Clinical Nurse (NICU)

Role Overview

Clinical Nurse (NICU) at Sidra Medicine, located in Qatar. The role is based within the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and reports to the Chief Nursing Officer.

Company Overview

Sidra Medicine is a world-class healthcare facility representing the vision of Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Chairperson of Qatar Foundation. The organization provides comprehensive specialist healthcare services for children and young people, and exceptional maternity, gynecology, and reproductive medical services for women. Sidra Medicine is home to world-class patient care, scientific expertise, and educational resources, caring for some of the region's most complex and sick neonates and their families.

Role Purpose

The Clinical Nurse provides safe and effective direct care to neonates and infants in the NICU. The role encompasses assessment of care needs, planning, implementation and evaluation of programs of care that include patients and families. The Clinical Nurse ensures all duties are carried out to the highest possible standard, aligned to Sidra Standards of Practice, and participates in supervision, orientation, training and education of staff, patients, families and students.

Key Responsibilities

Direct Patient Care and Assessment

• Provide safe and effective direct care to neonates and infants.
• Assess care needs and develop individualized patient care plans.
• Implement and evaluate programs of care for patients and families.
• Provide total individualized patient care and assume responsibility and accountability for assessing, planning, implementing and evaluating care and discharge planning.
• Anticipate and respond to patient and family care requirements.

Clinical Competencies – Core

• Perform hygiene care for neonates and infants.
• Assess the neonate and infant, including recognition of deviations in clinical observations.
• Manage oxygen therapy interfaces including nasal cannula, low flow oxygen therapy, and high flow oxygen therapy.
• Interpret cardiorespiratory monitoring.
• Support non-invasive respiratory support including CPAP and BiPAP.
• Manage nutrition for neonates and infants including oral feeding, enteral feeding, and parenteral nutrition.
• Perform capillary blood sampling.
• Deliver developmental care including positioning, skin to skin contact, and minimal handling.
• Manage intravenous medications and fluid management.
• Assess and manage pain in neonates and infants.
• Implement family centered care with parents as partners in care.
• Safeguard neonates and infants.
• Maintain infection control practices in the NICU.
• Collect specimens.

Clinical Competencies – Advanced

• Manage thermoregulation in the neonate and humidification.
• Administer phototherapy.
• Manage arterial lines.
• Provide invasive ventilation including high frequency oscillatory ventilation.
• Recognize and manage neonatal sepsis.
• Monitor hemodynamic parameters.
• Provide care for neonates and infants receiving inotropes.
• Prepare infusions.
• Administer and titrate infusions.
• Manage care of neonates and infants on nitric oxide.
• Assess and manage chest drains.
• Provide care for neonates and infants with repogle tubes.
• Transport ventilated neonates and provide care during transport.
• Deliver care for post-surgical neonates.
• Provide care for infants receiving neuroprotective or therapeutic hypothermia.
• Manage central lines.
• Provide care for neonates and infants with congenital anomalies.
• Deliver culturally sensitive bereavement care in conjunction with the multi-disciplinary team.
• Provide tracheostomy care.

Patient and Family Centered Care

• Provide holistic, patient and family centered care based on evidence and best practice.
• Evaluate learning needs of patients and families and provide education.
• Maintain confidentiality at all times.

Documentation and Informatics

• Ensure timely documentation of care, discharge planning and family education aligned to Sidra standards of documentation.
• Accurately, concisely and appropriately document care, interventions and outcomes in a timely manner.
• Practice contemporaneous documentation, ensuring entries into the medical record are recorded and signed in real time.
• Utilize data from the patient record to make decisions and respond appropriately to clinical decision-making supports and alerts.
• Protect confidentiality of protected health information in electronic health records.

Professionalism and Ethical Practice

• Practice within the DHP Scope of Practice according to licensure within the State of Qatar.
• Demonstrate critical thinking skills by problem solving appropriately during patient care.
• Independently initiate escalation of issues following the chain of command, utilizing resources as needed.
• Independently maintain licensure and regulatory requirements including life support certifications and CPD requirements.
• Meet requirements of organizational, professional and departmental or role-specific orientation competencies.
• Role model appearance and behaviors that promote a positive image of nursing.
• Adhere to time and attendance requirements.
• Assume responsibility for own professional development through lifelong learning to ensure continued competence and performance improvement.
• Adhere to Sidra's standards as they appear in the Code of Conduct and Conflict of Interest policies.
• Adhere to and promote Sidra's Values.
• Follow all hospital related policies and procedures.

Teamwork and Collaboration

• Treat colleagues, patients, and visitors with dignity and respect at all times.
• Promote and maintain effective communication and teamwork.
• Demonstrate collaborative and respectful behavior.
• Contribute to a positive work environment.

Staff Development and Supervision

• Participate in new staff and student orientation and assist in maintaining a suitable learning environment.
• Act as a preceptor or mentor in the supervision and teaching of new staff and students to develop their competence.
• Actively participate in and contribute to the Shared Leadership structure to promote and embed Shared Leadership.

Evidence-Based Practice

• Adhere to Sidra's Nursing and Midwifery Standards of Practice.
• Ensure care is based on best evidence.
• Incorporate credible critically appraised evidence into nursing practice when initiating change.

Quality Improvement and Safety

• Identify ways to improve services through quality improvement initiatives.
• Participate in quality improvement initiatives and measure outcomes.
• Contribute effective use of resources and identify opportunities for efficiency.
• Acknowledge own limitations in knowledge, judgment and skills, and function within those limitations.
• Seek resolution in knowledge and competency gaps to ensure patient safety is maintained at all times.
• Demonstrate consistent and reliable use of technology and standardized practices that support safety and quality.
• Communicate observations or concerns related to hazards and errors to patients, families and the healthcare team.
• Use organizational error reporting systems for near miss and event reporting.
• Demonstrate effective use of strategies to reduce risk of harm to self or others.
• Assume responsibility and accountability for own clinical decisions, delegation and provision of supervision to team members according to their competence and scope of practice.

Additional Duties

• Perform other related duties as assigned.

Qualifications & Experience

Education

• Bachelor Degree in Nursing (4 years).
• Registered Nurse.
• Postgraduate certificate in specialty if applicable in country of origin (preferred).

Experience

• 2 or more years of recent clinical nursing experience within the relevant specialty from a highly esteemed healthcare institution (essential).
• No minimum experience requirement for University of Calgary Qatar Graduates only.

Certification and Licensure

• Valid professional Nursing license in country of origin (essential).

Skills & Competencies

• Effective communication skills.
• Excellent team player.
• Motivated and enthusiastic.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office suite.
• Fluency in written and spoken English.

Additional Information

• Competencies are assessed as outlined in the Pediatric NICU unit orientation and competency booklets.
• The incumbent may be required to undertake specific assigned tasks relevant to their area of work and are additionally required to demonstrate competencies specific to the post as outlined in the Job Description Addendum.