Recruitment for Nephrology or Dialysis Specialist Nurse at the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) – 2 Openings

Application Closing Date
1st December, 2021

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is a regional group of fifteen West African countries. Founded on 28 May 1975, with the signing of the Treaty of Lagos, its mission is to promote economic integration across the region.

We are recruiting to fill the position of:

Job Title: Nephrology or Dialysis Specialist Nurse

Location: Republic of Sierra Leone
Category: ECOWAS International Volunteer
Number of Positions: 2
Type of Contract: E COWAS Volunteers Programme. Non–Family Position
Expected Starting Date: 1st February, 2022
Duration: One (01) year, with possibility for extension (depending on budget availability and satisfactory performance)

Preamble

• The ECOWAS Youth and Sports Development Centre (EYSDC), was created by the Decision A/DEC.13/01/05 of 19th January 2005 at Accra, Ghana as a specialized Agency of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
• At the 32nd session of the ECOWAS Summit held in June 2007, the Heads of States and Government adopted a new approach to regional integration by approving a new global vision called the ECOWAS Vision 2020. The principal objective of this vision is to move the Community from an «ECOWAS of States» to an «ECOWAS of Peoples» by the year 2020.
• Consequently, the EYSDC implements her policies, activities and strategic action plans, as well as the ECOWAS vision in the areas of youth and sports, including the ECOWAS Volunteers Programme. The EYSDC’s objective is to initiate, develop, coordinate and implement youth and sports programmes within the Community. To this end, it works to:
  • Mobilise the different segments of the population to ensure their integration and effective participation in the social development of the region, as well as the promotion of youth organisations and professional associations to ensure maximum participation in the activities of the Community;
  • Provide a permanent institutional framework within ECOWAS through which issues related to Youth and Sports activities in the sub-region can be developed and promoted.

Organizational Framework of the Centre

• The ECOWAS Youth and Sports Development Centre (EYSDC) is one of the Directorates under the Social  Affairs and Gender Department of the ECOWAS Commission. It is based in Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso) under  the  headquarters agreement  signed between the Burkina Faso authorities  and  the  ECOWAS  Commission.
• Decision  N°  A/DEC  13/01/2005  of  19th  January  2005  had  adopted  the  organizational  structure  comprising of four Divisions (Youth, Sports, Administration and Finance, and TIC). However, since 2008, the  Centre  has  undergone  some  structural  modifications  following  the  transfer  of  the  ECOWAS Volunteers  Programme  (EVP)  from  the  Political  Affairs,  Peace  and  Security Department of the Commission (CPAPS) to the EYSDC, under the Social Affairs and Gender Department.
• The EVP is centralized in organisation, but decentralized in its application to allow  for flexibility and adaptation to the current realities of each country. The strategic directions, including the formulation of  the  overall  vision,  goals  and  objectives of the Programme, is the responsibility of the Regional
• Coordination Council (RCC), whose role, among others, is to ensure that the EVP becomes a genuine voluntary arm of ECOWAS.
• Being  a  cross-cutting programme, the ECOWAS Volunteers Regional  Coordination  Council  (RCC) includes representatives of relevant departments of the ECOWAS Commission. The RCC is chaired by the  Commissioner  for  Social  Affairs  and  Gender  of  the  ECOWAS Commission. She  is  assisted  by  the Director of the ECOWAS Youth and Sports Development Centre (EYSDC), as Alternate Chairman of the RCC.
• The executive arm of the RCC is the Regional Office, provided by the EYSDC in Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso). The programme’s regional coordination activities are coordinated by a  Regional Coordinator under  the  supervision  of  the  EYSDC  Director. Although the EVP is under the Youth Division of the EYSDC, it is directly supervised by the EYSDC Director for effectiveness.
• At the National level, the National Coordination Council (NCC) serves  as  the  national  body  through which  national  policy  guidelines  for the Programme  are  given. This  Council  works towards  the understanding and entrenchment  of the Volunteer Programme in the national environment. It also serves as advisor to the country office, which is responsible for the coordination of the Programme at national level. The NCC is chaired by the Head of the ECOWAS National Office in the country.
• It is made up of Focal Points/Representatives of the various ministries, Civil Society Organisations, United Nations Agencies and  local  youth  associations  involved  in  the  implementation of the Programme  at the National level.

