of care.
• Prepare patients who will undergo surgery according to established protocols.
• Will keep and maintain records of dressings, medications, medical supplies and other duties.
• Performs a daily count of medications used to ensure minimum stock is maintained and medications are ordered from the pharmacy as needed.
• Maintain accurate records of patient diagnosis and treatments.
• Keep patients and their families informed of the condition and treatment to be followed, checking that they have been understood and that patients/families consent to treatment.
• Ensure implementation of relevant written protocols and standard operating procedures

Labour and delivery room:

• Provide the necessary supervision, care and advice to women during labour and the postpartum period.
• Performs basic delivery care independently, perform all components of Basic Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care (BEmONC) including assisted deliveries, manual placenta removal, and neonatal resuscitation
• Provide essential newborn care (cleaning, cutting and cleaning of the umbilical cord, vaccination, performance and recording of the first neonatal medical procedures, etc.), detection of possible anomalies/infections, initiation of neonatal resuscitation if necessary and informing the physician, to ensure the success of the interventions.
• Support the obstetrician in the management of Comprehensive Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care (CEmONC) cases by preparing patients requiring surgery and ensuring that patients or their caretakers have consented to the procedure, ensure blood cross-matching and administer and supervise the safe administration of blood components, according to internationally accepted standards World Health Organization, Ministry of Health and Save the Children protocols.
• Prepare patients who will undergo surgery according to established protocols.
• Provide Post abortion care as per MoH/WHO recommendations and linkages to family planning services and counselling.
• Ensure maintenance of medical equipment and ensuring their functionality
• Provide respectful maternity care during antenatal care, labor and childbirth and postpartum care
• Provide Family Planning services (education, counselling, and contraception)
• Facilitate breastfeeding for newborn babies when working in labour room and postnatal ward.

Inpatient Unit.

• Making rounds of inpatient wards, monitoring the condition of patients.
• Take vital signs according to the follow-up indicated by the physician on duty and check the general condition of the patient, properly recording everything in the patient’s file and reporting any eventuality to the physician on duty.
• Provide post operative care who undergone surgery
• Monitoring and recording of Early Warning Scores, early recognition of patient deterioration and escalation as per existing pathways.
• Administer medications and collect samples for laboratory analysis indicated by the physicians and correctly record these activities in the clinical file
• Identify complicated cases or those showing clinical deterioration and inform the physician for evaluation.
• Ensure proper discharge care of patients with correct documentation, information and follow-up.
• Deliver medications upon discharge of patients and explain to patients how they should be taken.
• Provide support for infant feeding problems and ensure safe infant feeding is supported according to guidelines.
• Health education session and other topics of interest to patients who are hospitalized.
• Ensuring proper documentation of patient care.

General

• Assist the physician and clinical lead as requested.
• Will keep and maintain records of dressings, medications, medical supplies and other duties for the area in which assigned.
• Performs a daily count of medications used to ensure that minimum stock is maintained and that medications are ordered from the pharmacy as needed from the area in which assigned.
• Ensure that high levels of infection prevention and control are maintained by monitoring the level of cleanliness of the unit.
• Ensure that all consultations with patients are conducted in a dignified and appropriate manner, in accordance with the standards and principles established by the Save the Children
• Ensure that systems are in place to strictly maintain patient confidentiality.
• Ensure that patient records and clinical records are completed in accordance with the requirements of Save the Children and the Ministry of Health in country.
• Ensure the use of established reporting formats for data collection, analysis and reporting of daily and weekly activities to the clinical lead as required and follow reportable disease protocols as directed by the clinical lead.
• Ensure the implementation of health education and promotion activities in close coordination with the WASH manager..
• Ensure accountability activities as per protocol and beneficiary feedback.
• Document and notify any medical incidents or near misses according to Save the Children International procedures (using Datix system or manual notification).
• Any other duties as assigned by the Senior Midwife .
• Comply with Save the Children policies and practices regarding child protection, code of conduct, health and safety, equal opportunity and other relevant policies and procedures.

In order to be successful, you will bring/have:

QUALIFICATIONS

• Essential midwifery qualification or specialization.
• Registered midwife or Nurse-midwife, licensed by a recognized institute in his/her country of residence

EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS

Essential

• Ability and willingness to travel to remote and insecure locations for periods of time and on short notice
• Familiar with the Minimum Initial Service Package (MISP) for reproductive health in humanitarian settings
• Previous experience of managing obstetric complications often associated with humanitarian emergencies e.g. management of infectious diseases in pregnancy, clinical management of rape, complicated deliveries, etc
• Ability to work and maintain a positive team dynamic in an insecure environment.
• Demonstrated ability to work in a multicultural environment and establish harmonious and effective working relationships both inside and outside the organization.
• Ability to reflect and learn from personal and program performance and act on lessons learned.

Desirable

• Previous experience of NGO work in humanitarian settings.
• Working knowledge of spoken and written English.
• Experience of working in a district hospital or higher level of care in the maternity area (emergency room, labour and delivery room).
• Experience in other relevant area: SGBV, general nursing, or nutrition

We offer a competitive package in the context of the sector. This role is offered on the basis of national terms and conditions. Application will be reviewed and selected on a rolling basis.

Save the Children promotes a diverse and inclusive work environment, women and people with different abilities are strongly encouraged to apply.

The Organisation

Save the Children works in development and humanitarian contexts with children and partners to help families, communities, and governments identify and use innovations to ensure all children survive, learn and are protected.

We employ approximately 25,000 people across the globe and work on the ground in over 100 countries to help children affected by crises, or those that need better healthcare, education and child protection. We also campaign and advocate at the highest levels to realize the right of children and to ensure their voices are heard.

We are working towards three breakthroughs in how the world treats children by 2030:

• No child dies from preventable causes before their 5th birthday
• All children learn from a quality basic education and that,
• Violence against children is no longer tolerated

We know that great people make a great organization, and that our employees play a crucial role in helping us achieve our ambitions for children. We value our people and offer a meaningful and rewarding career, along with a collaborative and inclusive environment where ambition, creativity, and integrity are highly valued.