Pediatric Emergency Care Coordinator
What is a Pediatric Emergency Care Coordinator?
A PECC is a designated individual or group who coordinates pediatric emergency care and who need not be dedicated solely to this role; it can be an individual or group already in place who assumes this role as part of their existing duties. For EMS agencies, the individual or group may be a member of the EMS agency, or work at a community or regional level and serve more than one agency.
The Pediatric Emergency Care Coordinator is responsible for:
- Being a resource for education on pediatric medications, equipment, and supplies:
- Promoting and sharing pediatric continuing education opportunities;
- Encouraging pediatric simulations/hands-on pediatric skills assessments;
- Encouraging that fellow providers/clinicians follow pediatric clinical practice guildelines; and
- Supporting any other pediatric related readiness and response initiative in the agency.
The role is not defined as a job nor specifically as any one or set group of responsibilities. The function is to support the preparedness and safe deliver of pediatric care.
A PECC is tasked with looking out for the needs of children.
A PECC is a Pediatric Champion, a Pediatric Advocate, a Content Expert.
Objectives of a PECC:
Education and Training
- promote pediatric continuing-education opportunities
- update training, protocols and policies as needed to maintain current practice standards
- assist with the education and training of EMS providers and emergency department clinicians
- identify gaps and ensures resources are available to care for children
- promote participation in pediatric-research efforts
Community Engagement and Preparedness
- promote participation in pediatric prevention programs
- work with state and local authorities and coalitions to address pediatric needs in the event of a disaster
- establish a liaison between EMS and emergency department pediatric emergency care coordinators
- promote family-centered care
- support agency/facility participation in the Prepared for Pedicatrics program
- ensure that the pediatric perspective is included in the development of protocols, policies, and clinical guidelines
- coordinate pediatric specific pre-arrival and triage activities
Clinical Care
- enhance information dissemination and improves overall care and outcomes
- maintain case review and feedback
- ensure that fellow EMS providers follow pediatric clinical practice guidelines and protocols
- review current research and practice to maintain pediatric care within a service
- ensure the availability of pediatric medications, equipment, and supplies
- review medication and devices available for the prehospital care of children
- stay connected to pediatric information
- ensure care delivery is in line with current protocols and evidence-based practice standards
Quality Improvement
- provide input and support of pediatric specific quality metrics
- suport the pediatric-process improvement
- establish Quality Improvement plans with pediatric specific indicators
- Pediatric Liaison Nurses. (2021, June 4). Pediatric Liaison Nurse.
- Committee on the Future of Emergency Care in the United States Health System. (2007). Emergency Care for Children: Growing Pains. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
- Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). (2017, March 1). EMS for Children Performance Measures. Implementation Manual for State Partnership Grantees. Retrieved from the National EMSC Data Analysis and Resource Center
- Gausche-Hill, M. E. (2015). A National Assessment of Pediatric Readiness of Emergency Departments. JAMA Pediatrics, 527-534.
- Ames, S. G.-H. (2019). Emergency Department Pediatric Readiness and Mortality in Critically Ill Children. Pediatrics, e20190568.
- Remick, K. G. (2019). Pediatric emergency department readiness among US trauma hospitals. The Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery, 803-809.
What is a Pediatric Emergency Care Coordinator?
A PECC is a designated individual or group who coordinates pediatric emergency care and who need not be dedicated solely to this role; it can be an individual or group already in place who assumes this role as part of their existing duties. For EMS agencies, the individual or group may be a member of the EMS agency, or work at a community or regional level and serve more than one agency.
It is increasingly being demonstrated that the presence of a PECC within an EMS agency, ED, or hospital is one of—if not the—strongest driver of improved quality of emergency care for children. The results of both the 2003 and 2013 National Pediatric Readiness Assessments indicate that the presence of a PECC is strongly correlated with enhanced pediatric readiness, independent of other factors. Correspondingly, a higher level of pediatric readiness in EDs has been shown to be associated with decreased morbidity and mortality in critically ill and injured children, regardless of trauma designation. It is expected that EMS agencies who have a PECC would show similar improvements.
- Pediatric Liaison Nurses. (2021, June 4). Pediatric Liaison Nurse. Retrieved from https://pdln.net/
- Committee on the Future of Emergency Care in the United States Health System. (2007). Emergency Care for Children: Growing Pains. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
- Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). (2017, March 1). EMS for Children Performance Measures. Implementation Manual for State Partnership Grantees. Retrieved from the National EMSC Data Analysis and Resource Center www.nedarc.org
- Gausche-Hill, M. E. (2015). A National Assessment of Pediatric Readiness of Emergency Departments. JAMA Pediatrics, 527-534.
- Ames, S. G.-H. (2019). Emergency Department Pediatric Readiness and Mortality in Critically Ill Children. Pediatrics, e20190568.
- Remick, K. G. (2019). Pediatric emergency department readiness among US trauma hospitals. The Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery, 803-809.
What is the purpose?
The purpose of a PECC is to ensure that children receive the same quality of emergency care as their adult counterparts. While EMS, ED, or hospital leadership’s commitment to the appointment of one dedicated individual to this role is likely to have a greater, long-standing impact, the PECC role need not be filled as a full-time position by one individual. The simple acknowledgment that the position holds value and identifying one or multiple people to act as a pediatric champion within the EMS agency, ED or hospital is a powerful initial step.
The role can be within a single EMS agency, ED or hospital or a single individual may be shared across multiple agencies, a hospital network, or region. Depending on the pediatric volume of the EMS agency, ED, or hospital, this person may take on the PECC duties in addition to other responsibilities (e.g., educator, trauma coordinator, etc.). Similarly, more than one individual may work collaboratively to ensure pediatric needs are well integrated into the system of care. Individuals interested in serving as a PECC within an EMS agency, ED or hospital may have relatively little guidance on the roles, responsibilities, and skill set to be effective. The aim of this module is to describe the roles, responsibilities, and skill set of an effective PECC with the goal of strengthening the impact of those serving in this role both now and in the future.
PreHospital PECC
The Prehospital PECC is responsible for:
• Being a resource for education on pediatric medications, equipment, and supplies;
• Promoting and sharing pediatric continuing education opportunities;
• Encouraging pediatric simulations/hands-on pediatric skills assessments;
• Encouraging that fellow providers/clinicians follow pediatric clinical practice guidelines; and
• Supporting any other pediatric related readiness and response initiative in the agency.
Emergency Department PECC
The Emergency Department PECC is responsible for:
• Being a resource for education on pediatric medications, equipment, and supplies;
• Promoting and sharing pediatric continuing education opportunities;
• Encouraging pediatric simulations/hands-on pediatric skills assessments;
• Encouraging that fellow providers follow pediatric clinical practice guidelines; and
• Supporting any other pediatric related readiness and response initiative in the agency.