Organization Background:
Village Health Works (VHW) is a 501(c)(3) corporation. It is a social justice organization founded on the belief that health equity is not a commodity but a right. Founded in partnership with the communities we currently serve, VHW’s mission is to provide the neediest high quality, compassionate health care and education based on critical thinking in a dignified environment. VHW’s holistic approach integrates clinical services with education, food security, economic development, environmental protection, music and the arts. In the context of where we currently work, this is the only way we can sustainably end the extreme, multigenerational scarcity in a way that uplifts and engages communities with dignity and in their own context. We believe that the lack of access to quality healthcare and education is the biggest threat to development and world peace.
Currently VHW operates in a wide array of clinical and community programs in a catchment area of over 200,000 people within the provinces of Rumonge and Bururi, though its doors are open to every patient regardless of where that patient is coming from. Our first clinic attends over 51,000 outpatient consultations per year. Since 2007 until summer 2023, our 60-bed inpatient wards have been providing basic adult and pediatric non-operative inpatient services including treatment of malnutrition, mental health, chronic and acute diseases and uncomplicated obstetrical deliveries. These services have been administered by our staff of generalist physicians and nurses under the supervision of our Medical Director.
Village Health Works has embarked on a plan to expand our clinical services to provide comprehensive quality medical care and training. To achieve this goal, VHW has constructed and officially opened an 85,000 sq. ft. state-of-the-art teaching hospital with several services that include surgery, obstetric deliveries, intensive care, pediatrics and neonatology, emergency, pathology lab, medical education and research center, etc.. To provide excellent patient care and training we must expand the scope and skills of the healthcare providers through training, teaching and research, hiring through rigorous development and implementation of systems and structures, policies and procedures that are framed by high quality norms and international standards.
Additionally, VHW has established the Kigutu International Academy, a grade 9-12 boarding school to equip young minds with an education based on critical thinking to prepare them to become the leaders we wish their country and the continent to have for a better future.
Our core values are as follows:
● Every member of VHW’s team must value the dignity inherent in each individual, aspire to excellence in all we do, proceed with boldness and perseverance.
● Compassion and justice must be at the heart of our organization.
● To accomplish the mission of our organization we all must be accountable to each other and to our community.
For more information, please visit: villagehealthworks.org
Position Overview
The Theatre In charge Nurse is responsible for the day-to-day smooth running of operating room activities, ensuring that staff, patients, and equipment come together seamlessly to move patients through the surgical process. She/He must coordinate activities in conjunction with the emergency room, maternity care team, general hospital units, the post anesthesia care unit and our outpatient procedure units. Besides managing the personnel under her/his supervision, some of her other activities included staff education, competency testing, scheduling, and other administrative duties such as budgeting. The candidate must have a high degree of comfort and experience with general medicine, pediatrics, obstetrics, emergency conditions and critical care. Our nurses come with a range of educational levels- from Diploma (A3, A2) to University trained (A1, A0). Our health team works collaboratively to ensure a high quality of care across the diverse patient population.
This position reports to the Chief Nursing Officer and liaises closely with the Head of Surgical Services, Head of Anesthesia and the Head of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Duties and Responsibilities
Surgical Theatre management
Ensure safe transport of patients to and from the surgical suite.
- Ensure that all patients are well identified before procedure and after and handing and receiving of patients is well documented and followed in the department
- Oversees preparation of equipment and instruments sets per surgical cases.
- Prevention of clinical errors by accurate recording of vital signs, correct patient identification, proper filling of patient charts and report abnormal findings to the nurse on duty.
- Ensures Proper waste segregation from the source is maintained following the IPC protocols
- Overseas proper handling, accounting and decontamination and sterilization of all surgical instruments and equipment
- Ensures that collected blood or specimens are well labeled and sent to the laboratory on time
- Ensures patient safety and dignity in the operating theatre through proper positioning and draping
- Maintains clean and well stocked storage shelves within the theatre suite as per roster
- Maintains clean theatre equipment such as trolley wheels, autoclaves, buckets
- Maintain cleanliness of relevant sluice, stores and linen rooms
- Keeps the theatre area and corridors clear of clutter
- Maintain isolation trolley and help to set up isolation precautions
- Maintain Inventory store In the department for pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceuticals
- Collect blood from the blood bank as required.
- Ensure 100% availability of oxygen and other gaseous cylinders
- Undertake monitoring of fridge temperatures daily – inform the maintenance department if out of range.
- Work in collaboration with BioMed department to Ensure that all equipment in theatre are inventoried, regularly service and maintenance logs reviewed on a scheduled basis
- Maintain and monitor resuscitation equipment status on a daily basis
- Administrative / clerical tasks e.g. covering the reception desk, be familiar with high use applications, answer phone, data entry, photocopying etc
Staff/ Team Management
- Support the team in building technical skills, implementing new technologies and protocols.
- Create and support a safe learning environment- all shared information should be based on existing guidelines, protocols and procedures according to VHW, WHO AND MoH.
- Ensures appropriate number of clinical personnel available based on volume and surgical schedule
- Reviews next day’s schedule collaboratively with team to ensure that all surgical needs and requests are met
- Proactively plans for future staffing deficiencies based on volume of operations
- Makes decisions taking into account how they affect the team.
- Actively seeks input from team members to define how they will work together.
- Makes sure the common objective is known and supported by all the team
- Works to achieve cohesion and a spirit of cooperation in the team.
- Involves the team in the decision-making process that may affect all its members
Education and Work Experience Requirements
- Bachelor of Science in Nursing with specialty in Theater
- 5 or more years of clinical work, practicing in a hospital setting with high standard.
- Excellent communication skills both oral and written, with working knowledge of Microsoft Office and other relevant software.
- Fluency in Kirundi, French is required; professional proficiency in English is required
- Exceptional leadership qualities with the proven ability to work with others in the clinical environment.
- Experience in working in low resource settings will be an advantage.
- Commitment to social justice and health care as a human right.
- Experienced in Surgical Nursing and procedures
Commitment to VHW’s Principles
Demonstrates loyalty, awareness and respect for VHW’s values
- Expresses his/her interest by talking/asking/giving informed opinions about VHW’s activities.
- Expresses he/she wants to work with VHW because of its principles and mission.
- Overtly expresses his/her satisfaction at belonging to VHW and defends VHW’s mission.
- Always transmits a positive image of VHW in front of both colleagues and external people.
- Translates the principles of VHW into action
How to apply
Qualified candidates are encouraged to submit a CV and a thoughtful cover letter describing your experience and how it applies to this position along with 3 professional references to: jobs@villagehealthworks.org and pmomanyi@villagehealthworks.org . Please include “Theatre In Charge Nurse ” in the subject line of your email. Submissions should be in English.