Company Overview
Shriners Children’s is a family that respects, supports, and values each other. We are engaged in providing excellence in patient care, embracing multi-disciplinary education, and research with global impact. We foster a learning environment that values evidenced based practice, experience, innovation, and critical thinking. Our compassion, integrity, accountability, and resilience defines us as leaders in pediatric specialty care for our children and their families.
Job Overview
Shriners Children’s is the premier pediatric burn, orthopaedic, spinal cord injury, cleft lip and palate, and pediatric subspecialties medical center. We have an opportunity for a Child Life Specialist.
Pay range: $22 – $33/hr
This position is per diem, non-exempt and benefits eligible.
Compensation is determined based on experience and department equity.
Responsibilities
The Child Life Specialist is responsible to work with children, from infancy through adolescence, in a family centered care environment. This position provides services in both inpatient and outpatient settings. Position requires strong skills in child development, assessment and planning, psychosocial support, procedural support and preparation, group leadership, volunteer supervision and goal directed play.
• Provides or schedules goal-oriented, developmentally appropriate activities/out trips/entertainment on a weekly basis perdepartment and hospital guidelines. Ensures correct staff-patient ratio for each activity. Completes all paperwork (ex: hospitalfunction forms, food orders, petty cash slips, letters of appreciation) in an accurate and timely manner.
• Demonstrates knowledge and skills necessary to provide consistent, sensitive, age-specific interventions for children of alldevelopmental levels. Demonstrates knowledge of the principles of growth and development over the lifespan and possesses theability to assess data reflective of the patient’s status and interpret appropriate information needed to identify each patient’srequirements relative to his/her age-specific needs and to provide care needed by the infant, pediatric, and adolescent agegroups. Provides interventions that contribute to a positive hospital experience for patients/families and to the development ofpositive self-esteem and body image for children and adolescents and helps increase/build positive coping mechanisms fordealing with pain & stress. Assesses need for and provides 1:1 intervention with patients considered high risk for depression,behavior issues, etc. and for patients placed in traction or isolation. Demonstrates knowledge/use of developmentally appropriate terminology / explanation and of guidance techniques when providing interventions to correct undesirable behaviors in childrenand adolescents. Provides or schedules goal-oriented, developmentally appropriate activities/out trips/entertainment on a weeklybasis per department and hospital guidelines. Ensures correct staff-patient ratio for each activity. Completes all paperwork (ex:hospital function forms, food orders, petty cash slips, letters of appreciation) in an accurate and timely manner.
• Demonstrates ability to establish and maintain ongoing therapeutic communication with patients/families during hospitalization.
• Prepares patients scheduled for surgery, procedures and or return appointments. Demonstrates knowledge of surgery, painmanagement, procedures, equipment patient will be exposed to, post-operative routines and casting/ bracing.
Communication and Documentation
• Participates in orientation and education of new employees, students, and volunteers on an ongoing basis.
• Documents interventions provided within 24 hours. Completes progress notes as needed.
• Completes performance improvement monitoring as assigned by Child Life Coordinator/Supervisor.
• Maintains regular communication with the Child Life Coordinator/Supervisor on a regular basis for administrative and clinicalsupport. Regularly attends scheduled Child Life Department staff meetings.
• Maintains open communication with medical and direct patient care staff by attending medical rounds and/or team meetings.Communicates effectively with appropriate staff in a timely fashion regarding patient care.
• Consults with members of the team on a regular basis.
Qualifications
Education
Bachelor’s degree in Child Life, Child Development or related field
Certification/Licensure
Certified Child Life Specialist, or be eligible to sit for the certification exam
Experience
One year’s experience in a hospital child life program
Other
Current full vaccination status required