About TKHMTC

HISTORY OF THE KAREN HOSPITAL MEDICAL TRAINING COLLEGE (TKHMTC)

BACKGROUND INFORMATION:

The Karen Hospital Medical Training College (TKHMTC) was started on 2nd September 2013 with the first batch of nine (9) students. The college was envisioned, proposed and facilitated by the Karen Hospital Limited Board of Directors (BOD) under the able leadership of the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dr. Betty Gikonyo. This was in her bid to realize one of her dreams of training and developing competent healthcare professionals not only for the local but regional and international market consumption. She was elated when her dream to facilitate leadership in healthcare training came to fruition on 17th March 2017 when the college held its first graduation ceremony hosted by Prof. George Magoha (The chairman of Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentist Board-KMPDB and the then Cabinet secretary, Ministry of Education). Three months before, on June 19th 2013, the Nursing Council of Kenya (REF: NCK/ST/2013) officially authorized TKHMTC to operate as a training institution.

With the approval, came the implementation of the Kenya Registered Nursing (KRN) program. The college was also approved by the Ministry of Higher Education through the Technical and Vocational Education Training Authority (TVETA) on 19th June 2017 to offer diploma courses. We now offer Higher Diploma in Cardiology, Higher Diploma in Cardiopulmonary Perfusion and Diploma in Perioperative Theatre Engineering. The college was also approved by the Nursing Council of Kenya (NCK) in the same Month to be a CPD (Continuous Professional Development) Centre for short courses such as Basic Life support (BLS), Advanced cardiac life support (ACLS), Advanced Paediatric Life Support (APLS), Advanced Life Support in Obstetric (ALSO) among others. The institution was officially launched and opened by the then Kajiado County Governor, Hon. David Nkendianye and the building consecrated by Rev. Paul Wanjau of the Presbyterian Churches of Kenya on 8th November 2013.

The Karen Hospital Medical Training College is an innovative medical school that is committed to excellence and leadership in health and education with a business administration angle, medical research and service to the society. This has been evidenced by the consistent excellence in academic performance that has seen the college rated as one of the best performing training institution in the Kenya Registered Nursing (KRN) programme in Kenya. Initially situated at Anselim Building in Ngong Town, the college relocated its classrooms to The Karen Hospital grounds along Lang’ata-Karen Road in Nairobi in November 2015. The move from Ngong was necessitated by the tremendous growth in the students population. On 1st July 2017, the college relocated accommodation facilities to the Karen hospital which has a capacity of 100 students.

MISSION:  To train and develop nationally and internationally competent health care professionals who are ready to offer quality nursing care.

VISION: To be a model faculty of excellence in the training and development of competent healthcare professionals within Kenya and beyond.

CORE VALUES:

• Sharing of knowledge and skills
• Respect for policies and standards of care
• Integrity and ethics
• Professionalism
• Patriotism
• Innovation
• Team work

TKHMTC proficiently trains whole-rounded molded nurse, well equipped with the necessary knowledge, skills and attitude to face and collaboratively address the healthcare challenges of the 21st Century. This result-focused training is expedited by the institution’s ultramodern state-of- the-art Skills Laboratory that supports and integrates the three domains of learning. The Skills Lab is equipped with advanced models and simulators to enhance teaching and skill acquisition. With the up to date and highly competent faculty team the students are exposed to Objective Structured Clinical Exams (OSCEs) before they are exposed to clinical placements for hands-on care.

The college has a well-equipped library and computer lab with up-to-date books in both hard and soft copies. The e- library has over 2000 books, journals, newsletters and periodicals and students and lectures have access to instant information through the clinical key and nursing consult. The Karen hospital environment provides an exceptionally serene learning environment and access to highly specialized level five (5) hospital to the students. In addition to being registered by NCK, the college is also ISO 9001:2015 certified under The Karen Hospital processes.

