SCANU Nurse

• At least 2 years
• The applicants should have experience in the following business area(s): NGO

• Diploma in Nursing Science and Midwifery or BSc in Nursing from an accredited institution.

• Current, valid registration with the Bangladesh Nursing & Midwifery Council (BNMC).

• At least 2 years
• The applicants should have experience in the following business area(s): NGO

Desirable

• Post-basic training or certificate in neonatal nursing, or SCANU/NICU training (e.g., MoHFW/DGHS SCANU training).

• Certified training in neonatal resuscitation (HBB/ENC or NRP), and training in KMC, IMNCI or IPC.

EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS:

Essential

• Minimum 2 years of post-registration clinical nursing experience, including at least 1 year in a SCANU, NICU or neonatal ward.

• Demonstrated hands-on competence in neonatal resuscitation, thermal care, peripheral IV cannulation in newborns, oxygen therapy/bubble CPAP, phototherapy, NG/OG tube feeding and weight-based medication calculation.

• Working knowledge of neonatal IPC and safe sharps practice.

• Fluent spoken and written Bangla, and good working English for clinical documentation and reporting.

• Ability to communicate clearly and respectfully with mothers and caregivers, and to work effectively in a multidisciplinary team.

• Basic computer skills (MS Word, Excel, email).

• Willingness to work rotating shifts, including nights, weekends and public holidays, in a camp-based humanitarian setting with security restrictions.

Desirable

• Experience in a humanitarian or NGO hospital setting, particularly in Cox's Bazar.

• Spoken Chittagonian and/or Rohingya.

• Experience mentoring junior nurses or nursing students.

• Familiarity with clinical audit, Datix or quality improvement.

• Knowledge of Save the Children systems and ways of working.

Additional Job Responsibilities

The duties and responsibilities outlined above are not exhaustive. The role holder may be required to undertake additional duties reasonably related to their qualifications, skills, and experience, based on programme and operational requirements.

Safeguarding

The post holder is required to perform all duties in accordance with the organization's safeguarding, Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA), child safeguarding, anti-harassment, code of conduct, and other relevant organizational policies and procedures.

Equal Opportunity

The organization is an equal opportunity employer and encourages applications from qualified candidates regardless of gender, age, disability, ethnicity, religion, or other status.

Health and Safety

The post holder is required to carry out all duties in accordance with organizational Health, Safety, Security, Infection Prevention and Control, laboratory biosafety, and other relevant policies and procedures.

Job Description: SCANU Nurse - Jointly operated by Save the Children & PHD Mother and Child Hospital (MCH).

Duty Station: Camp 21, Teknaf, Cox’s Bazar

Reports to: SCANU In-charge Nurse

Accountable to: Senior Medical Officer- SCANU

Position Summary

In 2024, Save the Children Bangladesh opened a Comprehensive Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care (CEmONC) hospital (MCH) in Teknaf to meet unmet needs in maternal and neonatal emergencies. The hospital provides specialist maternal, newborn and child health care, including inpatient care, emergency obstetric and surgical care, and emergency and outpatient services, complementing existing primary health care.

The SCANU Nurse provides safe, competent and evidence-based specialized nursing care to sick and small newborns admitted to the Special Care Newborn Unit (SCANU), in line with SCI, WHO and MoHFW neonatal protocols. The role holder is responsible for continuous monitoring, early recognition and escalation of deterioration, safe medication administration, infection prevention and control, family-centred care (including Kangaroo Mother Care and breastfeeding support), and safe referral of newborns who need a higher level of care.

SCOPE OF ROLE:

Reporting lines and accountability

• Line manager (direct): SCANU In-charge Nurse.

• Technical supervisor: Senior Medical Officer- SCANU

• Overall clinical oversight: Consultant Neonatologist- SCANU

• Staff reporting to this post: The role holder gives on-shift guidance to hygiene volunteers assigned to SCANU and attendants, without line management responsibility.

Duty station

SCANU is the primary duty station. The role holder is rostered in SCANU on all shifts unless temporarily deployed as described below.

