Child Life Specialist - FT - Days - JDCH

About the role

Children and families often experience increased anxiety about illness and medical procedures. The primary role is to help infants, children, youth and families cope with the stress and uncertainty of hospitalization. Provides direct patient care utilizing developmentally appropriate therapeutic play, education, preparation and support. Collaborates with the healthcare team to provide social, emotional, and developmental support during a pediatric patient's illness and hospitalization.

Responsibilities

• Performs developmental and psychosocial assessments of patients.
• Collaborates with the healthcare team to plan appropriate interventions, provides appropriate education to patients and their caregivers, helps reduce patient stress and anxiety, and builds and maintains positive relationships with patients, families, and organizations/groups that support pediatric patients and programs.
• Orients, trains, and supervises child life students and volunteers.
• Promotes the role of parents and other family members as full partners on the healthcare team and promotes the philosophy of patient- and family-centered care.
• Implements therapeutic play to facilitate healing, coping, mastery, self-expression, creativity, achievement and learning.
• Supports patients through difficult tests, procedures and sometimes drastic changes due to chronic or acute illness, treatment and recovery.
• The responsibilities listed are a general overview and additional duties may be assigned.
• Develops and/or participates in outreach and educational activities to educate families, staff and the community about issues and services related to ill and hospitalized children.

Competencies

• Accountability
• Child Life Development
• Customer Service
• Develops Relationships
• Effective Communication
• Patient and Family Centered Care
• Responding to Change
• Standards of Behavior

Education And Certification Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree (Required)
• BLS American Heart E-Card (BLS AHA ECARD) – American Heart Association
• BLS American Heart RQI E-Card (BLS AHA-RQI ECARD) – American Heart Association
• BLS Cert American Heart_non ecard (BLS AHA) – American Heart Association
• BLS Certification Grace (BLS GRACE) – Employee Grace Period for Essential Credential
• BLS Cert Red Cross (BLS RC) – Red Cross

Education requirements: Bachelor’s degree in Child Life, child development, Psychology or a related field. Six hundred (600) hours internship completion required under the direct supervision of a Certified Child Life Specialist.

Must successfully complete the following 10 college/university courses (if degree is not in Child Life):

• Child life course taught by a CCLS
• A minimum of two (2) child development courses covering ages birth to 18 years
• Family system course
• Play course
• Loss/bereavement or death/dying course
• Research course
• Three (3) additional courses in related content areas (child development, child life, psychology or related field)

One (1) year of work experience required in related field. One (1) year of experience working in a Child Life Program preferred.

Working Conditions And Physical Requirements

• Bending and Stooping: 60%
• Climbing: 40%
• Keyboard Entry: 60%
• Kneeling: 40%
• Lifting/Carrying Patients 35 Pounds or Greater: 40%
• Lifting or Carrying 0 – 25 lbs Non-Patient: 60%
• Lifting or Carrying 25 – 75 lbs Non-Patient: 40%
• Lifting or Carrying > 75 lbs Non-Patient: 20%
• Pushing or Pulling 0 – 25 lbs Non-Patient: 60%
• Pushing or Pulling 26 – 75 lbs Non-Patient: 60%
• Pushing or Pulling > 75 lbs Non-Patient: 40%
• Reaching: 60%
• Repetitive Movement Hand/Arm: 60%
• Running: 40%
• Sitting: 60%
• Squatting: 40%
• Standing: 60%
• Walking: 60%
• Audible Speech: 60%
• Hearing Acuity: 60%
• Depth Perception: 60%
• Distinguish Color: 60%
• Seeing – Far: 60%
• Seeing – Near: 60%
• Bio hazardous Waste: 40%
• Biological Hazards – Respiratory: 40%
• Biological Hazards – Skin or Ingestion: 40%
• Blood and/or Bodily Fluids: 40%
• Communicable Diseases and/or Pathogens: 40%
• Cytotoxic Chemicals: 40%
• Dust: 40%
• Hazardous Chemicals: 40%
• Hazardous Medication: 40%
• Latex: 40%
• Computer Monitor: 60%
• Domestic Animals: 40%
• Fire Risk: 20%
• Moving Mechanical Parts: 40%
• Needles/Sharp Objects: 40%
• Potential Electric Shock: 20%
• Potential for Physical Assault: 20%
• Wet or Slippery Surfaces: 40%

Complexity of Work: Requires critical thinking skills, decisive judgment and the ability to work with minimal supervision. Must be able to work in a stressful environment and take appropriate action.