Education Program Manager

Company Description:

Africa Healthcare Network (AHN) is the leading provider of dialysis and renal care across East Africa, providing high-quality, lifesaving treatment at an affordable cost. AHN brings world class technical expertise combined with practical operating experience from the region. In North America, over 97% of patients requiring treatment for kidney disease are able to receive care; in East Africa, less than 10% have access to care. AHN’s goal is to increase access to high quality care at a lower cost to patients, delivered through a sustainable business model. Increasingly, AHN will have opportunities to grow beyond East Africa, including Southern Africa and West Africa.

Job Description:

AHN is looking for a highly skilled and dedicated team member for the role of Education Program Manager. In this position, the Education Program Manager is responsible for the training, learning and development of AHN’s nursing teams with additional engagement across other functions. The Education Program Manager will ensure that AHN Nurses and Nurse Assistants are appropriately trained before deployment to clinical settings and ongoing throughout their tenure with the company. The Education Program Manager will be a knowledge and thought leader for the nursing team, particularly as it pertains to the specialty of nephrology.

Scope of The Role:

• Training, Learning, & Development

• Nursing Policies and Procedures

• Hiring Standards and Nurse Competencies

• Patient Education

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Training, Learning, & Development:

• Oversee the consistent and high-quality delivery of theoretical and practical training across countries

• Develop processes and guidelines for the management of training and trainees at AHN

• Develop and manage a training handbook to be used by new nurses and nurse assistants when joining AHN, and lead annual review of the training handbook

• Collaborate with international bodies to ensure that training at AHN is of the highest standards and implement cutting-edge learning tools and equipment

• Use data e.g. performance reviews, skills gap analyses, KPIs, etc. to identify training needs across countries, centers or other groups.

• Manage and update the Nursing Training Curriculum to reflect gold-standard practice

• Develop educational presentations and other learning tools, and conduct regular review of existing materials to ensure it is up to date

• Own the Practical Skills assessment tool and ensure its implementation

• Collaborate with international bodies for curriculum review and endorsement

• Help identify and mentor new trainers in line with company growth requirements to manage the training of new nurses

• Oversee training to ensure high standards and effective delivery of content

• Manage the job description for Country Level Trainers, and any recruitment requirements e.g. assessments

• Ensure the provision of Continuous Nursing Education (CNE) Opportunities

o Developing and overseeing the implementation of CNE Webinars

o Engage with local and international bodies to deliver seminars to nursing teams

o Find innovating platforms for CNE delivery

o Oversee the tracking of CNE engagement from the team, and ensure that correct information is given to HR for performance reviews

o Develop initiatives to increase CNE engagement with the team

o Oversee the applications for Nursing CPD points with relevant governing bodies

• Oversee the implementation and delivery of an internal BLS and ACLS certification, working to maintain set standards at a center level

• Ensure the support and development of clinical preceptors within the unit

• Devise training for new policies and conduct policy re-training where required

• Promote a working environment where learning is supported and development is encouraged

• Help define and oversee Training, Learning and Development budgets

• Lead Project Echo at AHN, including managing hub team members, engagement with international ECHO members, reviewing relevant updates/data/program information, curriculum development as it pertains to nurse training etc.

Nursing Policies and Procedures:

• Work as a knowledge leader for all policies and procedures as they pertain to nursing, specifically nephrology nursing procedures

• Proactively develop and implement policies with the Director of Nursing and other clinical leadership

• Own Clinical SOPs as they pertain to nursing care, making sure to keep them updated and included in all aspects of new nurse training

• Work in partnership with clinical leaders to formulate new nursing policies and update existing policies to ensure gold-standard of clinical nursing care at AHN

• Annually (or as required) review AHN policies with regard to nursing care to ensure that the most relevant and up-to-date practices are reflected

• Ensure the organization is compliance with all laws, regulations and practice guidelines as it pertains to dialysis and broader nursing

• Build and maintain a healthy working environment for nurses and other allied health staff

• Set standard process for the documentation, filing and management of nursing protocols/policy/procedures

• Set standard process for the communication, training and implementation of policies

• Ensure that the steps for protocol/policy/procedure revision are followed by fellow clinical leadership members – including proper documentation, communication, etc.

Hiring Standards and Competencies:

• Work with the Director of Nursing and Chief People Officer to develop recruitment processes, such as assessments for different nursing levels

• Ensure that the scope of practice and job descriptions of nursing staff is included in the onboarding and ongoing training for team members

• Work with leading international bodies to define the specific competencies expected of AHN nurses, particularly as it pertains to nephrology nursing 

Patient Education:

• Develop education tools for patients pertaining to chronic kidney disease and associated areas of healthcare

• Provide training to team members on how to effectively deliver patient education

• Design, develop and implement a patient onboarding program for patients new to dialysis, including the development of associated tools

• Work with outreach programs to ensure that marketing material is accurate and informative

• Think of innovative ways to ensure that our communities are able to access information on Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD), Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) and other associated healthcare areas

• Advocate for a patient-first mentality to all, ensuring that this involves an education approach

Other:

• Mentor, coach and help manage team members

• Any other tasks as directed by the Executive Committee (ExCo) 

Supervisory Responsibilities:

• Country Level Trainers (“solid line” reporting)

Desired Competencies:

• Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree required; Masters or Specialization in Dialysis, Critical Care or Intensive Care Unit (ICU) nursing (or other related areas) an added advantage

• Certification in BCLS/ACLS

• Experience in a teaching/training role

• At least 3-5 years of work experience in Nephrology or dialysis with at least 5 years of work experience in the private or public sector, with increasing levels of responsibility and leadership

• Proven track record of building, developing and managing a Nursing Clinical Teams in a fast-growing organization

• Strong understanding of Nursing regulations across East Africa including an in-dept understanding of Nursing code and Ethics

• In-depth understanding of and experience in policy development and implementation of policies across the Clinical Nursing Teams and broader organization

• Ability to work through sensitive political contexts and develop strong relationships with government officials and multilateral organizations

• Demonstrate strong analytical and problem-solving skills, in addition to exceptional organizational skills, ability to multi-task, priority set and manage time effectively, and attention to detail;

• Experience conceiving, planning and executing complex programs or projects with verifiable results - specifically teaching

• Strong work ethic and flexibility, respectful of local norms and culture, ability to work with humility and urgency

• Patient centered attitude

• Strong communication skills

• Able to critical and creatively think to address challenges

• Positive, ‘can-do’ attitude

• Ability to work in a fast-paced, high-growth environment

• Passion for the AHN’s Mission

Travel Requirements:

• While much of the work can be done remotely, this role requires some travel (20-30%) to each of the countries to engage with Country Directors and clinical leaders on key issues periodically

• In exchange for this travel, the role can be based remotely within East Africa (ideally within 30

minutes of an airport with connections to each of our countries)