terms of reference for the position of Senior Nurse – Primary Health Care

Job Title: Senior Nurse – Primary Health Care
Reports To: Project Manager
Location: Kyiv, Ukraine with travel to the regions
Employment Type: Full-time
Start date: March 2025

Background

As part of the Swiss Cooperation Program for 2023 – 2025 in Ukraine, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) is supporting the four-year project “Reducing Risk Factors for NCDs,” implemented by GFA Consulting Group https://www.gfa-group.de University Hospitals of Geneva (HUG) https://www.hug.ch/en Woman Health and Family Planning (WHFP) http://www.womanhealth.org.ua/en and OneHealth https://www.onehealth.com.ua This project aims to provide the Ukrainian population with more equitable and sustainable access to quality and affordable primary healthcare services, with a particular focus on disease prevention and health promotion to encourage healthier lifestyles. Capacity development efforts will be conducted at both national and regional levels, targeting seven regions: Lviv, Dnipropetrovs’k, Poltava, Rivne, Kherson, Cherkasy and Khmelnytskyi.

The overarching goal of the project is to reduce the risk factors, morbidity, and mortality associated with non-communicable diseases (NCDs) among Ukrainians. To achieve this, the project will implement various policy and community-level interventions designed to reduce alcohol and tobacco consumption, promote physical activity and balanced nutrition, and raise public awareness about the risks of being overweight. These efforts will target both the general population and specific groups that are particularly vulnerable to NCDs.

The key Project outcomes are:

• Outcome 1: A supportive policy environment at both national and regional levels to effectively address NCDs is created.
• Outcome 2: Comprehensive and innovative approaches for NCD prevention in communities and schools are developed.
• Outcome 3: The delivery of care for people with NCDs at the PHC level is strengthened.
• Outcome 4: Quality of life for vulnerable people with NCDs is improved through enhanced home-based care.

These outcomes collectively aim to build a more resilient healthcare system, promote innovative prevention strategies, and deliver integrated care to vulnerable groups, ultimately improving health outcomes and system responsiveness.

Job Summary: We are seeking a dedicated and experienced Senior Nurse to join our Act4Health project in Ukraine. The successful candidate will play a crucial role, in strong collaboration with the NCD Management coordinator, in orienting and providing technical support to the various nursing activities included in the Act4Health project. The ideal candidate will possess practical experience and knowledge in the management of non-communicable diseases in primary health care, proven management and leadership skills and a well-developed network in nursing care within the country. This position requires strong leadership skills, extensive nursing experience, and a commitment to patient-centered care.

Together with the NCD management coordinator, the role requires the senior nurse to participate in ensuring the effective delivery of health care services by the PHC, Medical Mobile Outreach Teams and Home-Based Care team across target regions. This collaborative effort is vital for delivering comprehensive and continuous care, ensuring that patients receive timely and appropriate interventions, thereby enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of our health services.

The candidate will need to support strong, trusting relationships with patients to effectively manage their health and wellness over the long term, A patient-centered approach is essential to provide personalized care that respects the dignity and preferences of each individual in all supported health facilities.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Nursing care advisory role:
   • Ensure compliance with the Ukrainian and international healthcare regulations, standards, and policies linked to nursing care.
   • Maintain regular contacts with core nursing stakeholders in Ukraine and abroad.
   • Keep updated on key international and local nursing care and NCD developments.
   • Inform the teams of such developments regularly and support their integration within the project’s activities.
   • Collaborate with the international nurse and other specialists from the Geneva University Hospitals to discuss best practices and share with the project teams
   • Engage and collaborate with other SDC-funded projects such as MH4U, WHO and Medical Education Development (MED) to exchange practices, align activities and benefit from the different expertise
   • Collaborate with MoH, Ministry of Education, Ukraine Public Health Centre and regional CDC as well as nursing colleges.
2. Nursing care and project activities :
   • In collaboration with the NCD management coordinator, plan and organize comprehensive nursing care training for nurses from Medical Mobile Teams, Home-based Care, primary health care settings and schools.