Cross-unit deployment (newborn care only)

The role holder may be called to, or temporarily deployed in, the following areas, limited to newborn care:

• Labour room and obstetric OT: attend high-risk deliveries and caesarean sections when called, provide immediate newborn care and resuscitation, and transfer the newborn to SCANU when indicated.

• Emergency Department: triage, stabilisation and admission of sick newborns presenting to the hospital.

• Maternity / postnatal ward: newborn assessment, KMC follow-up and breastfeeding support for babies rooming-in with their mothers, when requested by the treating doctor.

• Surge or outbreak response: only when formally authorised by the SCANU In-charge Nurse and the Clinical Lead, after orientation, recorded on the duty roster, and within the role holder's competence.

Before leaving SCANU, the nurse informs the in-charge and hands over his/her patients. Cross-unit deployment must not reduce SCANU below the minimum safe nurse-to-newborn staffing level agreed for the unit.

Professional scope of practice

• Practises within the scope of BNMC registration, SCANU clinical protocols and the competencies signed off by the SCANU In-charge Nurse.

• Administers medicines and fluids only on a valid written medical order, or under an approved SCANU standing order or emergency protocol (e.g., neonatal resuscitation, management of hypoglycaemia), countersigned by the doctor as soon as possible.

• Does not prescribe, change doses or perform procedures outside signed-off competence, and seeks supervision when unsure.

• Does not delegate clinical tasks, medication handling or sharps handling to hygiene volunteers, attendants or caregivers.

Key Responsibilities

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY:

1. Specialised neonatal nursing care

• Admit newborns to SCANU: confirm identity (ID bands), and record weight, temperature, heart rate, respiratory rate, SpO2 and blood glucose, completing the admission assessment within one hour.

• Provide thermal care (radiant warmer, incubator, KMC), and prevent and manage hypothermia and hyperthermia.

• Monitor vital signs, SpO2, blood glucose, intake/output and weight at the ordered frequency, using the SCANU monitoring chart and neonatal early warning tool.

• Provide respiratory support (oxygen therapy and bubble CPAP as ordered), including set-up, monitoring, nasal care and weaning in collaboration with the doctor.

• Support feeding: breastfeeding, expressed breast milk, cup/paladai feeding and nasogastric/orogastric tube feeding, with accurate feed and fluid volumes calculated by weight and day of life.

• Insert and maintain peripheral IV cannulas, and run IV fluids through infusion pumps or syringe drivers, checking the site and rate at least hourly.

• Provide phototherapy as ordered, including eye protection, positioning, hydration and monitoring.

• Provide nursing care for neonatal sepsis, hypoglycaemia, birth asphyxia, prematurity and low birth weight as per protocol, and assist doctors with procedures (e.g., lumbar puncture, umbilical catheterisation, exchange transfusion).

• Collect, label and send laboratory samples as ordered, and follow up results.

• Provide cord, eye, skin and developmentally supportive care, minimising pain and unnecessary handling.

2. Emergency recognition and escalation

• Recognise neonatal danger signs and deterioration (e.g., apnoea, low SpO2, bradycardia, severe hypothermia, hypoglycaemia, convulsions, poor perfusion, increasing respiratory distress) using the neonatal early warning tool.

• Start life-saving measures immediately (airway, bag-and-mask ventilation, chest compressions, oxygen, glucose per protocol) following neonatal resuscitation guidelines (HBB/NRP), and call for help at once.

• Escalate to the doctor on duty immediately for emergencies, and within the timeframe set in the SCANU escalation protocol for other early warning triggers. If there is no timely response, escalate to the Neonatologist/SMO and the SCANU In-charge Nurse.

• Use SBAR when communicating with doctors, and document the time of escalation, the response and the actions taken.

• Check the resuscitation trolley, bag-valve-masks, suction, oxygen supply and emergency medicines at the start of every shift, and restock immediately after use.

• Take part in neonatal resuscitation drills and mock codes.

3. Medication safety

• Prepare and administer medicines following the rights of medication administration (right newborn, medicine, dose, route, time and documentation), using the newborn's current weight and the SCANU neonatal dosing and dilution guide.

