Nursing Management Mentor

Job description

Te Whāinga | Our Purpose is:

Te Hono Tangata - Te Huringa Ora. 

Ka hono a Te Tūao Tāwāhi i ngā tūao pūkenga ki ngā whakahaere me ngā hapori i te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa me tua atu, hei tautoko i ngā wawata kua tautuhia ā-rohe, ā, kia tutuki ai te panoni toitū.

Connecting People – Transforming Lives. 

Volunteer Service Abroad connects skilled volunteers with organisations and communities in the Pacific and beyond to support locally identified aspirations and achieve sustainable change.  

Mō tēnei tūranga mahi | About the role:

This is your opportunity to become a VSA Volunteer to share your experience, skills and knowledge to serve and build capacity in Fiji. Work alongside our local partner organisation to plan and create a brighter future.

We are looking for an experienced Nurse or someone with the right level of transferrable skills, who understands and shares the spirit of volunteering, with a keen interest in building capability in the Pacific.

The length of this assignment in Fiji will be 12 months. VSA will support you by funding and organizing your flights, visas, insurances, accommodation, living allowance and utilities while you are on assignment.

Ngā tino Pūkenga/Wheako – Essential skills/experiences for the role:

If you are interested in this opportunity, below are some of the key skills and experiences that we’re looking for. 

• At least 5-years’ experience as a Senior nurse ideally within a cross-cultural setting.
• Bachelor of Nursing and the ability to get license to practice with the Fiji Nursing Council.
• Experience in ophthalmology
• Understanding of the Fiji nurse’s scope of practice, Fiji Nursing Act, and Nurses Code of Conduct.  

Our Partner Organisation - Pacific Eye Institute:

The Pacific Eye Institute (PEI), established in 2005, is a prominent healthcare institution based in Fiji that plays a pivotal role in providing high-quality eye care services to the Pacific Islands region.

With a primary focus on the prevention and treatment of blindness and vision impairment, PEI offers a comprehensive range of ophthalmic services, including cataract surgeries, glaucoma management, treatment for diabetic retinopathy, and correction of refractive errors.

The institute is particularly noted for its commitment to addressing cataract-related blindness, a leading cause of vision loss in the region. Each year, PEI performs hundreds of cataract surgeries, significantly improving the quality of life for many patients, especially the elderly.

In addition to clinical services, PEI is deeply involved in training and capacity building, offering educational programs for ophthalmologists, optometrists, nurses, and support staff, thereby strengthening the healthcare workforce in Fiji and neighbouring Pacific nations.

The institute’s outreach programs extend eye care services to remote and underserved areas, including outer islands, through mobile clinics and community health initiatives. PEI also emphasizes public education, advocating for eye health awareness and the importance of early detection.

The Assignment:

In this assignment the VSA volunteer will work alongside clinical leaders and PEI senior management to address the current leadership gaps and support the development of a sustainable and competent nursing leadership team.

The VSA volunteer will focus on skills transfer and capacity development, working to build leadership capabilities within PEI’s nursing staff.

By facilitating the transfer of knowledge, expertise, and best practices in leadership, management, and clinical care, the volunteer will help strengthen the local capacity to lead and manage high-quality nursing teams.

This capacity-building effort will involve mentoring current senior nurses and developing training programs to enhance their leadership skills, ultimately contributing to a more robust and self-sustaining nursing leadership structure at PEI.

The Country – Fiji:

Fiji includes the other 3 cultural groups called Fijians -Rotuma, Rabi, and Kioa (Rabian and Kioans) were resettled in Fiji after being evacuated from Ocean islands, Tuvalu and Kiribati).

It is a destination attraction for its coral reefs, clear lagoons, and tropical landscapes. Fijian indigenous society is very communal, with great importance attached to the family unit, the village, and the vanua (land). With the introduction of traditions such as Indian and Chinese and significant influences from Europe and Fiji's Pacific neighbours, particularly Tonga and Samoa, these various cultures have come together to create a multicultural national identity for Fiji.

Fiji has several development goals they are focusing on as a country such as lowering youth unemployment rates, reducing poverty, reducing child mortality and gender inequality, increasing environmental sustainability, and improving the health and education status of its citizens. 

Me pēhea te tuku tono | How to apply: Please apply for this opportunity through our website. For more information or if you have any questions on this assignment, you are welcome to email our recruitment team at: volunteer@vsa.org.nz. Noting that due to our VSA funding requirements, our volunteers must be a NZ citizen or NZ Permanent Resident to progress further in our recruitment process.