• In collaboration with the NCD management coordinator, support the PHC, Medical Mobile and Home-Based Care teams through dedicated coaching and on-the-job training sessions in order to improve medical assessments, history taking, physical examinations, diagnostic testing, patient education and health promotion for patients and the community.

• Support the nurses working in the various project activities with the development of their activities (assessing, planning, implementing, and evaluating individualized patient care plans, developing prevention and health promotion activities, setting-up health education and counselling to patients and their families, etc).
• Together with the NCD management coordinator, engage with doctors, nurses and other specialists to support the organization of PHC activities and promote a clear sharing of tasks to increase NCD management efficiency, while staying in line with national regulations.
• Support and discuss complicated cases of NCDs with nurses and doctors in order to support continuous improvement of the project activities and develop lessons learned. Support the teams in the use of telemedicine and chat-bots to enhance access to healthcare services, allowing specialists to support the monitoring and management patients effectively from a distance.
1. Leadership and Management:
   • Provide technical supervision, mentoring, and support for the various outcomes’ teams regarding the aspects linked to nursing care within the project.
   • In collaboration with the NCD management coordinator, conduct regular interprofessional team meetings and guide best practices in nursing care.
   • Participate in the recruitment, training, and evaluation of nursing staff.
   • Manage and coordinate staff schedules  in cooperation with the NCD management coordinator to ensure adequate coverage of activities.
   • Review the performance of nurses from the supported PHCs, Medical Mobile and Home-Based Care teams and develop a plan for continued professional development in relation to NCD management.
   • Work with Project training Coordinator and support nursing teams from outcome 3 and 4 as well as other training activities that include nursing aspects.
2. Quality Improvement and patient safety:
   • Support the monitoring of nursing indicators linked to the project activities and, together with the NCD management coordinator, lead the quality improvement initiatives to enhance patient care outcomes.
   • Monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of nursing practices and protocols.
   • Collaborate with other Med Education Programs and Institutions to develop and implement clinical guidelines and standards for nursing in Ukraine.
   • Promote a culture of safety and ensure adherence to infection control protocols.
   • Identify and address potential risks and safety concerns in the clinical environment.
   • In collaboration with the NCD management coordinator and technical advisors in HUG, conduct incident investigations with the project teams and support the implementation of corrective actions as needed.
3. Collaboration and Communication:
   • Work closely with physicians, specialists, and other healthcare providers to coordinate patient care.
   • Maintain clear and effective communication with outcome coordinators and other team members.
   • Participate in interdisciplinary team meetings and case conferences.
   • Communicate with all members of each team in a timely manner regarding administrative duties, messages received, appointments, liaising within the team and between the service and other services if required
   • Provide clear and accurate communication between different teams to aid smooth running of service delivery, as safely and efficiently as possible.
   • Communicate effectively and maintain good relationships with medical, social, and other professionals.
4. Administrative Duties:
   • Maintain accurate and up-to-date nursing care Key Performance Indicators and support the team in achieving them.
   • In collaboration with the NCD management coordinator, participate in budget planning and resource allocation for the nursing activities within the project.
   • Prepare reports and presentations linked to the nursing care activities for senior management and stakeholders.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Nursing or Master’s degree in Medicine/Pediatrics with spezialisation in “General Practice – Family Medicine” (internship, specialization courses) is required;
• Master’s degree in Nursing Sciences (MSN), Master’s degree in Public Health or related field is considered an advantage.
• Minimum of 5-7 years of nursing experience, with at least 3 years in a primary health care or community health setting and knowledge of non-communicable disease.
• Proven leadership and supervisory experience, experience in training of nursing staff.
• Strong prevention, promotion and clinical skills, and knowledge of primary health care practices.
• Excellent communication, interpersonal, and organizational skills.
• Good command of English, oral and written.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a multidisciplinary team.
• Proficient in electronic health records (EHR) and other healthcare technology.

Other Requirements:

• Ability and availability to travel within the country regularly.

How to Apply:

Interested candidates should submit their resume, cover letter, and references to [email protected] with the subject line “Senior Nurse – Primary Health Care Application.” by 31^st January 2025.

Equal Opportunity Employer:

The Act4Health project is an equal-opportunity employer and values diversity in the workplace. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, colour, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status