Nurses
There continues to be a need for paediatric nursing input, particularly in the areas of teaching and supporting child focussed approaches to care.
If you are interested in volunteering, please see the information below which applies to all of our voluntary nurses:
- Qualifications
- Clinical experience
- What will I be doing?
- What can I do to prepare?
- What happens when I return?
- Contact
Qualifications
A registered children’s nurse if qualified in the UK or equivalent if qualified outside of UK
Clinical experience
5 years experience working directly with children and families infected and affected by HIV
CHIVA has been supporting hospitals in KZN since 2004. The numbers of patients in KZN far exceeds the numbers we see here. We can only offer our longitudinal experiences. Your experience helps provide direct clinical experience of:
- supporting and managing HIV related health problems
- starting and switching children on HAART
- managing side effects
- drug/drug interactions
- adherence strategies.
In addition the following experiences and skills are useful:
- experience of teaching in formal and informal settings, multi-agency working, and child protection;
- an understanding of racial and cultural diversity and health attitudes in this population;
- an understanding of the stigmatism and secrecy which surrounds HIV as well as the family dimension of paediatric HIV infection;
- an awareness that many health care workers in KZN may be living with HIV.
What will I be doing?
- Working as part of a multidisciplinary team (MDT) to enhance ideas of holistic approaches to health care.
- Involved in MDT teaching sessions and case discussions about the care of children living with HIV infection including prevention of mother to child transmission (PMTCT programme), recognising children who may have HIV infection, natural history of HIV, disease progression, antiretroviral drugs, interactions, side effects and adherence issues.
- Leading discussions, teaching and consultation around nursing care both for children with HIV infection and for their carers.
- Taking a developmental as well as systemic approach to understanding children’s needs which are responsive to change as paediatric HIV becomes a chronic long term condition and as children get older.
- Helping with strategies to enhance childrens’ understanding and open conversations about health and diagnosis and to support, by partnership working, those involved in childrens’ care to take these ideas forward.
- Discussing and teaching strategies to enhance adherence to antiretrovirals in children.
- Contributing to the development of resources within CHIVA Africa and in partnership with colleagues in KZN.
What can I do to prepare?
Any new volunteer will meet with a current member of the nursing group before their first visit to KZN.
Relevant teaching materials and guidelines will be supplied. However, it is important to be flexible in your approach and be able to use a variety of teaching methods: flip charts, power point presentations, use of overhead projectors and acetates, informal and formal teaching and group discussions as well as one to one support and mentoring.
What happens when I return?
On return to the UK, you will be expected to provide some feedback to other volunteers in the group and other members. Volunteers should be available to provide some debriefing and reflective work after and in between visits.
Contact
If you are interested in volunteering please forward a copy of your CV to:
Sue Yeadon: sue.yeadon@chiva-africa.org
Candy Duggan: candy.duggan@chiva-africa.org
