Child Life Specialist vs Pediatric RN

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I am a 21 year old first-year male nursing student in the southeastern United States and lately I've been hearing a lot about Child Life Specialists. I've wanted to specialize in pediatrics ever since the day I decided to pursue nursing so I'm committed to one day becoming the best pediatric RN I can be, and hopefully going for PNP one day.

As I said, I've been hearing a lot about Child Life Specialists these days and thought about if it might be something I should consider. I love kids. I've been working with them since I was in high school after volunteering one summer in a poor neighborhood - doing crafts, playing ball, and we also did a clothes drive for the kids there. Since then, I've amassed a great amount of work & volunteer experience with kids. It's my calling, it's my passion.

I've also heard that pediatric nursing is not easy. Peers in my class say they once considered it but dismissed it quickly because of the thought of working with the parents. I don't like parents either, but I'm definitely able to work & level with them. I mean, no parent wants their kid in the hospital. It's not a fun place, so I don't expect parents to be happy all the time.

My dilemma is: should I completely cut out nursing and just go get a degree in Child Development so that I can be a CLS? Or should I go through with nursing and if I don't like it, then try to go back for a certificate or at least an Associate's in Child Development to help land me a job since I would already have a BSN?

At this point, I'm really just looking for input. Those in the CLS profession, what do you like about your career? How are the job logistics -- salary, estimated growth, advancement opportunities, stability, flexibility?

To nurses and anyone else, what would your advice be? I love nursing but I always worry about making the right move with education and my career. I fear choosing the wrong occupation. Any opinion or input is appreciated. Thank you!

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Specializes in NICU, ICU, PICU, Academia.

What in the world makes you think parents are out of the equation for Child Life? And frankly- the opportunities are very limited for them. Not much in the way of growth or opportunity. The last hospital I worked at laid off 50% of their CL staff as an economy move.

If nursing is not for you- don't do it. It is hard, the parents can be difficult, and you deal with a lot of stress.

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Child Life Specialist is probably one of least secure and most competitive hospital positions out there. And from what I hear, the pay is not great either.

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Specializes in SICU, trauma, neuro.

Three of my kids have had a total of 5 dental surgeries at a day surgery center, over a 10-year span. Every. Single. Time, the same CLS has shown them her tackle box with masks and flavored lip balm (they draw on the inside of the mask with it, to help mask the taste/smell of the anesthetic gas.)

Granted this is one small facility, but it struck me as problematic for someone else looking for a job.

It doesn't seem nearly as recession-proof as other positions.. I mean sick children NEED nurses, RRTs, rehab staff, pharmacy staff, housekeeping .... CLSs are nice to have, but not so necessary.

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Specializes in Oncology.

Well it all comes down to whether you appreciate financial security or are independently wealthy. My hospital has somewhere between 0-1 child life socialists, but is constantly hiring peds nurses. I would argue you might even deal with parents less as a nurse. With the CLS the parents will always be there. The nurses get some breaks from them.

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This is something I looked into a long time ago around the time I graduated high school. Hands down, RN is the way to go. Far more job security, more flexibility in terms of career (what if one day you wake up and realize you hate kids?!), and way way way more work available. Child life specialists can do one thing: child life. RNs can do a million things - work in acute care, work in the community, work in research, work in pharmaceutical or medical device sales, work in insurance, work in schools, work in nursing homes... many many more opportunities available.

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Specializes in Pedi.

Child Life Specialists deal with parents. I don't know why you would think they don't. They help parents prepare their children for surgery or share diagnoses, help parents distract the child during procedures, etc. They help parents explain to their other children that their sibling is dying and do memory making with the parents and siblings after the child has passed.

There is no such thing as an Associate's in Child Life. By 2022, Child Life Specialists will be required to have a Master's Degree in Child Life.

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Opportunities for Child Life are limited. Each unit has maybe 1 Child Life Specialist but 50 nurses. There are not many opportunities for them outside of the inpatient units. Few clinics use them and there is not nearly as much turnover as there is in nursing because there are fewer jobs. No areas I've worked in outside of the hospital (home health, school, home infusion) employ child life specialists.

Child Life Specialists are great but I don't think that there's any question that when it comes to "salary, estimated growth, advancement opportunities, stability, flexibility", nursing wins.

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Specializes in orthopedic/trauma, Informatics, diabetes.

I don't konw about all places, but one of my classmates was a CLS and she was NOT an RN. It is a very tough job-according to her. She had to deal with parents, the grief, etc. We do that as nurses, but I don't think I could handle that every day.

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Have you decided yet? I work in radiology and we have 1 CLS and she us wonderful! She clearly loves her job and she is the best at what she does. She assists us in difficult procedures and smooths the process for the best outcome. She should be cloned.

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Specializes in peds.

I know two nurses with degrees in child life. I worked at a children's hospital and they only had 1 classes that I ever met but the did hire assistants. One became a nurse because she realized that was her calling the other could get a job. She also said the cos assistant position paid less than what she made as a pct. she applied for it and didn't get it even though she had been a pct for like a year.

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Specializes in peds.

Our sister hospital had one cls but they don't anymore. I guess it was a money thing most of our patients only stay 3 days or less.

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