Child Life Specialist

Tufts Medical Center, Inc.; United States; On-site; USD 34,000 - 43,000; Full time

Job summary

Tufts Medical Center, Inc. is seeking a Child Life Specialist to deliver developmentally appropriate play and emotional support for pediatric patients and families.

The role focuses on helping children cope with illness, procedures, and hospitalization while acting as a resource for the care team. The position emphasizes collaboration with families, preparation for medical interventions, and the training of students and volunteers.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Child Life, Human Development, or related field.
• Completion of 400-hour Child Life Internship.
• Child Life certification or eligible to apply for certification.

Responsibilities

• Provides developmentally appropriate play and activities to support normal growth and development.
• Designs and implements interventions based on assessment of a patient’s development, coping style, diagnosis and treatment, and psychosocial supports.
• Uses medical play and developmentally appropriate language and teaching tools to ensure adequate preparation for medical interventions and encourage understanding and mastery of diagnosis, medical care and experiences.
• Uses therapeutic/diversional techniques to support patients during treatments and procedures.
• Communicates pertinent information concerning patient care at appropriate rounds, case conferences and in the medical record.
• Offers support to parents and family members; uses developmentally appropriate interventions in supporting siblings.
• Encourages continuity of normal life experiences by preparing birthday and holiday celebrations, arranging for educational tutoring when appropriate, and using resources to accommodate cultural needs and bridge differences.
• Provides training and supervision for Child Life and child development students and volunteers.
• Assists in managing supplies, cleaning and maintaining toys and equipment, and recording census and intervention data.
• Maintains collaborative, team relationships with peers and colleagues in order to effectively contribute to the working groups achievement of goals, and to help foster a positive work environment.

Skills

Empathy

Communication

Teamwork

Clinical assessment

Cultural sensitivity

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Child Life, Human Development, or related field

Job description

Child Life Specialist

Schedule Consists of 5 8-hour shifts per week 12:00pm - 8:30pm

Job Overview

This position is responsible for providing a program of developmentally appropriate play and activity, preparation and emotional support designed to help pediatrics patient and their families cope with the stress of illness or injury, hospitalization, treatments and procedures. As an integral part of the health care team, this position advocates for the needs of children and families and is a resource for other professionals.

Job Description

Minimum Qualifications:

• 1. Bachelor’s degree in Child Life, Human Development, or a related field.
• 2. Completion of 400-hour Child Life Internship.

Preferred Qualifications:

• 1. Child Life certification or eligible to apply for certification.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• 1. Provides developmentally appropriate play and activities to support normal growth and development.
• 2. Designs and implements individual interventions based on assessment of a patient’s development, coping style, diagnosis and treatment, and psychosocial supports.
• 3. Uses medical play and developmentally appropriate language and teaching tools to ensure adequate preparation for medical interventions and encourage understanding and mastery of diagnosis, medical care and experiences.
• 4. Uses therapeutic/diversional techniques to support patients during treatments and procedures.
• 5. Communicates pertinent information concerning patient care at appropriate rounds, case conferences and in the medical record.
• 6. Offers support to parents and family members; uses developmentally appropriate interventions in supporting siblings.
• 7. Encourages continuity of normal life experiences by preparing birthday and holiday celebrations, arranging for educational tutoring when appropriate, and using resources to accommodate cultural needs and bridge differences.
• 8. Provides training and supervision for Child Life and child development students and volunteers.
• 9. Assists in managing supplies, cleaning and maintaining toys and equipment, and recording census and intervention data.
• 10. Maintains collaborative, team relationships with peers and colleagues in order to effectively contribute to the working groups achievement of goals, and to help foster a positive work environment.

Physical Requirements:

• 1. Works in Inpatient and/or outpatient pediatric clinical care areas.
• 2. Occasionally lift and/or move up to 10-25 lbs.
• 3. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.
• 4. Specific vision abilities apply including close vision, distance vision and ability to adjust focus.
• 5. Frequently communicates internally and externally; must be able to exchange accurate information via phone, email and/or in person.
• 6. Continuous exposure to sick patients and bodily substances. Occasional exposure to hazardous chemicals.
• 7. Manual dexterity to type information into medical records.

Skills & Abilities:

• 1. Ability to apply understanding of child growth and development and the impact that medical experiences can have on this process.
• 2. Ability to work with infants, toddlers, preschool and school age children, and adolescents in developmentally appropriate ways.
• 3. Ability to read/write and communicate in English with a demonstrated ability to show empathy and sympathy through spoken and written words.
• 4. Skills and knowledge necessary to provide care to patients throughout the life span, with consideration of aging processes, human development stages and cultural patterns in each step of the care process.
• 5. Ability to function well in very busy situations.
• 6. Responsible and reliable.
• 7. Good organizational skills.
• 8. Demonstrates knowledge of CQI process
• 9. Understands family dynamics and works effectively within various types of family systems.
• 10. Excellent interpersonal skills.

At Tufts Medicine, we want every individual to feel valued for the skills and experience they bring. Our compensation philosophy is designed to offer fair, competitive pay that attracts, retains, and motivates highly talented individuals, while rewarding the important work you do every day. The base pay ranges reflect the minimum qualifications for the role. Individual offers are determined using a comprehensive approach that considers relevant experience, certifications, education, skills, and internal equity to ensure compensation is fair, consistent, and aligned with our business goals. Beyond base pay, Tufts Medicine provides a comprehensive Total Rewards package that supports your health, financial security, and career growth—one of the many ways we invest in you so you can thrive both at work and outside of it.

Pay Range: $24.65 - $30.82 based on full-time equivalent

Tufts Medicine is a leading integrated health system bringing together the best of academic and community health care to deliver exceptional, connected and accessible care experiences to consumers across Massachusetts. Comprised of Tufts Medical Center, Lowell General Hospital, MelroseWakefield Healthcare, an expansive home care network and a large clinically integrated physician network, Tufts Medicine has more than 15,000 dedicated employees and caregivers. The health system came together in 2014 to leverage the experience of its member organizations and integrate their missions to together transform the ways that consumers engage with and experience their care.