Job responsibilities
Assess patients
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Assess patients' mental, physical and psychosocial conditions.
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Identify mental-health needs, risk factors and changes in patients' behaviour or condition.
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Monitor patients in both outpatient and inpatient settings.
Provide mental-health nursing care
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Develop and implement individualized nursing-care plans.
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Provide care to patients with acute and chronic mental-health disorders.
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Provide basic medical and nursing care alongside specialized mental-health care.
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Manage and respond to psychiatric emergencies.
Medication management
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Administer prescribed psychotropic medication according to professional standards and protocols.
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Monitor patients for therapeutic effects, adverse effects and changes in condition.
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Document medication and patient responses appropriately.
Psychological and therapeutic support
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Conduct therapeutic/psychotherapeutic interviews within the nurse's scope of practice.
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Facilitate group therapy and therapeutic activities.
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Provide emotional, psychological and psychosocial support.
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Promote patients' participation in activities that improve mental wellbeing and independence.
Patient and family education
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Provide psychoeducation to patients and their families about mental illness, treatment, relapse prevention and rehabilitation.
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Involve families and community health workers in supporting patients.
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Help reduce stigma surrounding mental illness.
Psychosocial rehabilitation
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Participate in rehabilitation programmes.
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Help patients develop social and vocational skills.
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Support social reintegration and community participation.
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Participate in home visits and follow-up where appropriate.
Multidisciplinary teamwork
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Work closely with psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, physicians and other healthcare professionals.
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Present and discuss clinical cases with the multidisciplinary team.
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Participate in ward rounds, case conferences and referrals.
Documentation and reporting
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Maintain accurate and confidential patient records.
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Record assessments, interventions, medication, patient progress and outcomes.
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Prepare and submit required clinical and departmental reports.
Discharge and referral
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Prepare patients and families for discharge.
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Develop appropriate follow-up and rehabilitation plans.
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Refer patients requiring specialized intervention and receive referred patients as appropriate.
Health promotion and prevention
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Participate in mental-health awareness and health-education activities.
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Identify risk factors for mental illness.
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Participate in preventive mental-health programmes and community education.
Professional and managerial responsibilities
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Maintain patient safety and confidentiality.
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Participate in continuing professional development.
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Follow nursing ethics, CHUK policies and national professional standards.
Qualifications
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Advanced Diploma in Mental Health Nursing with 5 Years of relevant experience
Required certificates
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Valid License to practice issued professional council in Rwanda
Required competencies and key technical skills
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Resource management skills
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Time management skills
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Risk management skills
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Results oriented
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Fluency in Kinyarwanda, English and/ or French. Knowledge of Swahili is an added advantage
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Advanced ability to convey ideas clearly and concisely
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Knowledge of clinical services Policy and procedure
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Strong analytical skills
