Our primary focus for medical volunteers is to support patient care through mentoring of our Lao staff in paediatric medicine. Overtime our Laos staff have become more and more skilled, and we now have 9 Lao Paediatricians at LFHC with several more at various stages of training in Vientiane. We require that all of medical volunteers are fully qualified Specialists or Subspecialists.

Our greatest need for volunteer support is our Outpatient department (and also ED) which is very busy with a very broad mix of patients, some very complex, and we value General Paediatricians etc. who can commit to supporting us there. We would be very open to any volunteers who can help provide 1:1 supports to our more junior doctors during clinics as well as help with quality improvement processes. We have several clinics running to support specific areas, these are thalassemia clinic 2 days a week and then 1 day a week of Nephrology, Epilepsy, Developmental and Fractures/ orthopedics.

In 2022 we opened a small intensive care unit and are now intubating and ventilating patients. This inpatient area is in addition to our Inpatient unit (24+ beds) and Neonatal unit (24 beds). There are quality improvement processes ongoing that you could be a part of.

Volunteers will be invited to participate in educational and training activities, as well as providing clinical support. Our Medical Teaching program includes weekly all day teaching on Fridays to a group of doctors and also morning teaching. Volunteers are included as teachers in these programs along with our senior Lao doctors and pediatricians.

Examples of medical volunteers we are targeting currently.

Paediatric Generalists (also Developmental Paediatricians). Again, ideally to stay 2 months on their 1st trip and support the Outpatient doctors, this is Monday to Friday.

Sub- specialists (maybe appropriate to attend for a shorter period, i.e. 1 month). Some examples that are currently priorities.

We have a large number of patients with thalassemia (around 400 registered in our thalassemia clinic) with about 50 every week, many coming for blood transfusions. A haematologist would be helpful in our approach to TDT/ NTDT as well as chelation.

We have a lot of nephrotic syndrome and a nephrologist would be helpful. We are looking to improve our care for SRNS.

We manage a lot of fractures in co-operation with the general surgeons. But the non-surgical aspect of orthopaedic care could be enhanced. So, either an orthopod or an experienced Emergency doctor with an interest in fracture management is helpful.

Infectious Diseases specialist to review some of our guidelines and practices, we see a lot of HIV, TB and many other diseases including vaccine preventable. We do not have access to reliable microbiology and so we need to make clinical decisions for most infections.

Paediatric neurology. There is a very large “treatment gap” in Laos for epilepsy meaning the majority of children go untreated. There is also a high burden of neurocysticercosis as a cause of epilepsy.

Palliative Care. We have a high burden of chronic disease and high child mortality. A specific goal of ours is to improve the quality of care and quality of life for these children and families. 

Our Developmental & Nutrition team includes Physiotherapy, Child Life, Occupational Therapy & Nutrition.

Speech Therapy:

We have a large burden of children with congenital or acquired speech and swallow issues. We very much need an experienced therapist to teach and support our team in swallow assessment and rehabilitation.

Speech pathology volunteers are required to provide following:

Training and support for the nutrition team in:

-          Working with infants with feeding difficulties in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, including babies with cleft lip and/or palate.

-          Assessment and management of babies and children with feeding difficulties in the inpatient department particularly children with nasogastric feeding and post encephalitis.

Training and support to the development team in the areas of:

-          Feeding/eating and drinking support for children with cerebral palsy and acquired brain injury; and children with limited diet due to sensory preferences. 

-          Communication (especially working with the Child life therapist)

o   assessment and management of children with speech and language difficulties, including use of parent training strategies.

o   Use of Alternative and Augmentative Communication systems including use of sign and visual supports to assist communication development in children with a range of disabilities including Down syndrome, Cerebral Palsy and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

o   Working with children with ASD including strategies to develop receptive and expressive language skills, social communication, and use of AAC (e.g. Picture Exchange communication)

o   Differential diagnosis of communication disorders

Physiotherapy:

Our physiotherapist welcomes inputs from all areas. They do a lot of work with our Developmental team which includes OT and Child Life.

One specific area of need is we would benefit from training in obtaining induced sputum from younger children to help in the diagnosis of TB.

Nutrition:

Our nutrition team welcomes the opportunity for volunteer support and upskilling.

An area of interest is “undernutrition” as a whole, not just malnutrition.

The laboratory staff have requested a haematology technician to help upskill them. They would require a minimum of 2 months duration for your stay.

Pharmacy volunteers would need to stay a minimum of 2 months. Areas of need could include the more “academic” aspect of the job, as well as the more mundane such as effective stock keeping.

We are currently well supported by RAD-AID. Feel free to enquire with them about joining their organization. https://rad-aid.org/about-us/volunteering/

Whether you're tech-savvy, a creative storyteller, or passionate about fundraising and partnerships – we'd love to hear from you.

Report to : Nursing Director

Start Date : Variable, dependent on other volunteers already recruited.

Lao Friends Hospital for Children (LFHC) is a 61-bed acute pediatric hospital situated in Luang Prabang, Lao PDR. It is operated by a New York based non-profit organisation, Friends Without A Border, which is dedicated to providing high-quality and compassionate healthcare to children in remote areas of Southeast Asia. In 2015 the hospital was opened on the same campus as the Luang Prabang Provincial Hospital and has been developing its services since then.

