School Nurse At Shining Hope For Communities

Location: Sankore International School, Gigiri, Nairobi, Kenya
Reports to: Business Manager
Start date: August 1, 2026

About Sankore International School

Sankore International School is a new, mission-driven school being established by SHOFCO in Nairobi. Opening in 2026, Sankore will serve early years through primary and expand one grade per year toward full capacity. The school combines an adapted international education with a strong Kenyan identity, access, diversity, inclusion, and community-rooted excellence.

Sankore is building a joyful, rigorous, and diverse learning community where scholars are known, supported, and safe. Rooted in the values of Consciousness, Curiosity, Courage, Continuous Growth, Creativity, and Community Care, Sankore prepares young people to shape a better world for themselves and all of us.

Role Overview

The School Nurse will lead day-to-day health care, first aid, emergency response, health records, and wellness support for Sankore’s founding school community. This role is central to creating a safe, caring, and well-organized environment where scholars can learn with confidence and families can trust that health needs are managed with professionalism and discretion.

The School Nurse will manage the school clinic, provide basic medical care to students and staff,[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] support children with allergies, chronic conditions, and individual health needs, maintain accurate confidential records, and coordinate with families, staff, external providers, and emergency services when needed.

As part of a founding team, the School Nurse will also help build Sankore’s health systems from the ground up, including clinic protocols, medication procedures, immunization tracking, health and safety routines, referral pathways, and preventive health education.

Core Responsibilities

1. Student Health Care and First Aid

• Provide first aid, basic medical care, and initial assessment for students and staff during school hours.
• Respond calmly and effectively to injuries, illness, accidents, and medical emergencies.
• Assess when a student can return to class, requires rest, needs family contact, or should be referred for further medical care.
• Administer prescribed medication in line with school policy, parental consent, and professional nursing standards.
• Support students with allergies, asthma, diabetes, epilepsy, and other chronic or ongoing health needs.

2. Clinic Management and Medical Readiness

• Set up, maintain, and manage the school clinic as a clean, safe, child-friendly, and well-equipped space.
• Maintain appropriate first aid supplies, medication storage, emergency equipment, and clinic inventory.
• Develop and follow protocols for injury response, illness management, medication administration, infection prevention, and referrals.
• Ensure health equipment and supplies are stored, monitored, and replenished appropriately.
• Support health readiness for school trips, sports, events, and other off-site or higher-risk activities.

3. Health Records, Confidentiality, and Compliance

• Maintain accurate, confidential, and up-to-date student health records.
• Track medical histories, allergies, chronic conditions, medication permissions, emergency contacts, and care plans.
• Monitor immunization documentation in line with Ministry of Health expectations and school requirements.
• Prepare appropriate reports for school leadership while protecting student confidentiality.
• Ensure clinic documentation supports continuity of care, safeguarding, compliance, and responsible decision-making.

4. Emergency Response and Health and Safety

• Serve as a key responder during medical incidents, accidents, drills, and emergencies.
• Coordinate with the Business Manager and school leadership on health, safety, and risk management.
• Liaise with nearby health facilities, ambulance providers, and emergency services when escalation is required.
• Support development and implementation of emergency medical protocols.
• Participate in health and safety audits, risk assessments, evacuation drills, and incident reviews.

5. Safeguarding, Child Protection, and Student Wellbeing

• Uphold Sankore’s safeguarding and child protection policies at all times.
• Identify and report health-related concerns that may indicate neglect, abuse, emotional distress, or other safeguarding risks.
• Work closely with school leadership, teachers, and relevant staff to support students’ physical, emotional, and developmental wellbeing.
• Maintain professional boundaries, confidentiality, and child-centered practice.
• Help ensure that every student feels treated with dignity, care, and respect.

6. Family, Staff, and Community Partnership

• Communicate clearly and respectfully with families about student health concerns, incidents, medication, follow-up care, and preventive health needs.
• Partner with teachers and staff so they understand relevant student health plans and emergency procedures.
• Provide practical guidance to staff on first aid response, hygiene, infection prevention, and health-related classroom considerations.
• Support family engagement around wellness, nutrition, hygiene, immunization, and child development.
• Build trust with families through professionalism, discretion, and consistent follow-through.

