Clinical Officer Emergency Pediatric Medical & Critical Care (PECCCO) at Tenwek Hospital

Role Purpose:

• To glorify God by providing compassionate, excellent, safe, and high-quality emergency and critical care to paediatric patients presenting at AGC Tenwek Hospital and other healthcare facilities where the officer may be assigned under th

Key Responsibilities

 Spiritual Ministry and Christian Witness

• Demonstrate a personal commitment to Jesus Christ and uphold the Christian mission, vision, and values of AGC Tenwek Hospital.
• Be a witness of Jesus Christ through compassionate service, professional conduct, and the discipleship of others for God’s greater glory.
• Participate in the Hospital’s spiritual activities and appropriately support the spiritual and emotional needs of patients and their families.

Clinical Care

• Serve as the primary clinician for undifferentiated paediatric patients presenting to the Emergency or Casualty Department when assigned to the department.
• Conduct timely assessment, triage, diagnosis, stabilization, treatment, and appropriate referral of acutely ill or injured neonates, infants, children, and adolescents.
• Provide continuous care to paediatric patients admitted to critical care areas, including the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit, High Dependency Unit, Neonatal Unit, Emergency Department, and other designated clinical areas.
• Develop and implement evidence-based management plans for critically ill paediatric patients in consultation with paediatricians and other members of the multidisciplinary team.
• Recognize clinical deterioration and promptly initiate appropriate emergency interventions and escalation of care.
• Lead and participate in paediatric rapid-response and resuscitation teams.
• Monitor and manage paediatric patients requiring respiratory support, including those receiving oxygen therapy, non-invasive ventilation, or mechanical ventilation.
• Ensure safe prescribing, calculation, preparation, and administration of paediatric medications and intravenous fluids in accordance with approved protocols.
• Coordinate referrals, consultations, admissions, transfers, and discharge planning for paediatric patients.
• Communicate clearly and compassionately with parents and caregivers regarding the child’s condition, proposed interventions, progress, and follow-up requirements.
• Maintain accurate, complete, confidential, and timely clinical documentation.

Clinical Competencies and Skills

• The Clinical Officer – PECCCO should demonstrate the ability to:
• Obtain a comprehensive, age-appropriate clinical history and conduct a thorough physical examination of neonates, infants, children, and adolescents.
• Rapidly develop differential diagnoses for undifferentiated paediatric presentations.
• Appropriately triage children requiring urgent or immediate intervention.
• Recognize and manage paediatric shock, respiratory distress, altered consciousness, seizures, severe infections, trauma, and other life-threatening conditions.
• Safely initiate stabilization and ongoing management plans for critically ill paediatric patients.
• Calculate weight-based medication doses, maintenance fluids, replacement fluids, and emergency infusions accurately.
• Interpret relevant paediatric laboratory results, radiological investigations, electrocardiograms, and physiological monitoring data.
• Provide continuous care for critically ill and mechanically ventilated paediatric patients.
• Recognize the limits of personal competence and escalate care promptly to the appropriate specialist.

Requirements

• Diploma or bachelor’s degree in clinical medicine and surgery from a recognized institution.
• Higher Diploma or recognized postgraduate training in Paediatrics and Child Health, Emergency and Critical Care, or a closely related field is desirable.
• Registration with the Clinical Officers Council of Kenya.
• Valid annual practising licence from the Clinical Officers Council.
• Valid certification in Basic Life Support and an appropriate paediatric advanced life-support course.