HIV/AIDS Nurse Mentor at AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) Rwanda: (Deadline 4 April 2022)

HIV/AIDS Nurse Mentor at AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) Rwanda: (Deadline 4 April 2022)

HIV/AIDS NURSE MENTOR

AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) is an International Non-Governmental Organization that was founded in 1987 and has been at the forefront of the HIV response, currently supporting HIV/AIDS programs in 45 countries including Rwanda.

AHF’s mission is to provide cutting edge medicine and advocacy, regardless of ability to pay and core values are to be Patient-Centered, Value Employees, Respect for Diversity, Nimble, and Fight for What’s Right

AHF Rwanda is looking for very competent candidates to fill up the position of HIV/AIDS Nurse Mentor to be based in Kigali. 

Summary

The HIV/AIDS Nurse Mentor is responsible for coordination and supervision and mentorship of activities at AHF -Rwanda supported sites. He/she will support the improvement of quality care and treatment for people living with HIV in the supported sites.

The HIV/AIDS Nurse Mentor ensures that AHF’s mission statement, core values, key partnership standards, and practices are the foundation of AHF’s overall strategies and work.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

Site Level Activities:

Reinforce Pediatric, adolescents, and adult HIV testing services, enrollment, retention and to enable implementation of PITC/index testing:

• Support staff at sites to institute /reinforce targeted HIV testing at different entry points for children and adults
• Support the sites to improve the quality of pre-test and post-test counseling at all adult and pediatric entry points.
• Support sites to reinforce linkage and retention system of HIV positive clients to ART
• Provide CMEs to site staff on appropriate testing procedures and tools for exposed infants, children, adolescents, and adults.
• Ensure that testing systems including PCR for early infant diagnosis and provision of prophylaxis are done and supervise its quality.

Improve pediatric, adolescent, and adult HIV care and treatment(C&T):

• Assist sites to strengthen systems for identification and follow-up of exposed infants.
• Support sites to strengthen appropriate referral and linkage systems for infected infants and children, adolescents, and adults to care and treatment.
• Train/verify proper OIs prevention, diagnosis, and management.
• Support sites to reinforce integrated clinical care and prevention including immunizations, malaria, NCDs, STIs, hepatitis, etc

• Support sites to institute/reinforce medical and psychosocial follow-up consultations.
• Assist site staff to manage client flow and referral system intra and extra site.
• Support sites to strengthen clear systems for HIV Viral load, CD4, and other laboratory examinations are done according to national guidelines.

• Support sites to institute/reinforce pediatric diagnostic disclosure and psychosocial support sessions in sites.
• Promote viral load suppression for the patients infected with HIV through enhanced adherence counseling and clinical follow-up.
• Verify if all Clients receive ART and other drugs according to the national guidelines.
• Support sites to strengthen pre (PrEP) and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP):
• Support sites to institute/ reinforce an identification system for clients who missed appointments and those lost to follow up
• Support sites to institute/ reinforce regular pediatric, adolescent& adult support groups.

Integrate Family planning:

• Train site staff on family planning HIV integration.
• Support sites to institute/reinforce sensitization sessions on FP.
• Facilitate client access to family planning methods.
• Support sites to institute/reinforce behavior change counseling in PMTCT, in VCT, ART clinic and link them to family planning practices.
• Ensure FP tools are made available on the sites.

Logistical support for ART & OI drugs, reagents, test kits, equipment, and other medical supplies:

• Support site staff on quantification and requisition of drugs using the approved National tools and data collection tools
• Support site staff to identify equipment needs support and support acquisition
• Ensure availability of basic materials and supplies.
• Support and train sites on the preparation of timely consumption reports and use of the different reporting and monitoring tools.

Activities to support TB/HIV integration:

• Strengthen the capacity of staff at ART and TB clinics in integrated TB and HIV/AIDS services through ongoing supervision visits and mentoring.

• Provide technical support for the implementation of TB screening of PLHIV attending HIV care and treatment services.
• Ensure that all TB+HIV patients receive adequate management.
• Establish and support multidisciplinary team meetings at sites to discuss case management of HIV+ patients with TB.
• Participate in TB/HIV training for staff at the health facility level.
• Serve as a resource for AHF – Rwanda in the evaluation of ongoing programs, and the subsequent development of new and/or expanded programs for integrated TB and HIV/AIDS.

