Consultant NICU

JOB SUMMARY The Consultant – NICU plans, directs, coordinates, administers and supervises acute management of patients in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), Nursery and postnatal wards in accordance with Ministry of Health regulations, Hospital Medical Staff Bylaws, Rules & Regulations and Department Policy & Guidelines. Responsible for clinical assessment, support, resuscitation and decisions regarding all management issues of neonates. Reports on matters relating to neonatal patient care division to the Medical Director through the Clinical Director. DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES Operational Duties Supervises and manages the NICU providing professional care and management for term and preterm neonates with acute severe illness or complex neonatal diseases Supervises and manages the Nursery for any admissions following birth for conditions such as respiratory distress, jaundice etc. Attends to preterm (less than 34 weeks) and high risk / multiple deliveries with a Registrar Supervises, guides and performs: • Resuscitation at delivery • Advanced airway management including endo-tracheal intubation and mechanical ventilation • Peripheral and umbilical arterial and venous cannulation • Parenteral nutrition and complex treatment of preterm babies Checks all newborns after delivery and before discharge with proper guidance to the parents for further care and nursing. Makes available a Baby Plan to the parents with growth & development scales for regular examination of the baby Provides outpatient consultations for newborns and runs a follow-up clinic to review outpatients who have received neonatal care and participated in neonatal follow up program Prescribes or administers treatment, therapy, medication and other specialized medical care to treat diseases or conditions Monitors patients' conditions and progress and re-evaluate treatments as necessary Ensures close and mutual cooperation with the Obstetrician &Gynecology department for the optimal service of term, preterm and high risk deliveries. Manages record keeping, patient charts and all required NICU and Hospital records as needed. Establishes and maintains a coordinated management system for the neonatal unit in cooperation with the Head Nurse. Fosters the development of a team to provide expert neonatal services. Provides an out of hours (emergency) on-call service (including weekends, public holidays and night shifts) to provide specialist neonatal services as required. Patient Care Considers the patient’s safety as the first priority while working. Includes the neonates Guardian/ Care taker in discussions concerning appropriate diagnostic and management procedures. Liaises with other medical, nursing and allied health staff to assess, plan, implement and evaluate patient care needs. Maintains a work environment that promotes high standards for patient care and ethical behavior Compliance with Medical Ethics Ensures implementation of the standard concepts, practices, and procedures within the field of Neonatology. Exhibits appropriate personal and interpersonal professional behavior; practices medicine ethically and stays consistent with the obligations of a physician. Respects the opinions of fellow and referring Physicians in the management of neonate problems; provides means whereby differences in opinion can be discussed and resolved. Recognizes limits of personal skills and knowledge by appropriately consulting other Physicians while caring for the newborns. Shows a pattern of maintaining current personal clinical skills and knowledge by continuing medical education. Other Duties Ensures policies and procedures regarding infection control are implemented in NICU, SCU and Nursery Helps in professional development of Department Registrars and Nurses, promotes evidence-based practice and provides educational material as part of the professional development of the staff Provides leadership for organizational performance improvement activities Plans for the provision of orientation, in-service and continuing education programs, along with other Consultants of the Department Actively participates and directs all Department members in the organization’s activities designed to attain accreditation by the JCIA and other appropriate accreditation agencies. Attends regularly scheduled meeting for the improvement of patient care services and delivery Accepts all other additional assignments as requested by the Clinical Director of the NICU. KEY CONTACTS INTERNAL: Visiting & NMH Doctors/Physicians Heads of Departments Nursing/Reception Staff EXTERNAL: Patients Patients Relatives & Friends General Public JOB REQUIREMENTS Education : Bachelors’ Degree in Medicine. Masters’ Degree or Membership/ Fellowship/ Board in Pediatrics and Neonatology; which is recognized by KIMS (Kuwait Institute for Medical Specialization). Subspecialty Board in Neonatology or minimum 3 years’ training in Neonatology in University Teaching Hospital. Trained in NRP (Neonatal Resuscitation Program) is desired Licensing: Valid License from Ministry of Health-Kuwait to practice as a Neonatology Consultant Experience : Preferably 12 years’ experience with minimum 7 years experience post Fellowship/Membership/Board in Neonatology. OTHER SKILLS: Management Skills: Social Perceptiveness and Problem Sensitivity; Decision Making , Teaching, Counselling, Analytical and Critical Thinking skills; Attention to detail and a Team Player. Soft Skills: Excellent Communication and Inter-Personal skills Computer Skills: MS Office (Word, Excel, Outlook), Internet Language Skills: Good in written and spoken English, Arabic is preferred.