Ccpac Project Technical Assistance Nurses

**Health Systems Strengthening (HSS) Unit**
**Cervical Cancer Prevention, Access and Control (CCPAC) Project**
**Technical Assistance Nurses (x2)**

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PURPOSE*
Health Systems Trust (HST) is committed to an equitable health system that recognises basic socio-economic needs as an important determinant of health outcomes. We are implementing a Cervical Cancer Prevention and Screening Project, positioned to address the challenge of high incidence and mortality due to cervical cancer by employing a Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) framework to improve access to early screening, diagnosis, treatment and palliative services in the **Zululand District of KwaZulu-Natal**, South Africa.

By conducting Pap smear screening for cervical cancer and active linkage to care, the objective of the project's implementation is to detect early signs of cancer among HIV-positive women and women of childbearing age (20 years and older). HST seeks to engage two Professional Nurses to provide technical assistance in this regard.

The incumbents will mentor facility-based Nurses who are conducting screening for cervical cancer, TB and sexually transmitted infections including HIV on proper referral for treatment, and linking patients to Primary Health Care clinics in compliance with the project's profile and reporting requirements.

The incumbent will work closely with the Project Manager to implement evidence-based activities, review programme performance, assess and guide project outcomes and outputs, and report to funders and stakeholders.

These are fixed-term contract positions, renewable based on funding.

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KEY RESPONSIBILITIES*
- Provide screening services using Pap smears at facilities in line with the National and Provincial Department of Health (DoH) policy, guidelines and standard operating procedures
- Provide HIV Testing Services (HTS) at facilities in identified target areas, and initiate patients on antiretroviral therapy (ART) as required
- Manage patients according to their Pap smear results (early detection of abnormalities and referral to the nearest clinic and/or hospital)
- Identify patients due for follow-up visits in accordance with the project guidelines
- Develop a system for active patient referrals and couples counselling on a weekly and monthly basis in line with the project guidelines
- Support the strengthening of patient tracking and referral systems
- Actively transfer and/or refer and check the successful transfer of patients to other facilities for treatment
- Build and maintain partnerships with all internal and external stakeholders including the Department of Health (DoH) district structures, community-based organisations and civil society groups
- Identify facility staff members' training needs and support them in analysing their performance data
- Submit daily, weekly and monthly data internally and to the facility
- Participate in the CCPAC bi-weekly and monthly review meetings
- Provide accurate data to the Project Manager to inform stakeholders of project activities.

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EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENTS AND EXPERIENCE*
**Qualifications**
- A degree or diploma in Nursing is essential.
- Current registration with the South African Nursing Council (SANC) is essential.
- Certified training in Nurse-initiated Management of ART (NIMART) and Maternal Health is essential.
- PHC certification with SANC would be advantageous.
- A valid drivers' licence is required, as this position is community-based.

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Experience*
- Proven knowledge of and ability to entrench a quality improvement approach to healthcare service delivery and providing on-site support to staff at facility and community level
- Experience in providing supportive supervision and mentoring to junior staff in the facility
- Experience in building facility staff capacity for strengthening cervical cancer screening of HIV-positive women
- Capacity to implement a training and mentoring programme in line the CCPAC clinical strategy
- Ability to support Facility Managers in tracking performance and using routine data for planning supply chain management and decision-making
- Skills to strengthen links between the community, healthcare workers and the facilities
- Knowledge of HIV programme management, including the UNAIDS 95-95-95 goals and targets, and of TB management
- Understanding of Universal Test and Treat (UTT) processes, and demonstrable competence in HIV clinical management (NIMART)
- Extensive experience in administering of Pap smears for cervical cancer screening, diagnosis and referral for treatment, and in provider-initiated HIV counselling and testing (PICT)
- Sound understanding of the South African public health system, including the national and provincial Department of Health cervical cancer policy and guidelines
- Computer literacy and good knowledge of Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook) is essential
- Experience in a research project environment, and particularly in oncology, would be advantageous
- Previous wo