LFHC is a teaching hospital offering emergency, inpatient, outpatient and surgical services to neonates and children throughout Northern Laos. Limited on-site radiology, pathology and pharmacy together with a homecare program complement these clinical activities. A major goal of this hospital is to promote clinical learning and professional development of the local staff such that key positions in the hospital are progressively filled by a well-trained and dedicated local workforce.

Position Summary

LFHC has Lao Registered Nurses in the positions of Nursing Director and Nurse Managers spanning 7 departments. Despite being clinically experienced, they continue to benefit from the experience and advice of international nurses with a background in leadership and management. The role of the volunteer is to identify learning needs within the management team and assist in their professional growth, while helping them create educational opportunities in leadership and mentoring for members of their teams.

Specific Duties

·         Support the Nursing Director and Nurse Department Managers to develop knowledge and prowess in the following areas:

o    Budgeting

o    Procurement

o    Stock management

o    Quality Improvement

o    Mentoring

o    Auditing

o    Coordination and collaboration with other disciplines within hospital management structure

o    Disciplinary and HR processes

o    Staff development

o    Project management

o    Communication – including email, online meetings, interviews, professional-level English language

o    Admin skills – including computer skills (Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Moodle), electronic file organisation, cloud storage.

o    Policy and guideline development

·         Support the Nurse Department Managers in the review of existing nursing specific and hospital wide clinical policies and protocols.

·         Support managers in their development of nurse mentors to provide both bedside and classroom teaching for nurses as required.

·         Support the Nurse Department Managers in developing and implementing strategies for the provision of care in clinical areas.

Qualifications and Qualities

·         Registered to practice in home country

·         At least two years experience working in a nursing management role.

·         Experience working as a mentor or supervisor.

·         Ability to work effectively in a multidisciplinary team.

·         Innovative in providing educational opportunities for others.

·         Previous experience working in low to middle-income countries.

·         Flexible and able to work under pressure with ability to adapt to rapidly evolving clinical situations.

·         Experience of teaching nurses with limited English.

 Work Conditions and Benefits

·         This role is for a minimum of two months but with an extension possible.

·         Five days of leave will be given for each three months of work.

Please fill in the form with a cover letter, CV and three references from past employers.

Report to : Nursing Director

Start Date : Variable, dependent on other volunteers already recruited.

Lao Friends Hospital for Children (LFHC) is a 61-bed acute pediatric hospital situated in Luang Prabang, Lao PDR. It is operated by a New York based non-profit organisation, Friends Without A Border, which is dedicated to providing high-quality and compassionate healthcare to children in remote areas of Southeast Asia. In 2015 the hospital was opened on the same campus as the Luang Prabang Provincial Hospital and has been developing its services since then.

LFHC is a teaching hospital offering emergency, inpatient, outpatient and surgical services to neonates and children throughout Northern Laos. Limited on-site radiology, pathology and pharmacy together with a homecare program complement these clinical activities. A major goal of this hospital is to promote clinical learning and professional development of the local staff such that key positions in the hospital are progressively filled by a well-trained and dedicated local workforce.

Position Summary

LFHC has a four bed ED, seeing up to 100 attendances per day at the weekend. It is staffed by 1-2 nurses on weekdays and 3 at weekends.

The ED Volunteer is primarily responsible for the education, training and development of the LFHC ED nursing team. This includes the development and delivery of education and training, implementation of education curriculums, and development of trainers amongst the Lao nursing team. The volunteer will also be instrumental in the development of clinical guidelines and protocols in conjunction with both Lao and international staff. The role includes clinical shifts, both in a mentoring capacity and role modeling when demonstrating clinical excellence alongside Lao nurses. A vital component of the position is to enable Lao staff to create their own educational materials that can then be taught in-house, independently of international volunteers. This role differs from that of other LFHC nursing staff with respect to the specific duties that follow

Specific Duties

·         Support the ED Nurse Manager and Nurse Education Manager in improving and delivering education and training opportunities for the LFHC ED nursing team. Ensure all ED education programs are Lao-led and self-sufficient.

·         Support the ED Nurse Manager in the review of existing nursing specific and hospital wide clinical policies and protocols, and update for the ED as appropriate.

·         Support nurse mentors in providing both bedside and classroom teaching for nurses as required.

·         Support the ED Nurse Manager in developing and implementing strategies for the provision of care in the ED.

·         Support the ED Nurse Manager in liaising with LFHC Executive Staff to coordinate and develop clinical guidelines in the ED.

·         Liaise with the Nurse Education Manager, ED Nurse Manager, Education Coordinator and Medical Education Director in the coordination of joint medical and nursing education for ED.

·         Work in collaboration with the clinical team to identify new therapeutic measures to deal with more complex problems that are encountered in the department and devise new treatment pathways for them.

·         Support the Nurse Education Manager and ED Nurse Manager in the regular assessment of nursing competencies, and work collaboratively with the team in mentoring nurses as appropriately needed.

