Non Communicable Disease (NCD) Nutritionist

Position Title: Non Communicable Disease(NCD) Nutritionist

Reports to: Internal Medicine and NCD Lead

Department: Clinical

Work Location: Maryland(Harper)

Employment Type: Full Time

Position Overview:

Under the supervision of NCD Lead, the experienced, licensed nutritionist will offer a comprehensive expert guidance on matters of food and nutrition for our NCD program in Maryland County –Liberia, leading towards healthier eating habits and prevention of health issues in the general population.

• To accompany the Maryland County Health Team (CHT) & MOH-Liberia in establishing a comprehensive NCD nutrition program providing personalized & group nutrition care comprised of counselling, nutrition plans & support based on needs.
• To strengthen the NCD nutritional program through mentorship & knowledge transfer to the nursing team for future program sustainability.
• To promote healthy eating and exercise habits amongst individuals in Maryland County as part of NCD prevention strategy.
• To enhance NCD nutritional research and health education amongst the general population in Maryland County.
• To inspire positive change in the lives of NCD patients thereby enhancing Government of Liberia (GoL) NCDI policy & PIH organization values.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Specific Responsibilities:

Clinical Responsibilities

I. Providing health care

• Forming part of the NCD clinical team in assessment of patients’ health, nutrition needs and providing care.
• Conducting assessment of patients’ food habits & exercise routines.
• Working closely with patients to develop healthy eating habits & effective exercise routines.
• Counselling patients on dietary issues, eating habits & exercise routines.
• Helping patients develop & implement personalized & group nutrition plans based on dietary restrictions, requirements, affordability & taste.
• Helping patients set clear short and long-term nutrition goals and supporting progress to achievement.
• Explaining the effects of nutrients on overall health condition and simplifying important nutrition information to patients
• Documenting patient progress as per nutritional plan.
• Evaluating nutrition plans to ensure positive effect on patients’ health.
• Responding to in-patient consultation requests on nutrition at JJ Dossen hospital & PHC facilities.
• Overseeing the NCD nutrition consultation calendar and schedules to ensure efficiency.

Ii. Mentorship & knowledge transfer for program sustainability

• Providing nutrition training & mentorship to the nursing team required for program sustainability.
• Creating educational material about healthy eating habits.
• Conducting and contributing to nutritional research.
• Publishing nutrition articles to educate the public & health care workers.
• Participating in continuous professional development by making presentations on nutrition related topics at hospital grand rounds.
• Providing nutrition health education to the public via radio programs and seminars in Maryland County.
• Collaborating with healthcare professionals, dietitians, researchers, and the public to promote healthy eating habits in the community.

Programmatic responsibilities

• Support the development of NCD nutrition protocols & IEC Materials.
• Support and participate in the organization of NCD health awareness and prevention activities at the facilities and in the community.
• Document nutrition program activities and report to the NCD Lead.
• Assist with nutrition program monitoring, evaluation and quality improvement efforts.
• Ensure documentation of all nutrition prescriptions in registers and in the electronic medical record.
• Support the NCD Lead & NCD Coordinator in programmatic tasks such as reporting, planning and nutrition logistics coordination.
• Receive supervision and coaching from the CHT NCD focal person, NCD Lead, NCD coordinator and other senior clinicians (both MOH and PIH) in Maryland County.
• Carry out other tasks within his or her professional competencies as may be determined by the NCD Lead & Clinical Director

Qualifications:

Competency Profile:

The key competencies required for the position of NCD Nutritionist:

Academic qualification:

• Bachelor’s degree in nutritional science, dietetics, or relevant field.
• Board Certification with a minimum of 2-year experience as a professional nutritionist.

OR

• Bachelor’s degree in Nursing
• Board Certification with a minimum of 2-year experience as a certified nutritionist or dietetic.

Technical Competencies

• Proven experience as nutritionist.
• Internship training in NCD program is an added advantage.
• In-depth knowledge of biochemistry and human physiology.
• Good understanding of Quality Improvement, research methods and data analysis.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Creativity and critical thinking.
• Ability to work closely with patients
• Understanding of food science and how it affects bodies
• Mastering the Food Mapping of Liberia
• In-depth knowledge of different dietary allergies and restrictions
• Experience in nutrition management of Diabetes, Hypertension & other common NCDs is desirable.
• Experience working in NCD related health projects either at the level of the ministry or CHT.
• Confidence working in clinical setting with a variety of people, stakeholders and the community.
• Basic computer literacy skills: must demonstrate competence in the use of MS Office Programs, in particular MS Word and Excel,Power point : level intermediate.
• Additional degree in public health is an added advantage.

Behavioral Competencies

• Ability to maintain confidential information in a professional manner, highly developed analytical skills.
• Exemplary interpersonal communication skills required to interact effectively with senior leadership, partners, and clinicians on sensitive and confidential issues.
• Ability to work in teams with excellent conflict-management skills.
• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written.
• Attention to detail
• Evidence of providing culturally sensitive and competent quality care in a stressful environment;
• Proven commitment to social justice and human rights.
• Experience living and working in resource-limited environments is strongly preferred

Organizational Profile:

Partners In Health (PIH) is an international health organization relentlessly committed to improving the health of the poor and marginalized. PIH partners with local governments to build local capacity and works closely with impoverished communities to deliver high-quality health care, address the root causes of illness, train providers, advance research, and advocate for global policy change. Our delivered services in the field are based in our partnership with the Governments and Ministries of Health and the support to education, training and mentorship to Health care workers and students is one of our pillars for the Health Care system strengthening.

PIH currently has implementation programs in Haiti, Rwanda, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Peru, Mexico, Russia, Sierra Leone and Navajo Nation. Through our partnership with Harvard Medical School and the Brigham and Women’s Hospital, we support a wide range of programs in dozens of other countries around the world.

Partners In Health (PIH) is committed to the fundamental principle of equal opportunity and equal treatment for every prospective and current employee. It is the policy of PIH not to discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, ancestry, age, religion, creed, disability, sex and gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state or local law. PIH works in and with a number of governments in and outside the U.S., and to the extent applicable, this statement is intended to incorporate the prohibition of any unlawful discrimination covered by applicable laws in such countries, states and municipalities.

Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse:

At Partners In Health, we are committed to ensuring that those who benefit from our work- including our patients, families and community members –as well as our staff are treated with dignity and respect and protected from sexual exploitation, abuse and sexual harassment. A range of pre-employment checks will be undertaken in conformity with Partner In Health’s PSEAH policy. Partners In Health will request information from applicants’ previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment during employment, or incidents under investigation when the applicant left employment. By submitting an application, the job applicant confirms their understanding of these recruitment procedures.

Social Justice

We are a global health and social justice organization that responds to the moral imperative to provide high-quality health care globally to those who need it most. We strive to ease suffering by placing patients at the center of all care, bringing the benefits of modern medicine to all.