• Carry out an independent double-check with a second nurse for high-alert medicines, dose calculations and infusion rates (e.g., aminoglycosides, phenobarbitone, caffeine/aminophylline, inotropes, concentrated dextrose and electrolytes).

• Label every prepared syringe and infusion; never leave medicines unlabelled or pre-drawn.

• Monitor for adverse drug reactions, and report medication errors and near misses immediately to the in-charge and through Datix.

• Store medicines safely (cold chain, expiry checks, separation of look-alike/sound-alike medicines), carry out the daily stock count, and request replenishment from the pharmacy to maintain minimum stock.

4. Referral and transfer

• Identify newborns who meet referral criteria (e.g., need for mechanical ventilation, surgical conditions or care beyond SCANU capacity), as decided by the Neonatologist/SMO.

• Prepare the newborn for referral: pre-referral stabilisation (temperature, airway/oxygen, glucose, IV access), completed referral form with copies of investigations, and informed consent from the mother/caregiver.

• Coordinate with the referral focal point and ambulance team; accompany the newborn when assigned, maintaining thermal care and monitoring, and give a structured handover to the receiving facility.

• For internal transfers (labour room, OT, Emergency Department, maternity and SCANU), give verbal and written handover and complete the transfer log.

• Record each referral and its outcome in the referral register, and follow up feedback from the receiving facility.

5. Infection prevention and control (IPC)

• Practise hand hygiene at the WHO 5 Moments, and aseptic technique for IV lines, feeds and procedures.

• Ensure incubators, radiant warmers, CPAP and phototherapy units are cleaned and disinfected on schedule, working with the hygiene team, and apply isolation or cohorting as per protocol.

• Dispose of sharps at the point of use, by the person who used them, into a sharps container kept within reach. Never recap needles or leave needles or cannula stylets aside. Report any sharps injury immediately for first aid and post-exposure assessment.

• Segregate clinical waste correctly, and follow hygiene standards for expressing and storing breast milk.

6. Family-centred care and communication

• Inform mothers and caregivers daily about the newborn's condition, treatment and plan, in a language they understand (Bangla, Rohingya or Chittagonian), and obtain and document informed consent.

• Promote Kangaroo Mother Care, breastfeeding and mothers' participation in care.

• Provide discharge counselling on danger signs, feeding, thermal care, immunisation and follow-up, and document it.

• Provide compassionate support to families, including bereavement care, in line with MCH protocol.

7. Documentation, handover and reporting

• Keep complete, accurate and timely clinical records and registers (admission, discharge, referral and death).

• Give a structured verbal and written handover at the bedside at every shift change.

• Submit the daily SCANU census and weekly medication consumption and activity reports on time, using MCH reporting formats.

• Maintain patient confidentiality in all records and communication.

8. Infant security and quality (MCH-specific)

The role holder will:

• Apply mother–baby ID bands and check them at every procedure, transfer and discharge; never leave a newborn unattended, and hand babies only to the verified mother/caregiver or authorised staff.

• Follow infant security procedures: controlled access to SCANU, visitor/attendant passes, transfer logs, head counts each shift, and participation in missing-baby (Code Pink) drills.

• Provide respectful, dignified and non-discriminatory care in line with the MCH Hospital Charter, admission/discharge criteria and visiting/attendant policies.

• Report clinical incidents, near misses and adverse events through Datix (or manual notification) within 24 hours, and take part in clinical audits, neonatal death reviews and quality improvement activities.

• Follow the SCI Bangladesh and MCH security plan (camp access, movement rules, curfew and ID card requirements), and SCI administrative procedures for attendance, roster, leave, shift exchange, timesheets and care of assets.

9. Professional development

• Complete the SCANU competency checklist and mandatory trainings within the timeframes set out below, keep neonatal resuscitation skills up to date, and support the orientation and mentoring of new nurses and nursing students.

• Monthly Gross Salary: BDT 63,636 /= (Only)

• Bonus and other benefits: 10% of the monthly gross salary.

• Other Benefits: Office hours, annual leave, increments, will be provided as per the organizational policy and Recruitment & Human Resource Management Policy of Partners in Health and Development (PHD), subject to project budget availability.