·         Work collaboratively with the education department in the creation of education and training materials which will be uploaded in the LFHC Moodle, an interactive online education portal.

·         Lead by example in demonstrating excellent emergency care on a daily basis • The volunteer will be required to work a mixture of administrative shifts (08.00 – 17.00) and clinical shifts (07.00 – 19.30) in response to the needs of LFHC. The organization of these shifts will be negotiated with the Nursing Director.

Qualifications and Qualities

·         Registered to practice in home country

·         At least two years experience working in an ED  environment

·         Experience working as a mentor or nurse educator

·         Ability to work effectively in a multidisciplinary team.

·         Innovative in providing educational opportunities for others.

·         Previous experience working in low to middle-income countries.

·         Flexible and able to work under pressure with ability to adapt to rapidly evolving clinical situations.

·         Experience of teaching nurses with limited English.

 Work Conditions and Benefits

·         This role is for a minimum of two months but with an extension possible.

·         Five days of leave will be given for each three months of work.

Please fill in the form with a cover letter, CV and three references from past employers.

Report to : Nursing Director

Start Date : Variable, dependent on other volunteers already recruited.

Lao Friends Hospital for Children (LFHC) is a 61-bed acute pediatric hospital situated in Luang Prabang, Lao PDR. It is operated by a New York based non-profit organisation, Friends Without A Border, which is dedicated to providing high-quality and compassionate healthcare to children in remote areas of Southeast Asia. In 2015 the hospital was opened on the same campus as the Luang Prabang Provincial Hospital and has been developing its services since then.

LFHC is a teaching hospital offering emergency, inpatient, outpatient and surgical services to neonates and children throughout Northern Laos. Limited on-site radiology, pathology and pharmacy together with a homecare program complement these clinical activities. A major goal of this hospital is to promote clinical learning and professional development of the local staff such that key positions in the hospital are progressively filled by a well-trained and dedicated local workforce.

Position Summary

In July 2022 LFHC plans to open a High Acuity Unit (HAU) to cater for the most unwell children attending the hospital. The acuity of patients in this unit will vary from the sickest patients who have previously been treated in IPD and ED to more acutely unwell children who may need intubation, inotropes, invasive monitoring and ventilation. The plan is to open initially with two beds and increase to four as the number of nursing staff trained to work in the HAU increases.

The HAU Volunteer is primarily responsible for the education, training and development of the LFHC HAU nursing team. This includes the development and delivery of education and training, implementation of education curriculums, and development of trainers amongst the Lao nursing team. The volunteer will also be instrumental in the development of clinical guidelines and protocols in conjunction with both Lao and international staff. The role includes clinical shifts, both in a mentoring capacity and role modeling when demonstrating clinical excellence alongside Lao nurses. A vital component of the position is to enable Lao staff to create their own educational materials that can then be taught in-house, independently of international volunteers. This role differs from that of other LFHC nursing staff with respect to the specific duties that follow

Specific Duties

• Support the HAU Nurse Manager and Nurse Education Manager in improving and delivering education and training opportunities for the LFHC HAU nursing team. Ensure all HAU education programs are Lao-led and self-sufficient.

• Support the HAU Nurse Manager in the review of existing nursing specific and hospital wide clinical policies and protocols, and update for the HAU as appropriate.

• Support nurse mentors in providing both bedside and classroom teaching for nurses as required.

• Support the HAU Nurse Manager in developing and implementing strategies for the provision of care in the HAU.

• Support the HAU Nurse Manager in liaising with LFHC Executive Staff to coordinate and develop clinical guidelines in the HAU.

• Liaise with the Nurse Educator, HAU Nurse Manager, Education Coordinator and Medical Education Director in the coordination of joint medical and nursing education for HAU.

• Work in collaboration with the clinical team to identify new therapeutic measures to deal with more complex problems that are encountered in the unit and devise new treatment pathways for them.

• Support the Nurse Education Manager and HAU Nurse Manager in the regular assessment of nursing competencies, and work collaboratively with the team in mentoring nurses as appropriately needed.

• Work collaboratively with the education department in the creation of education and training materials which will be uploaded in the LFHC Moodle.

• Lead by example in demonstrating excellent high-acuity care on a daily basis • The volunteer will be required to work a mixture of administrative shifts (08.00 – 17.00) and clinical shifts (07.00 – 19.30) in response to the needs of LFHC. The organization of these shifts will be negotiated with the Nursing Director.

Qualifications and Qualities

• Registered to practice in home country

• At least two years experience working in an HDU or ICU environment

• Experience of working with ventilators, inotropes, invasive monitoring and intubated patients Experience working as a mentor or nurse educator

• Ability to work effectively in a multidisciplinary team.

• Innovative in providing educational opportunities for others.

• Previous experience working in low to middle-income countries.

• Flexible and able to work under pressure with ability to adapt to rapidly evolving clinical situations.

• Experience of teaching nurses with limited English Work Conditions and Benefits.

• This role is for a minimum of two months but with an extension possible.

• Five days of leave will be given for each three months of work.

Please fill in the form with a cover letter, CV and three references from past employers.