child life specialist?

Specialties Pediatric

Published

do any of you work with one of these? I just read about them and was curious. Sounds like a great support for nurses.

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

I worked in a large pediatric hospital within a hospital and we did have Child Life that would come to the ER for procedures. However, it got to the point where Child Life was doing things that were contraindicated and in the end it didn't work in the ER. However, I understand they have wonderful relationships with the peds nurses who can plan procedures and schedule Child Life. It didn't work in the ER because of the emergent nature of procedures.

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Specializes in Education, FP, LNC, Forensics, ED, OB.

I've had to locate Certified Child Life Specialist's (CCLS) as expert witnesses in the past.

Here are a couple of links about the career:

What is a Child Life Specialist?

http://www.lifespan.org/services/hr/stc/careers/direct-care/child_life_spec.htm

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Child Life rocks! That is, if they are well supported and listened to. They have been awesome for helping kids deal with procedures, stress of their hospitalization, depression. I don't work with any now after 2 hospitals that had them and I can definitely tell the difference they made.

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Specializes in PICU, surgical post-op.

Our Child Life department is phenomenal. We have a big playroom on the pediatric floor and a teen lounge on adolescents with video games and a foosball table. I work PICU, and Child Life has an office on our floor, and we have a little corner nook with toys and books and things. Our Child Life specialists do teaching with siblings before they come in to see the patients, and they'll stay with the kids for a while to make sure they don't gt traumatized by seeing their brother or sister intubated with 40 drips going. They coordinate a troop of volunteers who we can call to come hold our more stable babes when parents aren't available. They round every day and get report from us on how the kiddo's doing and what psychosocial needs they might have. They'll hunt down "that one specific Barney video" a kid might need and they'll come down to specials with us to do distraction for a kid who's getting a PICC without sedation.

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