Job Title: Staff Nurse – Medically Supervised Injecting Facility (MSIF), Riverbank, Dublin 8

Responsible for:

As a Registered Nurse, you will work predominantly in the MSIF clinical area, supervising clients before, during and after episodes of injecting. Core activities include client engagement; health assessment; management of health emergencies; health education; brief interventions, Primary care support and referral to other health and welfare services. You will bepart of the Clinical Team and work collaboratively with MSIF’s multi-disciplinary team.

Reports to: Clinical Nurse Manager - MSIF

Objective: To support clients who inject drugs to ensure that they can do so safely, and to reduce harm.   

Who We Are –

Merchants Quay Ireland is a national voluntary organisation who helps people who are Homeless and those caught in addiction. We provide frontline services , practical supports, pathways towards recovery and innovative responses to the issues of drug use and homelessness in Ireland.

Our Vision is one of an “inclusive society” where the integration and well-being of all is supported and everyone is treated with Dignity and Respect. Our Mission is to work as a collaborative community to reduce the harm caused by addiction and homelessness. We provide accessible, high quality and effective services, which meet the complex needs in a non judgemental and compassionate way.

Medically Supervised Injecting Facility ( MSIF) – What is it?

A MSIF is a hygienic, safe, medically supervised healthcare environment where people can inject drugs, obtained elsewhere, under the supervision of trained health professionals. It offers a compassionate, person-centred service which reduces the harms associated with drug injecting. A MSIF can help health service staff to reach and support vulnerable and marginalised people, who often do not, cannot, or no longer engage with existing health services. There are now approximately 90 of these facilities worldwide, in Europe, Canada, and Australia. There is significant evidence gathered from these facilities of their benefits to people who use drugs and the wider society.

Health and client dignity are a critical part of this holistic support, and this is a great opportunity for a Nurse to be an enthusiastic, passionate and client-focused leader. This is a unique opportunity for any nurse to develop skills in terms of planning and start-up of an innovative program to support the overall health and wellbeing of the client group that we serve.  This is the first MSIF to be developed and opened in Ireland and being involved with this will allow the successful candidate to bring innovative practice into the area of homelessness and working with people who inject drugs (PWID). 

Main Responsibilities

• Optimise health by saving lives and reducing injury from the negative effects associated with drug use
• Effectively intervene in the event of drug overdose
• Provide access to health and social welfare services for a marginalised and difficult to reach population
• Uphold and promote the dignity of all people who use our service and promote awareness and understanding in the community
• Foster social inclusion and client participation in the operation of MSIF
• Observe and monitor client’s wellbeing throughout their visit to MSIF.   
• Use communication skills to develop rapport with clients.
• Provide opportunistic interventions for safer injecting and health promotion.
• Engage with clients to identify health needs and refer to local health and welfare services.
• Follow the clinical nurse manager's direction and assist as required during client emergencies.
• Use observation and communication skills to maintain a safe, therapeutic environment
• Undertake a clinical role under MSIF’s Internal Management protocol, clinical policies, and procedures.
• Record all client observations and/or interactions on the relevant MSIF forms, and MSIF clinical database.
• Work collaboratively with colleagues and managers to achieve MSIF’s objectives.
• Participate in clinical quality improvement and research activities.
• Develop and maintain skills in overdose management, incident de-escalation and management, infection control, vein care and safer injecting practices, and health promotion.
• Support the MSIF Primary care Doctor.
• Treat colleagues, neighbours, local service providers and visitors to the service with dignity and respect.
• Participate and comply with all quality management systems and processes.

The above job description is not intended to be a comprehensive list of all duties involved and consequently, the post holder may be required to perform other duties as appropriate to the post. Merchant’s Quay Ireland is an equal opportunities employer

Person Specification

The ideal candidate for this post must have:

• A relevant 3rd-level qualification in Nursing (general/psychiatric)
• Minimum 2 years post-registration experience 
• Minimum of 1 years’ experience working in a low-threshold environment
• Ability to demonstrate strong interpersonal and decision-making skills 

• Experience of doing wound dressing

  Salary:€40,685 - €45,325 per annum dependent on experience    

  Contract: Permanent

  Hours:  37.5 hours per week

  Location: Open Access Service, Merchants Quay, Dublin 8

What does MQI Offer as an employer?

• Paid Family Leave, where applicable (Maternity, Paternity, Adoptive, Force Majeure and Compassionate Leave)
• Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)
• Educational Assistance (Study and Examination Leave, Scholarship Foundation)
• Minimum 23 days Annual Leave
• Death In Service (from commencement of employment)
• Defined Contribution Pension Scheme
• Group VHI scheme
• Competitive Salaries
• Bike to Work

Job Compensation: €40,685 - €45,325 / year dependent on experience.