7. Health Promotion and Preventive Education

• Support school-wide wellness initiatives related to hygiene, nutrition, physical health, mental health, puberty education, infection prevention, and healthy routines.
• Contribute to age-appropriate health education in partnership with educators.
• Monitor patterns in student illness or injury and recommend preventive actions.
• Promote a culture of health, safety, and care across the school.
• Support public health preparedness, including communicable disease prevention and response.

8. Founding Systems and Continuous Improvement

• Help design Sankore’s clinic procedures, forms, logs, referral systems, and health communication templates.
• Recommend improvements to school health policies and operating routines.
• Use data from clinic visits, incidents, and health trends to strengthen prevention and response.
• Work with the Business Manager to ensure health systems are practical, compliant, and sustainable.
• Contribute to a founding team culture of learning, reflection, accountability, and care.

Qualifications and Experience

Required

• Diploma or degree in Nursing from a recognized institution.
• Current registration and valid practicing license with the Nursing Council of Kenya.
• 2–5 years of clinical nursing experience, preferably including experience in a school, pediatric, family health, emergency, or community health setting.
• Current certification in First Aid and CPR; Basic Life Support certification strongly preferred.
• Strong knowledge of child health, common childhood illnesses, medication administration, infection prevention, and emergency response.
• Experience maintaining confidential health records and communicating with families.
• Fluency in English; Kiswahili strongly preferred.
• Commitment to safeguarding, inclusion, confidentiality, and child-centered care.

Preferred

• Prior experience in an international school, private school, pediatric clinic, or multicultural education environment.
• Experience supporting students with allergies, asthma, chronic conditions, neurodevelopmental needs, or individual health plans.
• Training in child protection, mental health first aid, public health, nutrition, or adolescent health.
• Familiarity with Ministry of Health expectations, immunization records, and school health protocols in Kenya.
• Experience setting up or improving clinic systems, health logs, medication procedures, or emergency protocols.

Core Competencies

• Clinical judgment: Assesses symptoms, injuries, and risks accurately and knows when to treat, monitor, refer, or escalate.
• Emergency readiness: Responds calmly, quickly, and professionally during urgent health incidents.
• Child-centered care: Builds trust with young learners and treats every child with dignity, patience, and respect.
• Confidentiality and ethics: Handles sensitive medical and family information with discretion and professionalism.
• Family communication: Explains health concerns clearly and respectfully to parents and guardians.
• Organization and documentation: Maintains accurate records, reliable systems, and orderly clinic operations.
• Safeguarding awareness: Recognizes and reports concerns appropriately while following school policy.
• Collaboration: Works effectively with teachers, operations staff, leadership, families, and external health providers.
• Preventive mindset: Uses health data, observation, and education to reduce risk and promote wellbeing.
• Founding-school adaptability: Builds systems, solves problems, and works flexibly in a growing school environment.

Success in This Role Looks Like

• Sankore’s clinic is safe, well-stocked, organized, and ready to serve students and staff from the first day of school.
• Student health records, medication permissions, emergency contacts, and care plans are accurate and current.
• Medical incidents are handled calmly, documented properly, and communicated appropriately.
• Students with chronic conditions, allergies, or specific medical needs have clear care plans understood by relevant staff.
• Families experience the nurse as professional, responsive, discreet, and caring.
• Staff understand basic health procedures, emergency protocols, and when to refer students to the clinic.
• Health, hygiene, and safety routines are embedded into the daily life of the school.
• The School Nurse contributes to a founding culture where students feel seen, supported, and safe.

Why Join Sankore?

Joining Sankore means helping build a new model of education in Kenya from the ground up. As School Nurse, you will do more than run a clinic. You will help create the systems of care, trust, safety, and wellbeing that allow children to learn fully and families to feel confident in the school community.

This is an opportunity to bring clinical expertise into a founding school committed to access, excellence, diversity, and community care.