Doctors Without Borders, an international humanitarian medical association created in 1971, provides medical assistance to populations whose lives are threatened: mainly in cases of armed conflict, but also epidemics, pandemics, natural disasters or exclusion from care.
Mission France is looking for an Outreach Nurse for its projects in the North Coast.
CONTEXT
MSF’s France Mission provides assistance to migrants in situations of great social, medical and/or psychological vulnerability in France and conducts advocacy work to facilitate their access to common law.
Since December 2017, Mission France has been providing assistance to migrants. It ensures medical, psychological, legal and social support for people excluded from healthcare and advocates for access to care for vulnerable foreign nationals, particularly women living in camps in the Dunkirk area.
Mission France currently has three projects:
– In the Île-de-France region. The project has been running since December 2017. Initially focused on providing medical, psychological, social, and legal support to unaccompanied minors undergoing appeals (day care and accommodation), it has evolved significantly by specializing in young women seeking recognition of their minority status. This is complemented by a mobile clinic run by a team of volunteers.
– In Calais and along the North Coast. Opening in summer 2023. Day center for unaccompanied minors offering respite and activities; mobile clinics for the general public (adults, families, minors), including mental health services. Seasonal activities complement these, with coastal outreach programs from spring to autumn for displaced persons rescued from shipwrecks, and in winter, emergency shelter for the most vulnerable.
– In Dunkirk. The project aims to meet the growing needs of exiled women, girls, and families living in extremely precarious conditions on the Dunkirk coastline. In close partnership with the Refugee Women’s Centre, it focuses on providing medical care for women (gynecology, pregnancy monitoring, sexual and reproductive health), mental health support, emergency shelter for single women, strengthening the detection and management of sexual violence, as well as a documentation and advocacy component on violence and the lack of essential services in the area.
The communication and advocacy aspect is central to this mission, which takes place in a country that has the means to welcome people with dignity but willfully neglects migrant populations.
MISSION
To provide nursing care, treatment and follow-up of patients, according to doctors’ prescriptions, protocols applied in the department and universal hygiene standards/precautions, with the aim of ensuring quality and continuity of care for the target population.
Responsibilities:
- To know, promote, implement and follow at all times universal hygiene standards/precautions, biohazard prevention and infection control, safety rules and other protocols and procedures in medical premises, and also ensure a high quality of hygiene in one’s work environment.
- Organize and carry out care and treatments according to medical prescriptions, as well as assist them during daily consultations/rounds and other medical procedures.
- Ensure that patients are properly received and settled into the healthcare unit. Ensure that patients with reduced autonomy are assisted, particularly with feeding, personal hygiene, mobility, and comfort.
- Respect medical confidentiality and secrecy
- Performing patient admissions, monitoring and follow-up, including assessing changes in their health status and identifying emergencies or other deteriorations,
- Participate in patient (and family) health education when necessary
- Supervise and train nursing assistants, nutrition assistants, maintenance staff, and other personnel under their supervision, paying particular attention to compliance with all appropriate protocols and procedures and ensuring teamwork.
- Participate in the pharmacy of the department and in the control and maintenance of medical equipment (carrying out inventories, stock of prescribed medications and equipment at each change of team, ensuring that no equipment has left the nursing department without prior authorization, checking its quality and operation, storage conditions, monitoring expired medications, etc.).
- Execute and supervise administrative procedures and documents (filling in patient files, forms, consumption records, statistics, etc.), ensure proper written/oral handover, and report any problematic situations and cases that may arise, participate in data collection and keep doctors/supervisors informed.
- For nurses in emergency rooms and internal consultations, triage patients in waiting rooms, hospital wards or during emergencies, detect the priority of emergency/serious cases, perform first aid when needed and submit them to the doctor.
- If necessary, identify victims of sexual violence and refer them to the medical team so they can receive the necessary treatment. Understand and recognize the importance and proper use of the Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) kit.
- Sends the equipment to sterilization and retrieves it from sterilization.
- Performs minor maintenance and cleaning of medical equipment according to the instructions in the user manual and protocols. Informs the medical supervisor in case of any malfunction of a medical device.
Specific responsibilities for the France Mission:
Under the responsibility of the seasonal activities manager and the functional supervision of the medical coordinator for the northern coastal area, and in collaboration with a multidisciplinary team, the nurse:
- Participates in the reflection and adaptation of activities implemented by MSF on the Northern Coast
- Participates in the implementation of MSF’s multidisciplinary outreach activities on the northern coast
- During outreach activities, conducts medical/paramedical triage at the scene of an incident to prioritize the provision of primary care and the appropriate mobilization of emergency services. Provides nursing care when necessary. Ensures proper communication and coordination with deployed emergency services when required.
- Provides medical follow-up for patients seen during outreach activities through medical, psychological, and social referrals.
- Participate in awareness and risk reduction activities for audiences attempting to reach the United Kingdom
- Participates in the design and delivery of training to partner teams on the medical, paramedical and psychological first aid responses to adopt when dealing with individuals attempting to reach the United Kingdom.
- Contributes to the collection of testimonies and is part of MSF’s approach in terms of communication and advocacy concerning humanitarian issues on the Franco-British border.
- Participates in the collection and capitalization of individual data for monitoring the medical, psychological, and social situations of the patients encountered.
- Participates in multidisciplinary meetings
- Supervises medical volunteers, if applicable
- Supports other activities of the Calais and Dunkirk projects in the event of a prolonged lack of needs on the coastline
Desired profile
Education: Recognized nursing degree/diploma required, AFGSU Level 2.
Experience: 2 years of prior experience in other NGOs is desirable.
Knowledge: Proficiency in Microsoft Office suite.
SKILLS :
- A category B driving licence is required.
- Teamwork & Multidisciplinary Cooperation
- Flexibility / Adaptability of behavior
- Stress management and ability to work in challenging environments, including night shifts
- Adherence to MSF principles
- Proficiency in computer tools (Word, Excel, etc.)
Languages: Fluency in French and English is required. Knowledge of one of the following languages is an asset: Arabic, Tigrinya, Amharic, Farsi, Kurdish-Sorani, German.
Employment conditions
Status: Fixed-term contract for 6 months, full-time, 39 hours per week. Position based in Calais with possible travel to the northern coast (Dunkirk) including night work. No remote work.
Compensation and benefits:
- €2958.32 gross monthly salary over 13 months.
- 22 days of paid time off per year. Supplementary health insurance fully covered by Doctors Without Borders.
- Meal vouchers with a face value of €11.00 (60% covered by MSF).
- Coverage of 50% of public transport subscription (weekly, monthly or annual) or bicycle kilometers.
Position available: as soon as possible
How to apply
To apply:
Please send your application (CV + cover letter + diplomas) by email by July 1, 2026, inclusive , with the following reference in the subject line: NURSE GOING TO CALAIS LAST NAME FIRST NAME to msff-france-recrutement@paris.msf.org
Only candidates whose applications have been selected will be contacted.