REQUIRED LANGUAGES English

TYPE OF CONTRACT Fixed-term contract - paid (6 months)

NECESSARY REQUIREMENTS Nursing Degree; at least 3 years' continuous professional experience in a Cardiac ICU department.

This role requires complete autonomy in managing the care of cardiopathic patients in Intensive Care Unit (or High Dependency Unit).

BACKGROUND AND ORGANISATION OF WORK

The International Cardiac Surgery Nurse supervises, instructs and supports colleagues of the national staff, in the treatment and care of patients – adults and paediatrics – in all phases from assessment to hospitalization, pre- and post-operative. Along with the other members of the nursing team, He/She will collaborate with the various medical specialists (cardiac surgeons, cardiologists, cardiac anaesthetists, Internal Medicine specialist) present in the Centre and facilitate the transmission of relevant nursing information to the national staff. A team leader and/or a head nurse will be present to coordinate the activities, inform about the nursing protocols in use and the level of preparation and autonomy of the colleagues of the local staff. The International Cardiac Surgery Nurse is responsible to the Medical Coordinator, who is in charge of the management and organisation of the project.

The departments in which you may be required to work are:

• CARDIOLOGY CLINIC: 3 examination rooms equipped for the diagnosis of patients identified in triage, the management of patients on the waiting list, and post-operative follow-up;
• WARD: 32-bed ward and 16-bed High Dependency Unit;
• INTENSIVE CARE UNIT: 15 fully equipped beds (2 isolation beds);
• CATH LAB: 1 cardiac catheterisation laboratory fully equipped to carry out diagnostic and therapeutic procedures.

Assignment to a department is evaluated on the basis of specific skills and professional experience already acquired. The workload and rota of the international nurses vary according to the needs and organisational set-up of the hospital; usually there is at least one day off a week. However patient care must be guaranteed 24/7 in ward and in ICU.

DUTIES AND REPONSIBILITIES

All EMERGENCY international personnel are expected to know and follow the hospital admissions criteria, guidelines, protocols, and the diagnosis and treatment standards in use in the Centre, and to ensure the correct compilation of clinical records and statistics in both computer and paper formats. The main duties and responsibilities of the International Cardiac ICU Nurse are:

WARD

• Care of patients at all stages of their diagnosis and treatment, both for surgical procedures and post-procedure in Cath Lab;
• in the High Dependency Unit, care of critical patients who are not in need of intensive care, or those discharged from ICU.

INTENSIVE CARE UNIT

• Care of patients with acute decompensated heart failure (pre-op);
• post-op care of cardiac surgery patients starting from day 0;
• care of patients with post-op complications: prolonged mechanical ventilation, intra aortic balloon pump, continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT).

CATH LAB

Preparation and care of patients undergoing diagnostic or therapeutic procedures.

Furthermore, in all departments:

• Correct application and supervision of the nursing protocols, including those regarding hygiene and sterility;
• correct compilation and maintenance of nursing notes, clinical files and patient records;
• assistance in clinical research and record keeping as required by the scientific programmes of the specialist sector of the Medical Division of EMERGENCY.

MANAGEMENT AND ORDERS OF STOCKS AND SUPPLIES

The International Cardiac Surgery Nurse, in collaboration with the team leader, is responsible for checking that the equipment and materials are always quantitatively and qualitatively adequate. He/She participates in ordering supplies from the hospital pharmacy, and collaborates with the team leader and the Medical Coordinator in sending orders for periodic re-stocking.

MANAGEMENT AND TRAINING OF LOCAL PERSONNEL

Clinical activities and patient care are always carried out alongside and in collaboration with local personnel, who thus benefit from training in the field. There is also provision for more specific teaching activities, managed by the international specialists, in accordance with the individual needs of each hospital.

CASELOAD AND EQUIPMENT

SALAM

Patients with every type of congenital and acquired heart disease are present at the Centre. The caseload is extremely varied. Most patients presents at the hospital are seriously compromised: the main cause of this is that the health care system and therefore treatment – both in the country and in the region as a whole – is fee-paying.

Since 2007 the Salam Centre has been the only completely free Cardiac Surgery centre in the region. The Salam Centre was created as the core – operational and scientific – of a network of pediatric clinics located in neighbouring countries that also serve as screening and follow-up centers for cardiac patients of surgical interest, both adults and pediatrics.

To date, the Salam Centre has treated patients from 25 different countries – not only African countries – as part of the African Network of Medical Excellence (ANME).

The most common treated diseases are valvular cardiopathy of rheumatic origin (RHD – Rheumatic Heart Disease), congenital heart disease suitable for surgical treatment, and ischaemic heart disease in the non-acute phase. Over the past 10 years of activity (2008 – 2017) around 55% of patients admitted have been under 26 years of age.

The wards are fully equipped for the management of cardiac surgery patients: they contain 48 beds, of which 16 are high dependency beds. The high dependency beds are equipped with multiparameter vital signs monitors with the option of invasive blood pressure (IBP) monitoring; oxygen supply and suction; syringe and infusion pumps. There are emergency trolleys equipped with defibrillators, emergency drugs and apparatus in accordance with standardised guidelines.

In Intensive Care there are 15 beds for post-operative patients or patients who are severely decompensated. All beds are equipped with monitors, ventilators with various ventilation settings and humidification systems; equipment is available for continuous renal replacement therapy, intra-aortic balloon pump, pace-making, nitrous oxide supply.

Due to the high level of work carried out, the technological equipment available and also for innovation in technical, construction and management solutions employed, the Salam Centre for Cardiac Surgery is considered a structure of excellence at international level.

GUIDELINES, PROTOCOLS AND EQUIPMENT

Further information on the guidelines, protocols and clinical services relevant to the post along with details of the instruments and equipment available will be provided at interview and during the period of preparation for the mission. The general requirements and conditions apply to all the international staff.

SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS

• Nursing Degree (or equivalent Diploma) and current registration on the professional nursing register of your Country of residence;
• at least 3 years’ continuous professional experience in one or more Cardiovascular departments (e.g. Cardiac Surgery, Cardiology, Cardiac ICU, Cardiac HDU, Coronary Care Unit, Cath Lab).

REQUIRED AVAILABILITY

6 months’ overseas stay including a period of leave to be taken at the end of the mission in agreement with the coordinator.

To apply, please send your CV to fo.hro@emergency.it