The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) Nurse will provide comprehensive, high quality, and specialized nursing care to critically ill, premature, or low-birth-weight neonates. The successful candidate will ensure safe, evidence-based clinical practices, provide immediate lifesaving interventions, support neonatologists and pediatricians in multidisciplinary teams, and deliver compassionate, family-centered care across the continuum of neonatal health.
Key Duties and Responsibilities
- Provide advanced, specialized nursing care to critically ill, premature, or low-birth-weight neonates in the NICU.
- Continuously monitor and assess neonatal vital signs, cardiac rhythms, respiratory status, and neurological parameters.
- Manage, titrate, and troubleshoot specialized NICU equipment including incubators, mechanical ventilators, CPAP machines, phototherapy units, and infusion pumps.
- Administer specialized neonatal medications, intravenous fluids, total parenteral nutrition (TPN), and blood products accurately in accordance with prescribed protocols.
- Assist neonatologists and pediatricians with advanced clinical procedures, including endotracheal intubations, umbilical line insertions, lumbar punctures, and surfactant administration.
- Coordinate and conduct immediate resuscitation and stabilization of neonates experiencing acute distress or life-threatening emergencies.
- Perform routine and emergency nursing interventions such as non-invasive ventilation maintenance, oxygen therapy, gastric tube feeding, and meticulous skin and umbilical care.
- Provide supportive, empathetic family-centered care, educating parents on neonatal health, breastfeeding, kangaroo mother care (KMC), and safe home-discharge guidelines.
- Interpret diagnostic investigations including neonatal arterial blood gas (ABG) panels, laboratory values, and bedside radiological findings to initiate timely nursing actions.
- Maintain precise, up-to-date, and confidential clinical documentation, nursing care plans, and comprehensive handover records.
- Participate in multidisciplinary ward rounds, clinical audits, neonatal mortality reviews, and departmental quality improvement projects.
- Mentor, supervise, and orient junior nurses, nursing interns, and student attachments rotating through the neonatal unit.
- Promote and enforce strict infection prevention and control (IPC) standards, aseptic techniques, and patient safety protocols within the sterile NICU environment.
- Participate actively in the hospital's nursing shift schedules, emergency response protocols, and on-call rosters.
- Undertake any other clinical duties assigned by the Nursing Officer in Charge or hospital management.
Qualifications and Experience
- Diploma or Bachelor of Science in Nursing (KRCHN / BScN) from a recognized institution.
- Higher Diploma in Neonatal Nursing or Critical Care Nursing (specializing in Neonatal Care) from a recognized training institution.
- Valid registration and current Annual Practising Licence from the Nursing Council of Kenya (NCK).
- Minimum of three (3) years' post specialization clinical experience working in a busy NICU within a Level 4, Level 5, or Level 6 hospital environment.
- Valid certifications in Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP) and Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) will be a highly distinct advantag.
- Certification in Basic Life Support (BLS) is required.
- Excellent clinical and technical nursing skills specifically tailored for high-acuity neonatal intensive care and resuscitation.
- Profound decision-making and rapid problem-solving abilities during acute neonatal emergencies and critical status changes.
- Strong situational leadership, interpersonal capability, and multidisciplinary team collaborative skills.
- Outstanding communication skills, demonstrated by the ability to explain complex clinical conditions compassionately to anxious families.
- High standards of medical ethics, professionalism, and strict adherence to nursing practice standards.
- A patient-centered, highly compassionate, and empathetic approach to neonatal nursing and family care.
- Proven resilience and ability to work efficiently under pressure while managing high-stress emergency environments.
- Meticulous organization, with accurate documentation, clinical report writing, and data collection habits.
- Unwavering commitment to continuous professional development (CPD) and evidence-based clinical quality improvement.