Job Description

The Child Life Specialist provides opportunities for children and their families to adapt to the hospitalization experience by facilitating communication, utilizing therapeutic play and providing education. The Child Life Specialist promotes activities which foster normal growth and development and help decrease the stress and anxiety associated with illness and hospitalization.

Core Competencies

• Assesses childs understanding of illness and reason for hospitalization.
• Determines childs understanding of anticipated surgery and/or procedures.
• Identifies common misconceptions and fears for developmental age groups, eg illness as punishment for misdeeds in the preschool age group.
• Sees newly admitted pediatric patients to determine childs perceptions related to his/her illness and hospitalization.
• Allows the child to hold and play with objects (as appropriate) that will be used in providing care, eg stethoscopes, etc Discusses pre-operative and post-operative procedures with child and family in preparation for surgery.
• Engages the child in conversation about his/her illness using age-appropriate language.
• Provides pre-hospitalization tours whenever possible.
• Utilizes pictures, books, puppets, dolls, and other objects as appropriate to explain procedures.
• Utilizes therapeutic play activities to correct childs misconceptions and prepare the child for anticipated procedures.
• Assists patients and school-age children in TLC Unit with schoolwork as needed.
• Organizes arts and crafts for both patients and children in TLC Unit to promote fine-motor development and encourage creativity.
• Plans daily group activities to promote socialization.
• Provides play activities which promote normal growth and development.
• Reads books to children Provides sensory stimulation, including crib mobiles, music boxes, and textures.
• Utilizes age appropriate toys and activities.
• Adheres to all policies and procedures relating to infection control and isolation practices.
• Demonstrates knowledge of safety principles.
• Identifies each patient by his/her identification band prior to proceeding with any intervention.
• Identifies unsafe acts or conditions and takes measures to correct the situation or notifies supervisor immediately.
• Instructs parents in safety practices, eg use of siderails, selection of appropriate toys, no bottle propping.
• Ensures that TLC medication refrigerator remains locked.
• Recognizes sign of potential communicable diseases in TLC Unit and notifies RN Monitors that age-appropriate toys are given to children, eg balloons should not be brought to the hospital to prevent danger of aspiration.
• Uses bedrails appropriately.
• Consults with Burn Center staff to assess and plan appropriate play activities for patients in the Burn Unit.
• Consults with lead nurse at the beginning of the day to identify and prioritize interventions for those children having the most difficulty adapting to hospitalization.
• Develops and communicates individual plan to decrease childs anxiety level, eg favorite toy from home, particular play activity which is helpful in calming child, arranging for children of similar ages to play together.
• Encourages parents to verbalize fears and concerns.
• Helps decrease patient and parent anxiety.
• Ensures that the playroom remains a safe environment for children in that no painful procedures are performed there.
• Makes rounds each day to insure that each patients needs for play activities are met.
• Offers bedside activities for those children who cannot come to the playroom.
• Offers explanations to parents regarding childs possible reactions to hospitalization, eg separation anxiety, regression.
• Provides anticipatory guidance for parents related to expected patterns of growth and development.
• Provides diversional activities.
• Provides emotional and diversional support to patients during invasive procedures by utilizing "distraction kit" and "comfort positions" in treatment room.
• Provides patient comfort measures prior to, during and after procedures.
• Works with the Palliative Care Team working with children of critically ill adult patients.
• Provides support for children in crisis and offers activities for self-expression.
• Provides instruction on hand washing, feeding, diapering, cleaning of toys.
• Monitors volunteer performance and provides direction as needed.
• Plans and implements a volunteer orientation program to include the following: General practices and procedures for the care and comforting of mildly ill children.
• Ensures safety principles patterns of growth and development age appropriate toys and activities.
• Trains volunteer staff for the playroom and TLC Unit.
• Ensures adequate supplies for arts and crafts projects, eg paints, construction paper.
• Maintains adequate supplies and play equipment for the playroom and TLC unit.
• Maintains neat and organized playroom and storage areas.
• Makes recommendations for play materials for the Emergency Room Pediatric Area and the Burn Center.
• Orders supplies within budgeted parameters.

Department Specific Competencies

Education

DegreeProgramBachelorsN/A

Additional InformationDegree in child life, early childhood education, psychology, or related field

Experience

Number of Years ExperienceType of ExperienceN/A

Additional InformationTwo years' work experience in school setting or child life hospital program.

License / Certification Requirements

Child Life Specialist Certification

Salary $31.30 - 47.90 / Hour