Vacancy Announcement

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.

Our Work In Sierra Leone:

Partners In Health (PIH) began supporting the government of Sierra Leone in response to the Ebola epidemic in October 2014. Recognizing the large need for continued investments in the health system after Ebola, PIH is committed to long-term health system strengthening in support of the Ministry of Health and Sanitation (MOHS), guided by the same principles as our emergency response and our work around the world: public sector accompaniment, integrated and comprehensive services, social justice, nimbleness and flexibility, partnership, community ownership, and evidence-based interventions. In the aftermath of the epidemic, PIH is committed to supporting the delivery of comprehensive health services in Sierra Leone, from the community level to the health center and to referral hospitals.

The Nurse Educator will be responsible for promoting evidence-based nursing practice through staff development, formal and informal training within and outside the clinical setting and ensuring optimal patient outcomes. The Nurse Educator will serve as a role model, advocate, and provide guidance, while also sharing their clinical experiences to help nurses develop and gain confidence in their roles, most importantly thinking critically and solving problems independently. The Nurse Educator also acts as both adviser and role model for the nursing students, assisting them in their journey toward become successful practicing nurses. They must have a commitment to lifelong learning and to the scholarly progression of the nursing profession. The Nurse Educator must also have a strong knowledge base in theories of teaching, learning, and evaluation, be able to design curricula and programs, be able to assess a student’s needs, be innovative, and thoroughly enjoy teaching.

The Nurse Educator is responsible for maintaining and developing the following key performance areas:

Clinical Practice:

• Perform nursing practice in accordance with Sierra Leone’s Nursing and Midwifery standards of practice, policies and guidelines.
• Practice within own abilities
• Demonstrate accountability for nursing practice.
• Maintain accreditation in mandatory and extended skills.
• Demonstrate a high level of understanding, knowledge and skills in adult, pediatric and neonatal nursing.
• Maintain own competence as a Nurse Educator through certification and clinical practice.
• Demonstrate expert clinical knowledge through problem solving and decision making.
• Identify strategies for optimizing patient care in the clinical environment based on current research and evidence in clinical practice.

Education and Research:

• Implement and evaluate clinical education programs and in-services for practicing nurses and student nurses.
• Implement and evaluate the Nursing Orientation and Student Nurses Orientation Programs in collaboration with the Director of Nursing and Director of Clinical Education.
• Initiate, participate and contribute to the development of clinical knowledge and skills of new and existing nurses as well as student nurses.
• Provide clinical support to new and existing nurses as well as student nurses.
• Develop and maintain clinical educational resources.
• Identify individual learning needs of nurses in consultation with the nurse, Ward In-Charges, Hospital Matron and Director of Nursing in order to support individual learning plans.
• Perform clinical assessments of nurses and provide certification of competency where required
• Participate in the delivery of formal and informal education.
• Develop, implement and evaluate extended skills programs for nurses in collaboration with the Director of Nursing.
• Actively participate in activities that promote the professional development and education of nurses.
• Foster an environment that supports the utilization of nursing research.
• Collaborate with the Director of Nursing and Director of Clinical Education to identify research opportunities.
• Participate in the development and review of clinical and practice guidelines.

Quality Improvement and Management:

• Undertake necessary components of the performance evaluation process.
• Promote and participate in quality improvement and safety activities as well as institutional accreditation processes.
• Participate in relevant committees, meetings and service activities as required and provide relevant feedback and dissemination of appropriate information
• Assess and evaluate the quality of education resources and equipment required to meet the learning needs of nurses and student nurses in the clinical environment.
• Contribute to the nursing education component of the strategic plan of the organization.
• Participate in critical incident debriefings as required.

Professional Practice and Development:

• Demonstrate advocacy for nurses and patient groups.
• Actively pursue opportunities to advance own professional knowledge and skill development.
• Participate in relevant ongoing professional development programs.
• Demonstrate a commitment to professional development through membership in relevant professional organizations or associations.
• Demonstrate awareness of current nursing practice, initiatives and related health issues that enhance adult, pediatric and neonatal nursing care.
• Participate in health promotion and community outreach activities.
• Act as an effective role model for staff through mentoring and teaching so as to achieve optimal staff development and patient outcomes.

• Bachelor of Science in Nursing with Master of Science in Nursing preferred.
• Certification in Nursing Education
• 5 or more years of clinical and educational experience, practicing in a hospital setting.
• Excellent communication skills both oral and written, with working knowledge of Microsoft Office and other relevant software.
• Exceptional leadership qualities with the proven ability to work with others in the clinical environment.
• Pursue attention to detail.
• Experience in working in low resource settings will be an advantage.
• Commitment to social justice and health care as a human right.
• Ability to live and work full-time in Kono District, Sierra Leone.