Nursing Care Referent

CONTEXT  

The medical department of MSF Belgium (OCB - Operational Center Brussels) plays a strategic role by defining the modalities of implementation of MSF’s medical strategy so that both coherence and quality can be safeguarded. Strategic support is given along the phases of the project cycle. It has a normative role and technical support function regarding implementation and follow-up of the projects. The medical department (MED) ensures knowledge transfer to the medical workforce and stimulates research and innovation by challenging current medical practices and scanning of new approaches.  

It is composed of multiple specialists based across a network of units worldwide (Belgium, Brazil, Ivory Coast, Lebanon, Luxembourg, and South Africa) and works in close collaboration with operations, other OCB departments and MSF movement. We are also supporting the projects of MSF Western & Central Africa (WaCa).  

Nurses make up nearly half of MSF’s healthcare workforce and play a vital role in delivering person-centered care. Nursing care is a core, cross-cutting component of all medical projects. As operational trends shift toward larger hospitals with more beds, higher activity volumes, greater care complexity, and increased technical requirements, OCB aims to ensure that nursing care remains adequate, sustained, and of high quality safe, effective, and person-centered. 

As Nursing Care Referent, you provide technical guidance to nurses and nursing care activities across projects, offer strategic and technical support to operations during project design and review, and lead the development of a comprehensive nursing leadership strategy within MSF OCB and WaCa. 

MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES 

Lead the improvement of quality of nursing care in collaboration with the other relevant referents: 

• Develop and stand for the nursing vision and nursing values in OCB in collaboration with other referents and nurses
• Identify, create, develop and implement essential and relevant documents and tools on specific nursing care topics:
• Patient management during the care pathway (admission evaluation, coordination of care, patient safety, person-centeredness, health education and discharge planning)
• Holistic patient care and support (communication, patient monitoring, respiratory care, circulation and blood transfusion, nutrition and fluid balance, moving and positioning, patient comfort and end-of-life care)
• Patient support during diagnostic processes (diagnostic tests)
• Treatment and care (medication management, perioperative care, vascular access devices, wound care, specialized care and treatment including ICU, emergency, neonatal and pediatric, etc…)
• Clinical supervision, patient documentation and handover processes
• Monitor and evaluate quality of nursing care in the different projects and propose and follow up action plans for improvements, using defined and standard tools and strategies
• Develop recommendations and improvement plans for specific nursing care / nurse-led activities such as wound care (including burns), enteral feeding, decubitus prevention, palliative care, etc…
• Ensure the medical catalogue is up-to-date and appropriate based on the activities run in the projects. Ensure compliance with correct, safe and efficient utilization of medical material and equipment
• Ensure nursing indicators are relevant, updated and integrated in the DHIS system in collaboration with Ariadne, the EHealth unit
• Stimulate and/or lead topics for operational research in the field of nursing 

Contribute to improved and efficient nursing care management and service organization, responsibility held by the Medical Hospital Management Referent: 

• Contribute to the identification, creation, development and implementation of essential and relevant documents and tools on the topics of:
• Managerial responsibilities (organization of care activities, continuity of care and pathways)   
• HR and managerial competencies management (assess workload and workforce needs, define HR roles and responsibilities within nursing teams, conducting team meetings and supporting Continued Professional Development and tracking (responsibility of HR))
• Resource management (biomedical devices, supportive and ancillary services) 

Promote and support continuous clinical nursing competencies development, working in close collaboration with the relevant MSF stakeholders (Learning and Development unit, MSF Academy; the managerial nursing competencies are under the responsibility of the HM Medical referent): 

• Identify all relevant competencies and capacities to be followed up and developed
• Map training needs
• Contribute to defining training strategies and designing training activities
• Support projects in implementation of training activities.
• Participating in general or specific medical training  

Project support responsibilities:  

• Provide ad hoc technical support to the projects and referents upon request on patient care related questions, implementation of MSF and general nursing care recommendations and use of medical devices
• Support projects in defining strategical and operational nursing care related decisions during project/activity design and revision
• Support the roll-out of the medical onboarding and nursing onboarding for the nursing staff
• Support the implementation of transversal topics such as the use of telemedicine and the reporting (including use of new platform) and dealing with patient safety incidents
• Make regular visits to the projects 

HR responsibilities 

• Validate technically the new recruited IMS nurses on request of the Recruitment team
• Support the Pool Manager of nurses in validation of specific nursing care profiles and matching process, upon request
• Direct management of the Mobile regional nursing advisor and Nursing Care Mobile Implementation Officer (MIO) 

Knowledge management responsibilities 

• Ensure that nursing-related documents and information are effectively managed and shared using (or developing) different appropriate tools, strategies and institutional platforms (knowledge management platform, newsletter, webinars, community of practice, etc..)  

Networking responsibilities:  

• Participate actively in the intersectional MSF nursing platform, initiatives or projects
• Promote an external network of nursing care experts  

REQUIREMENTS 

Education & Experience 

• A bachelor’s degree in nursing science with specialization in pediatrics/neonates or ER/critical care
• Minimum 5 years of clinical nursing experience with 3 years of international experience in a humanitarian context 

• Experience in nursing supervision roles 

• Previous MSF experience is required 

• Speciality or experience in wound care/burns is an asset 

Competencies 

• Good ability to train others
• Good teamwork skills and capacity for cooperation
• Analytical skills (i.e assessment – analysis – action plan)
• Ability to set priorities and organize their own work 

• Flexibility and good adaptation towards changing contextual challenges 

• Good communication skills: active listener, communicate clearly and effectively, sense of diplomacy and pedagogy  

• Cultural awareness and adaptability 

Languages 

• Professional proficiency in English and French, both spoken and written is mandatory 

• Good knowledge of Spanish, Portuguese or Arabic is an asset 

CONDITIONS 

• Expected starting date: as soon as possible 

• Location: Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire 

• Contract type: Open-ended contract – full-time 

• Mobility: 25% MSF project visits/year 

• The contractual terms and conditions will be established according to the place of work, legal constraints and in respect of MSF standard function and salary grids    

• Adhere to the MSF principles and to our managerial values: Respect, Transparency, Integrity, Accountability, Trust and Empowerment 

• Adhere to the MSF Behavioral Commitments 

Deadline for applications: 12th of January 2026 

How to apply? 

➢ Submit your application via the 'Apply here' button     
➢ You will be directed to the online application form for this position    
➢It should take 5-10 minutes to complete. Thank you in advance for having your CV and motivation letter and proof of a valid nursing registration ready to upload (in pdf format)   

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. 

MSF values diversity and is committed to creating an inclusive working environment. We welcome applications from all qualified candidates regardless of disability, gender identity, marital or civil partnership status, race, color or ethnic and national origins, religion or belief, or sexual orientation. 

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