TKHMTC collaborates with the Karen Hospital for training and community service through medical camps and other Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities to include co-curricular activities. The college has also attracted international investment and collaboration interest from Anglia Ruskin University (UK), Quality Dialysis (U.S.A) and Goodwell Investments (Netherlands).

The Kenya Registered Nursing (KRN) Diploma course offered by the institution is a three-year full-time course. Its curriculum is unique as it incorporates components of cardiac nursing and abides by the general objectives for the KRN program as prescribed by the Nursing Council of Kenya (Trainers manual 2008). The TKHMTC hopes to prepare a competent, registered nurse with qualities that will enable him or her function effectively in the provision of quality health services to the individual, family and community in any setting. It is in this endeavour that the college has adopted the student centred competent-based curriculum.

The college is currently at a student population of two hundred and forty-six (246). TKHMTC has graduated a total of eighty-nine (89) highly competent nurses working at the Karen Hospital and other high-end private, faith-based and public health care facilities. The Higher diploma in Cardiology has graduated the first batch of graduands in 2019. We are looking forward to the 5th graduation on 17^th November 2023 where we shall be graduating 55 graduands in KRN, Cardiology and Perioperative Theatre Technology.

Milestones

The college milestones include:

1. Accreditation by NCK and TVETA
2. 100% pass mark in KRN licensure exam since its inception
3. Academic symposium award 2018 in inter-colleges competition
4. 2nd runners up in Cultural event 2018 in inter-colleges competition
5. Best performance in sports April 2019 in inter-colleges competition

 Course duration:

The program is designed to take three years (144 weeks).

The training integrates theory and practice. Theory covers 40 weeks while the rest is practical. Admission A student is admitted into the program when he/she meets the entry requirements which are stipulated below:

General minimum entry requirements:

The eligible candidate shall have attained the following minimum academic qualifications:

• C (Plain) aggregate in Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE
• C (Plain) in English or Kiswahili C (Plain) in Biology
• C (Minus) in Mathematics, chemistry or physics

Note:

Entry point is set by TKHMTC in accordance with the NCK minimum entry requirements for this course.

Registration:

Registration for admission takes place twice in a year, March/April and September/October upon payment of requisite fees.

Clinical placement:

The college utilizes both internal and external healthcare institutions that have collaborated with the training school and approved by the NCK. Assessments Students are subjected to internal examinations by the college as well as three major practical examinations as stipulated by NCK. They also sit for the qualifying licensing exams conducted by NCK at the end of the training.

Additional training:

The college, in collaboration with the hospital also offers post basic trainings to include:-

• Advanced cardiac life support (ACLS)
• Advanced Paediatric Life Support (APLS)
• Advanced Life Support in Obstetric (ALSO)
• Basic Life Support (BLS)

Strategic Partnerships:

Our strategic partners in training for clinical experience include:

• The Karen Hospital
• Kijabe AIC Hospital
• Gertrude’s Children’s Hospital
• Mathari Referral & Teaching Hospital
• Mater Hospital
• Pumwani Maternity Hospital
• Mbagathi Hospital
• Ngong-Sub County Hospital
• Mutuini Sub county Hospital

The college has also collaborated with funding institutions for less privileged students to enable them pursue their dreams. These institutions include:

• Higher Education Loans Board (HELB)- Afya Elimu
• Uwezo Foundation
• Samburu Girls Foundation- Hon Leah Kulea
• Rahimtulla Trust Fund
• The Big life Foundation-Loitoktok
• Elimu foundation-Coast region
• Counties through bursaries

In addition to the above, the school recently formed partnerships with institutions of higher learning for teaching practice and referral of candidates who do not qualify for degree in nursing. These institutions include:

• Daystar University
• Regina Pacis University
• Baraton University

With the current nationwide challenges in the basic health care training owing to the dynamics in the education sector in the KCSE performance, the college has strategized to diversify its courses to include:-

1. Diploma in clinical Medicine and surgery
2. Higher diploma in cardiac nursing
3. Higher diploma in cardiology for medical officers
4. Higher diploma in Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation