About Afghan Midwives Association

Afghan Midwives Association (AMA)

The AMA is the technical body for midwifery education, professional development and policies that enable every midwife in Afghanistan so midwives can practice the highest level of care for the mothers and new born of the country. The AMA is a member of key national and international forums. For example AMA is an active member of the Human Resource Development Task Force, National Reproductive Health Task Force, The Maternal New born Health committee, Afghan Women Network and Secretariat for National Nursing and Midwifery Steering Committee. Similarly, at regional and international level AMA is an active member of the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM), White Ribbon Alliance (WRA) for the safe motherhood and women empowerment; also member of the Asia Midwifery Regional Resource Center.

Job Summary

Job Purpose

The MLU midwife is responsible for the delivery of high quality midwifery care through modelling, education, observation, crisis intervention, problem solving, clear communication and team work with linked MLMCC and hospitals as a Midwifery-led home-based private clinic aimed at increasing access of pregnant women to skilled Midwives. It will be run by an experienced, and nationally recognized, Midwifery professional. The assigned Midwives will be familiar with community’s culture, customs, and traditions and be known, accepted and trusted by the community. The Midwife assigned to the established MLU will provide services to mothers and new-borns based on a well-defined range of services. They will report to the assigned MLMCC and will stabilise and then refer cases when and as required.

Duties & Responsibilities

Midwives provide advice, care and support for women and their partners and families before, during and after childbirth. They help women make their own decisions about the care and services they access. They care for new-born children, providing health education and parenting support for the first 28 days. Midwives are personally responsible for the health of both mother and child and only refer to obstetricians if there is any complication.

The responsibilities of the midwife are to:

• Adhere to the values, policies and procedures of Afghan Midwives Association and MoPH.
• Give the necessary supervision, care and advice to women during pregnancy, labor and the postpartum period.
• Conduct deliveries on her own and care for the new-born infant.
• Manage complications in pregnancy and childbirth, in accordance with the principles of basic emergency obstetric care.
• Provide primary care to women of reproductive age.
• Provide all non-surgical methods of family planning, and counselling for surgical methods.
• Obtain specialized assistance as necessary (consultation with nearest health facility staffs or referral to nearest health facility).
• Perform limited, select administrative duties such as patient charting, recording and reporting of data to its’ nearest health facility (based on agreed plan) ; private home-based clinic management
• Participate in research, professional organizations and related committees; and in continuing education opportunities.
• Follow established home-based clinic policies, procedures and objectives; continuous quality improvement initiatives; safety, environmental, and infection prevention standards.
• Participate in provision of 24-hour, 7-day maternity service, which may require evening, night or on-call duty.
• Provide respectfully maternity care to patient and pregnant women.
• Identifying high risk pregnancies and emergency cases and making resuscitation interventions and immediately refer to the linked MLMCC & hospitals.
• Assess continuously labor progress, which includes, taking vitals, pelvic exams fetal heart rate monitoring.
• Conduct normal vaginal deliveries, which include, delivering the baby using sterile technique, managing third stage with routine IM oxytocin, perform episiotomy avoid routine episiotomy, suturing lacerations and charting on the Partograph and Labor and Delivery Summary.
• Keep clear, detailed records of deliveries in the Birth Register Book.
• Provide routine new-born care which includes: bulb suctioning, drying, assigning APGAR scores, weighing, measuring length and head circumference, monitoring vital signs, administering Vitamin K i.m and Tetracycline eye ointment, placing ID band and clothing the infant. 
• Provide routine postpartum care including monitoring of vital signs of the mother and baby, monitoring input and output of the mother, initiating and assisting with breastfeeding, charting on the Postpartum Chart.
• Refer babies for the Vaccination in the Clinic before being discharged.
• Conduct health education, including father member when possible, on breastfeeding, warning signs, new-born care and family planning during their postpartum stay. 
• Counsel and educate women, families and the community in relevant areas of health including hygiene, family planning, nutrition, warning signs, preparation for childbirth and parenting.
• Counsel the mothers to IYCF (infant and young child feeding) key messages.
• Encouraging participation of family members in the birth to support the mother and enhance both mother/baby bonding and family relationships.
• Give regular feedback to the midwife supervisor and report directly any issue or incident
• Join the training's facilitated by MLU project/AMA.
• Assess the feasibility of pregnant women referral to the related center/facilities.
• Ensure the patient privacy and confidentiality are well respected.
• Identify cases presenting psycho-social problems and refer to the dedicated psycho social consular
• Check and carry out the rapid diagnostic tests (syphilis, haemoglobin, protein curia, etc). Be ready to provide first medical aid to emergency cases. After stabilization refer the woman quickly via the ambulance service to the other health facility with good coordination and follow up.
• Be ready for conducted emergency deliveries in case there is no time to refer.
• Document the visit in the ANC or PNC Health Care Card.
• Perform any other task given by line manager.

Skills and Behaviors: AMA Values in Practice

Competencies

- Commitment to AMA Values: Demonstrates knowledge of and accepts AMA values

- Cross-cultural Awareness: Demonstrates an open attitude

- Behavioral Flexibility: Adapts behavior to the needs of the situation

- Stress Management: Manages own stress

- Results and Quality Orientation: Performs his/her work

- Service Orientation: Responds em-pathetically to clients and understands their concerns/needs

- Planning and Organizing: She organizes her work

- Teamwork and Cooperation: Acknowledges the importance of teamwork and cooperation

Accountability:

·        Ensure that you work to the best of your ability and demonstrate high levels of commitment to AMA Afghanistan in order to ensure the objectives of your role.

Ambition:

·        Ensure the effective and efficient use of AMA resources in order to keep costs low and ensure safety in the workplace

Integrity:

§ Other duties as directed 

Job Requirements

QUALIFICATIONS:

1.            Registered Midwife, Bachelor degree is preferred.

2.            Five year experience in similar position desirable.

3.            Good communication skill both in writing and oral in Dari/Pashtu essential.

4.            Communication skill in English oral and written desirable.

5.            Two positive references from previous employers or educators.

6.            Ability to communicate clearly and work well with others in their own community.

7.            Strong commitment to midwifery profession and Midwifery Association.

Submission Guideline

Application Procedures:

Interested qualified candidates should submit a full CV (maximum three pages) with a cover letter explaining their motivation in applying for the job and highlighting their relevant skills and experience;

To apply online please send your application / CV

To: hr@afghanmidwives.org

CC: Operations.manager@afghanmidwives.org

Subject line must be: (Midwife Led Unit / AMA– #16/07/2021) otherwise your application may not have considered.     

Only short-listed candidates will be invited for written test and interview.

Job number:                          AMA– #16/07-2021

Duty station:                          Kabul, AMA Main Office

Application deadline:            02 August 2021

Functional Area

Health/Medical

Countries

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