Activities to support sites to do nutrition support to HIV infected patients:

• Mentor site staff on proper nutrition screening, monitoring, and management
• Train providers in infant feeding practices and nutritional counseling.
• Support sites to institute/integrate group nutritional education including cooking and gardening demonstrations and food distribution when available/possible.

Improve PMTCT: 

• Train PMTCT nurses in PMTCT National guidelines, protocols and follow up of pregnant women, their partners, and infants
• Reinforce HIV testing services in ANC, labor, and delivery as per guidelines
• Support the site to strengthen communication and referral system between ANC, maternity, and PMTCT services.
• Ensure clear client flow and develop Client flow algorithm.
• Support sites to strengthen linkages between PMTCT – Maternity – and exposed infant follow-up.
• Improve lab specimen collection e.g.: for VL, CD4 for women in PMTCT, and verify proper result records.
• Support sites to institute/ reinforce regularly scheduled PMTCT care coordination staff meetings between PMTCT/maternity and VCT/Exposed infant follow-up/ART/Community outreach services.
• Support sites to institute/reinforce peer mother groups support in PMTCT

Improve site coordination of activities: 

• Support sites to institute/reinforce monthly coordination meetings to monitor ongoing activities and reinforce linkages between services.
• Help site staff to identify clients that need Health insurance.
• Support sites to strengthen the link between the health facility and the community.

Support site in M&E functions: 

• Support site staff to utilize M& E tools and ensure they are always available at the site. These should include
  • Client’s files: exposed infant files, HIV infected children files, Adults infected files.
  • Registers:  Pre ART and ART Register, PMTCT/ANC register, VCT/PIT Register, PMTCT Labor/Delivery register, etc.
  • Reporting forms: VCT/PMTCT form, Pediatric form, ART form, etc.
• Support site staff in data analysis.
• Support Quality improvement and documentation activities at the site
• Conducted a baseline assessment for the site when required.
• Conduct quality care assessments every quarter.
• Identify priority areas of intervention in sites and share targets and achievements with site staff.
• Strengthen District/RBC/MOH/ AHF -Rwanda reporting systems.

Non-site Activities

• Coordinate and organize formal training in collaboration with RBC.
• Participate in RBC/MOH activities to improve the national HIV care and treatment training program through the development and introduction of new modules on pediatrics and psychosocial care and support and nurse-focused training methodologies etc.
• Participate in RBC/MOH activities to revise national HIV care and treatment protocols and development of different tools.
• Facilitate sites provision of different material/tools in collaboration with RBC, Medical Supplies Systems, and National Reference Lab.
• Facilitate medical supplies requisition and procurement as per national guidelines
• Organize provider’s refresher training and workshops to share experiences.

•     Participate in site targeted evaluation to determine barriers to uptake.
•     Disseminate national policies at the site level.

Experience and skills.

• Education: Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent health-related degree in Nursing (A1 or A0 in Nursing).

• Bachelor in Social Sciences, Clinical Psychology, and/or Master of Public Health would be an added value.

• Experience: More than 8 years experience in clinical HIV/AIDS care, including the provision of ART and PMTCT.
• Demonstrated experience in program planning, assessment, and implementation of comprehensive HIV/AIDS clinical care.
• Demonstrated experience in HIV/AIDS clinical mentoring of health care workers in health facilities (i.e: Health Centers).
• Proficient in Computer and Internet skills, including MS Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Proven skills in management, supervision, and leadership.

Personal qualities and behavioral competencies.

• Demonstrated ability to analyze, interpret data and write reports.
• Have strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work with people of different backgrounds.
• Strong organizing, planning, and prioritizing skills, and applying sound problem-solving skills to ongoing challenges.
• Capacity to operate both as a team player in large diverse teams as well as individually.
• Self-motivated and maintain sound levels of work ethic.

How to apply

Submission of applications – to include a one-page cover letter, updated CV with contacts of three professional referees, and copies of qualification certificates – should be submitted via email [email protected] with subject RWANDA_ HIV/AIDS NURSE MENTOR. The deadline for submission of applications is 4th April 2022.