Child Life Specialist I Job Baltimore area,Maryland USA,Healthcare

Child Life Specialist

Renowned as the academic flagship of the University of Maryland Medical System, our Magnet®-designated facility is a nationally recognized, academic medical center with opportunities across the continuum of care. Come join UMMC and discover the atmosphere where talents and ideas come together to enhance patient care and advance the science of nursing. Located in downtown Baltimore near the Inner Harbor and Camden Yards, you won't find a more vibrant place to work!

This position covers our Pediatric Emergency Department. The Child Life Specialist is responsible for providing optimal developmental, psychosocial, and therapeutic support in the healthcare setting to meet the social, emotional, physical and educational needs of children between the ages of birth and eighteen years of age. Assesses children's developmental and coping needs and implements developmentally appropriate therapeutic interventions such as play, medical play, psychological preparation, and rehearsed coping to minimize distress associated with the health care environment and to foster resiliency.

Supervised by the child life manager and supervises and evaluates the work of volunteers and student interns. Collaborates with other members of the health care team to enhance quality of care and acts as an advocate and resource regarding issues such as child development and children's response to hospitalization.

Principal Responsibilities and Tasks

The following statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this classification. They are not to be construed as an exhaustive list of all job duties performed by personnel so classified.

Patient and Family Care

Assesses the developmental and psychosocial needs of infants, children, youth, and families.

Effectively utilizes information from the child and family and observations of development, coping styles, play, and affect as a basis for assessment and to formulate an individualized plan of care.

Demonstrates ability to be flexible with chosen intervention strategies to adapt to the needs of the child and family.

Fosters safe, therapeutic and healing environments to minimize stress, maximize coping, and facilitate normative development in the healthcare setting.

Differentiates between therapeutic and non-therapeutic relationships and maintain therapeutic boundaries with infants, children, youth and families.

Initiates collaboration with the healthcare team to provide developmentally appropriate procedural preparation and education to children and families.

Utilizes educational materials and contributes to the developmental of new educational materials/methods of teaching for both child/family and staff.

Identifies child and family learning needs and any barriers to teaching. Uses resources available to adapt to child/family needs. Communicates needs to healthcare team.

Facilitates planning, rehearsal, implementation, and evaluation of coping strategies to facilitate adaptive coping.

Utilizes appropriate non-pharmacological pain management strategies.

Facilitates developmentally appropriate play as a primary tool to decrease distress, provide enjoyment and comfort, enhance mastery, and promote healing.

Facilitates supportive education and therapeutic interventions to address death and dying.

Creates concise, objective and accurate clinical notes, documenting information pertinent to the plan of care and consistent with program documentation guidelines

Promotes patient and family centered care.

Supports the central role of the family, valuing strengths and needs in implementing child life services.

Acts as a resource and educates families regarding children's response to healthcare environments, coping, chronic illness and death and dying.

Empowers and supports patients and families to effectively self-advocate, and advocates on behalf of those who cannot do so.

Incorporates knowledge of cultural diversity and competence when providing services to children and families.

Teamwork and Collaboration

Functions as an active, contributing member of the child life department, hospital and health care team.

Effectively…