Child Life Specialist - Pediatrics

Responsibilities

• Collaborates with hospital personnel in identifying and managing patient’s psychosocial needs, including making appropriate referrals.
• Participates in unit rounds, patient care conferences, and inter-disciplinary rounds.
• Provides staff education regarding the impact of hospitalization of children and developmentally appropriate coping techniques.
• Makes appropriate referrals to outside organizations that provide emotional and developmental support to children and families experiencing needs related to hospitalization, illness, and bereavement.
• Educates staff on how to provide an environment that addresses the psychosocial needs of patients and families.
• Self-evaluates provision of child life services as they relate to the job description and makes changes as needed.
• Participates in the development and implementation of department performance improvement initiatives and child life shared decision-making process.
• Selects and utilizes diagnosis-specific teaching tools and preparation equipment appropriate for the population served.
• Provides developmentally appropriate education regarding diagnosis and treatment.
• Selects and adapts procedural preparation materials and interactions based on patient’s and family’s developmental level, emotional status, temperament, learning style, and physical abilities.
• Presents materials in a developmentally appropriate manner that allows for interaction from the patient and family to assess further educational needs while addressing misconceptions.
• Describes sensory experiences, sequence of events, timing, and duration of procedures in developmentally appropriate language.
• Sets and maintains appropriate limits with patients and families during hospitalization.
• Recognizes patient’s individual qualities or behaviors to promote self-esteem.
• Includes the patient in all conversations that occur in his/her presence.
• Demonstrates sensitivity to parents’ concerns and uses the parents as a resource when developing goals and interventions.
• Provides the patient with appropriate choices and respects the patient’s decision.
• Establishes clear expectations during hospitalization and helps the patient meet these expectations.
• Includes parents as part of the healthcare team.
• Advocates for the psychosocial needs of patients and families.
• Assesses and implements therapeutic programming for assigned population.
• Provides interactions and activities to match the developmental and current emotional status of patients and families.
• Provides normalization activities during hospitalization within a non-threatening and supportive environment.
• Identifies patient-specific stressors and utilizes stress reduction techniques such as non-pharmacological pain management to facilitate adaptive coping.
• Helps the patient process their fears and/or misconceptions by providing developmentally appropriate interventions.
• Upholds expectations set forth by accreditation body.
• Demonstrates knowledge of current charting procedures through clear, concise, timely documentation and chart reviews.
• Maintains professional standards of the Child Life Council.
• Uses play therapeutically to promote healing, coping, mastery, self-expression, control, and learning. Selects activities to address individualized needs of patients and families including their developmental, physical, social, and emotional needs.
• Recognizes and responds to symbolic play and alternative forms of communication.
• Participates in special events by identifying appropriate patients, serving as a liaison to volunteer services, and helping to implement programming.
• Supervises and coordinates volunteers in assigned areas to maximize their use in providing opportunities for play and normalization to patients and families.
• Facilitates adaptive coping strategies for patients and families while respecting their cultural beliefs.
• Selects and adapts bereavement resources and interventions based on each child’s and family’s developmental level, emotional status, cultural beliefs, temperament, and learning style.
• Participates in the implementation of department and unit-based customer service initiatives.
• Provides post-procedural support and follow-up to patients and families.
• Introduces Child Life role and services to families.
• Responds appropriately to patient’s and family’s emotional cues and behaviors.
• Supervises and evaluates students and volunteers.
• Plans orientation for Child Life Internship participants and supervises internships.
• Attends at least one child life-related seminar or educational experience a year.
• Attends departmental staff meetings, in-services, and training.
• Maintains patient and staff confidentiality per policy.
• Practices fiscal responsibility in ordering and management of child life supplies.
• Demonstrates proficiency in the assessment of patient, family, and unit environment to ensure optimal safety.

Requirements

• Clinical Internship in Child Life required.
• Child Life Certification to be obtained within one year of hire.
• Bachelor’s degree in Child Life, Recreation Therapy, Child Development Education, or a closely related field.

Qualifications

Physical Requirements and Working Conditions

• Must be able to use visual acuity to see monitor screen, computer, and hard copy materials.
• Must be able to hear and verbally communicate in person and over the phone or radio.
• Must be able to sit for prolonged periods of time (up to 2 hours).
• Must be able to comprehend and learn operation of various office equipment.
• Must have functional range of motion of the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spines, upper and lower extremities with a grip strength of 50-60# specific to job evaluation.
• Must be able to forward reach, overhead reach, bend, squat, kneel, and apply proper body mechanics during transfers and transport of supplies and/or equipment using proper body mechanics.
• Must be able to lift up to 10# specific to job evaluation.