Nutrition Counsellor (National Female Only)

Provide comprehensive nutrition counseling and support to mothers and children.

This opening is not available anymore. Do not try to apply for this job.

IRC - The International Rescue Committee

Open positions at IRC
Logo of IRC

Overview

Provide comprehensive nutrition counseling and support to mothers and children.

You have:

  • Having Nursing, Midwifery Diploma is an advantage.
  • At least 2 years’ experience in the field of health and nutrition at the community level.
  • Fluency in Pashto, Dari, and English.
  • Ability to provide sensitive and appropriate counselling and strong communication skills.
  • Must be a team player with excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to work under pressure in a stressful environment, displaying patience, compassion, and diplomacy.
  • Ability and flexibility to understand the cultural and political environment and to work well with the local health representatives.
  • Ability to lead, train, supervise, and facilitate other nursing staff and community health workers in their respective tasks.
  • Computer skills (including MS Word, Excel, Access, and Internet) an advantage.

Work Arrangement:

Job Description

General Duties

Staff Coordination

- Maintain open and professional relations with team members, promoting a strong team spirit and providing guidance to enable staff to successfully perform in their positions. - Provide nutrition support and mentorship to other mobile clinic staff, providing on-the-job training where needed. - Ensure non-disclosure of any information whatsoever about practices and IRC activities to any other person or organization without permission, except in the normal performance of the service. - Consistently and proactively monitor/assess the safety and security of the team; promptly report concerns or incidents to IRC management and liaise with community leaders and other external parties as required to maintain/enhance the security environment for IRC programs.

Specific

Objective 1: Screening of all under 5 children and PLW

- Conduct systematic screening of all U5 children (Oedema, MUAC, Height, and Weight) and PLW (MUAC & Oedema) in selected communities. - Maintain and update the screening, OPD-MAM, and OPD-SAM register books on a daily basis - Refer children and PLWs who meet admission or discharge criteria to the nutrition nurse. - Identify children who are absents and defaulted from the program and inform the community volunteers to conduct home visits.

Objective 2: Growth Monitoring all children under 2

- Register and undertake Growth Monitoring and promotion (GMP) including measuring weight, height, and age, and checking edema of all children under two years of age. - conduct GMP-based counselling of mothers/ caregivers of all children under two years of age on appropriate maternal infant and young child nutrition MIYCN practice and infection prevention. - If the child is normal encourage the counsel mother to reinforce and promote age appropriate MIYCN practices. - If a child is suffering from acute malnutrition refer to the nutrition nurse of MHNT or Static Health Facility for giving adequate treatment and counselling. - Counsel mothers or caregivers to bring under two children's children for the continuous monthly GMP visit.

Objective 3: Counseling maternal infant and young child nutrition (MIYCN)

- Provide individual nutrition counselling on appropriate practices based on the BMI and MUAC findings. - Check whether lactating mothers received adequate IFA tablets during three months after delivery. - If apparently the mothers’ health and nutrition are not suitable refer to the nutrition nurse and medical doctor for diagnosis and treatment. - Check whether the child has received vitamin A supplementation during the previous national immunization day (NID) if not then refer to the doctor and Vaccinator of the Health Center to obtain vitamin A. - Conduct complementary feeding food demonstrations to mothers and caregivers. - Establish Mother to Mother support group. - Provision of IYCF counselling at IYCF corner to mothers and primary caregivers for children under 2. - Identify mothers to become peer educators in their villages and support them to undertake sensitization and work closely with CHWs. - Lead individual and group nutrition counselling sessions tailored to the needs of clients and caregivers. - Train and work with CHWs to ensure consistent messaging regarding best practices for IYCF and

Objective 4: Recording and reporting:

- Maintain regular reports to monitor and track the delivery of nutrition services. - Use the MCH handbook in those provinces where the MCH handbook is applied. - Identify beneficiaries who required follow-up visit and share information with community health volunteers to follow up those beneficiaries. - Ensure accurate recording of nutrition information in the clinic registers and timely completion of summary reports.

Qualifications

- Having Nursing, Midwifery Diploma is an advantage. - At least 2 years’ experience in the field of health and nutrition at the community level. - Skills to provide sensitive and appropriate counselling and strong communication skills. - Must be a team player with excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to work under pressure in a stressful environment, displaying patience, compassion, and diplomacy. - Ability to be innovative, flexible, adaptive, and willing to work out of hours, sometimes throughout the night. - Ability to live in challenging conditions and ability to work under difficult, high-pressure situations. - Ability to lead, train, supervise, and facilitate other nursing staff and community health workers in their respective tasks. - Ability and flexibility to understand the cultural and political environment and to work well with the local health representatives. - Communication and reporting skills - Fluency in Pashto, Dari, and English - Computer skills (including MS Word, Excel, Access, and Internet) an advantage. - Ability to work closely, professionally, and constructively with all others regardless of nationality, ethnicity, gender, religion, race, tribe, or cultural background.

Potential interview questions

Can you describe your experience in community health and nutrition initiatives? This assesses your relevant background and understanding in this field. Provide examples of your previous roles and how they relate to the position.
How have you dealt with stressful situations in previous jobs? The interviewer wants to gauge your coping mechanisms under pressure. Pro members can see the explanation.
What strategies do you use to communicate effectively with community members? Pro members can see the explanation. Pro members can see the explanation.
Describe your approach to providing nutritional counseling to mothers. What factors do you consider? Pro members can see the explanation. Pro members can see the explanation.
Can you give an example of how you worked as part of a team in your last position? Pro members can see the explanation. Pro members can see the explanation.
How do you assess the nutrition needs of children under 5? Pro members can see the explanation. Pro members can see the explanation.
What steps do you take when you identify a child with malnutrition? Pro members can see the explanation. Pro members can see the explanation.
How would you handle a conflict with a team member? Pro members can see the explanation. Pro members can see the explanation.
Added 1 year ago - Updated 11 months ago - Source: rescue.org