Child Life Specialist

Child Life Specialist

• 2116812

Job Summary:
The Child Life Specialist provides direct patient care utilizing developmentally appropriate therapeutic play and education while incorporating child life interventions. Collaborates with other members of the health care team to insure that patients and families receive quality psychosocial care. Provides ongoing education for staff, students, and volunteers as it relates to the developmental and psychosocial needs of hospitalized and ill children.

Key Responsbilities

• Assesses, implements and evaluates the preparation, coping and educational needs of patients and families.
• Implements therapeutic programming for assigned population or unit.
• Orients, trains, and supervises child life interns, practicum students, and volunteers.
• Contributes to the organization by actively participating in process improvement initiatives and shared decision making.
• The responsibilities listed are a general overview of the position and additional duties may be assigned.

Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital Summary:

With more than 500 physicians trained in 30 pediatric and surgical specialties, we’re equipped to handle any issue a child may face—from the simple to the complex. The hospital offers comprehensive services for everything from cancer, transplant, trauma, and sickle cell disease, to developmental disorders, ENT, general surgery and others. Featuring Centers of Excellence for the treatment of diabetes and congenital heart disorders, Children’s Hospital is also home to the highest level NICU in the state and serves as Nashville’s Comprehensive Regional Pediatric Center

Position Shift : Days

View how Vanderbilt Health employees celebrate the difference they make every day:

Discover Vanderbilt University Medical Center:

Located in Nashville, Tennessee, and operating at a global crossroads of teaching, discovery and patient care, VUMC is a community of individuals who come to work each day with the simple aim of changing the world. It is a place where your expertise will be valued, your knowledge expanded and your abilities challenged. It is a place where your diversity — of culture, thinking, learning and leading — is sought and celebrated. It is a place where employees know they are part of something that is bigger than themselves, take exceptional pride in their work and never settle for what was good enough yesterday. Vanderbilt’s mission is to advance health and wellness through preeminent programs in patient care, education, and research.

VUMC Recent Accomplishments

Because we are committed to providing the best in patient care, education and research, we are proud of our recent accomplishments:

• US News & World Report: #1 Adult Hospital in Tennessee and metropolitan Nashville, named to the Best Hospitals Honor Roll of the top 20 adult hospitals, 10 nationally ranked adult specialty programs, with 3 specialties rated in the top 10 nationally, Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt named as one of the Best Children’s Hospital in the nation, with 10 out of 10 pediatric specialties nationally ranked.

• Healthcare’s Most Wired: Among the nation’s 100 “most-wired” hospitals and health systems for its efforts in innovative medical technology.

• Becker’s Hospital Review: named as one of the “100 Great Hospitals in America”, in the roster of 100 Hospitals and Health Systems with Great Oncology Programs and to its list of the 100 Hospitals with Great Heart Programs.

• The Leapfrog Group: One of only 10 children’s hospitals in the to be named at Leapfrog Top Hospital.

• American Association for the Advancement of Science: The School of Medicine has 112 elected fellows

• Magnet Recognition Program: Received our third consecutive Magnet designations.

• National Academy of Medicine: 22 members, elected by their peers in recognition of outstanding achievement

• Human Rights Campaign Healthcare Equality Index: 6th year in a row that Vanderbilt University Medical Center was a Leader in LGBTQ Healthcare Equality.

Bachelor’s Degree (or equivalent experience) and < 1 year experience

Licensure, Certification, and/or Registration (LCR):

• Certified Child Life Specialist Required

Additional Qualification Information:

• Must have professional certification within 12 months after hire.

Physical Requirements/Strengths needed & Physical Demands:

• Light Work category requiring exertion up to 20 lbs. of force occasionally and uses negligible amounts of force to move objects.

Movement

• Occasional: Sitting: Remaining in seated position
• Occasional: Standing: Remaining on one’s feet without moving.
• Occasional: Walking: Moving about on foot.
• Occasional: Lifting under 35 lbs: Raising and lowering objects under 35 lbs from one level to another
• Occasional: Lifting over 35 lbs: Raising and lowering objects from one level to another, includes upward pulling over 35 lbs, with help of coworkers or assistive device
• Occasional: Carrying under 35 lbs: Transporting an object holding in hands, arms or shoulders, with help of coworkers or assistive device.
• Occasional: Push/Pull: Exerting force to move objects away from or toward.
• Occasional: Bending/Stooping: Trunk bending downward and forward by bending spine at waist requiring full use of lower extremities and back muscles
• Occasional: Balancing: Maintaining body equilibrium to prevent falling when walking, standing, crouching or maneuvering self, patient and equipment simultaneously while working in large and small spaces
• Occasional: Climbing: Ascending or descending stairs/ramps using feet and legs and/or hands and arms.
• Occasional: Kneeling:Bending legs at knees to come to rest on knee or knees.
• Occasional: Crouching/Squatting: Bending body downward and forward by bending legs and spine.Reaching above shoulders: Extending arms in any direction above shoulders.
• Occasional: Reaching above shoulders: Extending arms in any direction above shoulders.
• Occasional: Reaching below shoulders: Extending arms in any direction below shoulders.
• Occasional: Handling: Seizing, holding, grasping, turning or otherwise working with hand or hands.
• Occasional: Fingering: Picking, pinching, gripping, working primarily with fingers requiring fine manipulation.

Sensory

• Occasional: Vision: Clarity of near vision at 20 inches or less and far vision at 20 feet or more with depth perception, peripheral vision, color vision.
• Continuous: Communication: Expressing or exchanging written/verbal/electronic information.
• Continuous: Auditory: Perceiving the variances of sounds, tones and pitches and able to focus on single source of auditory information
• Continuous: Smell: Ability to detect and identify odors.