Context
To fulfill its mission of assistance to victims of conflicts, epidemics or natural disasters, MSF-Switzerland has created an emergency team, of which members are experienced individuals capable of evaluating a situation, start and coordinate the missions. The post of emergency health promoter reports to the emergency coordinators at field level and/ or the coordination team in the capital and finally the Emergency Desk at headquarters level in Geneva.The candidate is expected to work in all contexts set by the emergency desk and to workin emergency contexts with regular cells and fill gaps in regular projects if need be.
Duty Station
All countries where the emergency desk opens activities, which require an urgent response. On call, the emergency health promoter should be available within 24 hours for rapid and short (maximum 3 months) interventions. He/she is part of a core group of medicals, para-medicals, logisticians responsible for responding, amongst others, to :
- victims of conflict
- displaced populations and/or refugees' camps
- surgical emergencies
- natural disasters
Your responsibilities
To do assessment & recommendation of surgical activities with the surgical team.
To organize and to carry out the surgery activities:
1.Care to the patient
· In collaboration with the anaesthetist (nurse or doctor), provide the best emergency surgical care and elective surgery, if elective surgery is being done.
- Assure duty roll with surgeons or doctors with surgical skills.
- Respect of MSF policies, guidelines, protocols and recommendations:
o Standard hygiene and sterilisation rules.
o Special precautions will be adapted in order to prevent dangerous exposure to HIV, TB, Syphilis and Hep B.
o Special attention as well, will be given to the waste management.
o Follow up of MSF protocols: antibiotic prophylaxis, post-operative pain management, thromboprophylaxis, Caesarean section, blood transfusion, etc.
o Transfusion is an essential component of surgical care. It has to be prescribed only for life –saving reasons.
2. Management and organisation of the surgical department
2.1. At hospitalization ward and operating department level
· Introduction and supervision of MSF guidelines and protocols for surgical procedures (emergent and elective) and follow-up.
- In collaboration with the nurse/midwife and the anaesthetist, introduction of management tools: registers, post-operative observation sheets, data collection, surgical/anaesthetic patient file, operating department register, patient file, etc.
- In collaboration with the nurse/midwife and the anaesthetist, evaluation and standardization of medical needs (material and equipment, introduction of new drugs), and with the logistician the needs in water and sanitation.
- Organization with the anaesthetist of the operating program, and follow up of post operative patients in the hospitalisation ward.
- In collaboration with the nurse/midwife, supervise the application of surgical rules regarding preparation and work of the operating department.
2.2. At emergency room level
· Introduction and supervision of protocols for the surgical cases referrals.
- Introduction with the medical doctor and/or the responsible nurse/midwife of necessary standard MSF tools (registers, reference sheets, patient follow-up, data collection, etc.).
- Organize with the anaesthetist, the medical doctor and/or the responsible nurse of a triage system of managing patients in the emergency department.
- Participate, develop and organize with the anaesthetist, the medical doctor and/or the responsible nurse the emergency disaster response plan of the hospital adapted to the regional context.
- Review and assess the charts of the surgical patients seen by the doctors or nurses.
- Develop a system for following up patients referred to other institutions for further management.
- Participate and organise with the medical doctor and/or the responsible nurse/midwife of the needs in human resources, material, equipment and drugs at service level and the emergency trunk (ambulances).
2.3. At out-patient level
· Organisation with the responsible medical doctor and/or the nurse/midwife the surgical consultations for elective referral cases from the out-patient department.
- Organize with the responsible OPD nurse the surgical consultation room with the needed materials and equipment for follow up of the surgical patients.
3. Recruitment, training and evaluation of national staff
· Evaluation and reviewing of needs in surgical training for the medical doctors and nurses/midwifes (training on extension and plaster, etc.).
- Review the training needs of the staff in basic knowledge of medicine, such as hygiene, sterilization, waste management, hand washing, fluid management and wound management, etc.
- After evaluation of needs, training of medical doctors (with surgical capacities).
- With the responsible nurse/midwife, support/collaborate during the training of the nurses/midwifes in pre-/per-/post- operative care (recognition of complication signs in the post-operative period, etc.).
- Training of the emergency team and of the out-patient department in triage and in first aid activities.
- Participation in the staff regular evaluations of the services he/she is in charge and fit the trainings to the needs and priorities.
4. Implementation of quality tools
· Use of standard MSF protocols.
- Supervision and control of surgical instruments, drugs and material.
- Supervision of the sterilization procedures.
- Implementation and supervision of the use of the data collection system:
o Operating department register (that can be follow up by the OT nurse or anaesthetist).
o Filling of the data in the digital MSF standard tool for data collection in collaboration with the anaesthetist.
· Internal investigation for each surgical death
5. Reporting
· Collection and analysis of the medical data with the medical responsible (evaluation of care quality).
· Monthly report to the medical responsible: handing the digital data tool and a written report.
· End of mission report.
6. Other activities
· Organise meetings with his/her team to discuss about problems related to the service organisation.
· Participate in team meetings.
· Participate in the elaboration of the annual action plan.
Your profile
· Full and current registration/license with relevant professional body
· A minimum of 2 years post registration (clinical) work experience
· Surgical experience as stated in surgical CV/skill form (number of independently performed
surgical interventions) corresponds with the surgeries that are performed in the mission and qualification is duly certified and verified. Desirable experience with MSF or other NGO’s in developing countries.
· Expert in war surgery and trauma is an asset.
· English and French are essential; knowledge of another language is an asset (Spanish, Arabic and/or Portuguese in particular)
· Available for a minimum of 12 months
· Experience MSF in emergency fields
· Ability to work under very basic conditions and diagnose without technical diagnostic equipment
· Experience in supervising, coaching and training.
· Professional and personal flexibility and adaptability
Terms of employment
· Expatriates with 12 months of field experience with MSF who have had at least one mission in an emergency context with MSF Switzerland. Or expatriates from other humanitarian organisations, with at least 12 months of field experience, who have carried out at least one mission in an emergency context with MSF Switzerland.
· Field-based contract for one year, renewable.
· Per-diem on the field at the time of interventions
· Duration of the direct interventions on the field: from 4 weeks to 3 months (certain flexibility is asked in the event of needs). The compensating rest in between 2 missions (in addition to 25 days of legal holidays) will be negotiated each time of return with the emergency desk in Geneva.
HOW TO APPLY:
How to apply
Interested candidates should forward their cover letter and curriculum vitae toecell.gva@geneva.msf.org, stating “E-pool Surgeon 09.2015” in the subject line.
The deadline for applications is 16 October 2015 (included).
The applications will be treated confidentially.
Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.For more details about the job offer or MSF, please visit our website : http://www.msf.ch/travailler-avec-nous/