Duties and Responsibilities

• The  ECOWAS  Volunteer  Nephrology or Dialysis  Specialist Nurse will work  in  the  Internal  Medicines Department/Unit of the Ministry of Health and Sanitation of Sierra Leone.
• He/She  will  be  responsible  for  developing,  leading  and  delivering  a  high  quality  nursing  service  for patients with Chronic  Kidney Disease  (CKD)  under  SaTH  Nephrology  service.  The  post  holder  will  be based in Dialysis care Unit but will be expected to develop links with primary and secondary care teams to ensure collaborative working to deliver optimum management of the patients with CKD and delay of its progression.

The  Nephrology or Dialysis  Specialist  Nurse  shall  work  under  the  direct  supervision of the Ward Matron, and shall undertake the following duties and responsibilities:

• Develop  and  provide a coordinated  specialist  service  to  patients  with  CKD  and  their  careers and to have direct clinical involvement in their renal care pathway;
• Monitor  and  review the effectiveness  of  interventions  with  the  patient  and  colleagues  and modify this to meet the changing needs and established goals of care;
• Work in collaboration with consultant nephrologists as well as primary care teams to establish, implement and maintain evidence-based care pathways for patients with progressive CKD;
• Demonstrate a high level of communication skills to impart highly sensitive information with empathy and reassurance to patients and relatives.
• Coordinate  and participate in the Continuous Professional Development (CPD)  programs for staff at the hospital

The job is mostly a hospital-based role with minor office work. There is also a frequent requirement to make an early start or late finish as well as work on weekends. The job holder may be required to:

• Attend and share knowledge at national conferences
• Participate in developing systems for assessing the user’s views on the quality of services
• Provided and involving patients’ relatives and their representatives in the planning and development of services.
• Perform other duties assigned.

Required Qualifications and Experience

• Candidates must possess a Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing (B.Sc Nursing) Nephrology or Dialysis Nursing,
• At least 8 years relevant working experience, three of which must be in a supervisory role.
• Must be a Licensed Nurse (SECHN) or a Registered Nurse (SRN).

Additional Skills must include:

• Ability to work within a multidisciplinary team
• Good oral and written communication skills
• Interpersonal skills
• People management skills
• Analytical skills
• Leadership skills
• Detail orientation
• Good computer skills and the ability to analyze numerical and graphical data.
• Ability to work with little supervision
• Being proactive and enterprising (taking initiative)
• Knowledge of volunteerism will be an asset.

Language Requirements:

• Perfect command of the English language (written and oral) is mandatory.
• Knowledge of any other official language of ECOWAS (French or Portuguese) will be considered an asset / advantage

Conditions of Service

• An  initial  contract for 12 months will be offered to the successful candidate  with a Monthly Living Allowance of 1,112.50 USD or its equivalent in local currency.
• At the beginning of the assignment, and only where applicable, a settling-in grant will be paid, and a resettlement grant will be provided at the end of the assignment. Where applicable, air transport from home country to the duty station and return at end of mission is also provided.
• A life and health insurance cover for the incumbent of the position will be provided.
• Other conditions of service as stipulated  in  the  EVP  Management  and  Administration  Manual  and Handbook of Conditions of Service shall apply.

Other Conditions:

• The position is open to Nationals of ECOWAS member States (except Sierra Leone), aged not more than 35 years by the date of recruitment.
• This position is considered a non-family ECOWAS International Volunteer position.
• An international ECOWAS Volunteer cannot serve in their own country of origin.
• ECOWAS is committed to promoting gender equality and equity. To this end, female  candidates are strongly encouraged.
• Only shortlisted  candidates will be contacted.
• ECOWAS reserves the right to terminate the process without notice..

Method of Application
Interested and qualified candidates should send their Applications to: evp.recruitment2021.SL6@ecowasvolunteers.com using “Application for the Post of Anaesthetic Nurse” as the subject of the email.

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Composition of Application
Applications must include:

• A signed Letter of  Application/Motivation addressed to the Director, EYSDC,  Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso;
• A detailed Curriculum Vitae highlighting specific skills and experiences of the candidate; Certified copies of certificates, diplomas and work certificates;