Child Life Assistant PRN

About the role

The Child Life Assistant interacts directly with pediatric patients, families, and other healthcare team members and facilitates age-appropriate activities to help make the healthcare experience easier for patients and families. Under the direction of a child life specialist, the assistant provides activities in a play setting that reduces patient and family distress, increases effective coping, fosters patient independence, and promotes optimum development.

This role is designed as a career path toward other child development roles, and most Child Life Assistants are working toward child life certification through the Association of Child Life Professionals while earning a degree and certifications.

Responsibilities

• Assess and prioritize developmental needs of pediatric patients and families; update child life specialist when patient needs are outside scope of practice
• Develop, implement, advertise, and evaluate developmentally appropriate play and recreational activities
• Direct parents, students, and volunteers in providing developmentally appropriate toys to patients and families in play spaces
• Screen and transport patients to play areas; complete check-in guidelines and policies to ensure child safety
• Assist in coordinating special events, holidays, and special visitors
• Maintain a clean, safe environment in accordance with infection prevention and safety standards
• Monitor and provide a supportive, child-friendly environment in play spaces; supervise, orient, and train students and volunteers as needed
• Assist with ordering, receiving, organizing, and distributing supplies
• Supervise and independently lead the facility “Kids Clubhouse,” coordinating the work of volunteers in that space

Required Qualifications

• Demonstrated experience working with healthy children or children in a medical or hospital setting
• Knowledge of child development
• Computer experience in word processing, spreadsheets, and databases or similar applications
• Ability to work independently and be organized
• Ability to work in a stressful environment related to patient needs including acute, chronic, and complex disease, and grief and bereavement
• Maintains appropriate boundaries with patients and families

Preferred Qualifications

• Associate or bachelor’s degree
• Working toward child life certification through the Association of Child Life Professionals
• Work experience as a child life assistant
• Completion of child life pre-internship/practicum
• Completion of a 600-hour child life internship
• Spanish speaking

Physical Requirements

• Frequent interactions with patient care providers, patients, and visitors that require verbal communication, hearing and understanding spoken information, alarms, needs, and rapid assessment, particularly during emergency situations to maintain safety
• Ongoing need to see and read information, documents, monitors, identify equipment and supplies, and assess customer needs
• Manual dexterity of hands and fingers to manipulate complex and delicate equipment with precision and accuracy; frequent computer use for typing and accessing information
• Expected to lift and utilize full range of movement to transfer patients; bend to retrieve, lift, and carry supplies and equipment of varying weights, up to and including heavy items

Schedule

PRN (as needed by the department). Supporting open shifts for a child life assistant. A minimum of six shifts per month, including one weekend or evening shift.

Pay

The hourly range for this position is $21.02 – $29.72, dependent upon experience.