Certified Child Life Specialist - Full Time - Surgery - Oak Lawn

Department:

35133 Advocate Christ Medical Center - Child Life Creative Arts Therapies and Education

Status:

Full time

Benefits Eligible:

Yes

Hours Per Week:

40

Schedule Details/Additional Information:

1.0 FTE - ACH Oak Lawn campus - Pediatric Surgery - Day Shift - primarily Monday through Friday with rotating weekend and holiday coverage.  Must be Certified Child Life Specialist or completed requirements to sit for certification exam in the next six months.  Child Life experience in surgical areas is preferred.

Major Responsibilities:

• Allow for normalization within the hospital environment through therapeutic interactions, play therapy and various activities.
  •     1)Plan and implement special activities for children and adolescents.
  •     2)Develop supportive relationships with children, adolescents, and families.
  •     3)Participate in the planning of special events for children and adolescents.
• Provides direct patient and family interactions and support in areas of expertise, including growth and development, sibling support and bereavement.
  •     1)Provide patient and families with available resources.
  •     2)Establish and facilitate support groups.
• Prepares children and families for treatments and procedures in order to create a positive medical experience. This may include but is not limited to medical play, preparation, support, distraction and post procedural support.
  •     1)Advocate for pain management and comfort measures.
• Promotes and facilitates patient/family and interdisciplinary communication using written and verbal techniques in order to facilitate effective patient/family care, professional relationships and to identify issues or problems.
  •     1)Participates in interdisciplinary rounds and individual patient care conferences.
  •     2)Provides in-services for all new staff with direct patient care to further the understanding and practice of Child Life Services.
  •     3)Collaborate daily with other members of the health care team.
• Performs skills safely and independently according to the established policies, procedures, standards and guidelines to accommodate individual patient/family needs and responses.
• Responsible for personal growth and development
  •     1)Participates in conferences, classes or other professional training and development, in order to enhance job description.
  •     2)Participates in self-evaluation and develops a plan to address identified areas of growth.
  •     3)Maintains Child Life Certification according to the Child Life Council guidelines.
• Interview, select, orient, and supervise student interns and volunteers in Child Life Program.
  •     3)Report to Internship/Volunteer Coordinator for assignments with volunteers and student interns.
  •     1)Provide orientation to specific units and ongoing training for volunteers and interns during assignment to specific unit/area.
  •     2)Provide guidance, direction, and feedback for volunteers and student interns.

Education/Experience Required:

• • Bachelor’s degree in Child Life/Child Development or a directly related field. • Completion of a 480 hour Child Life Internship. • Experience with all age groups.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities Required:

• • Ability to function in a changing environment. • Ability to work in a multidisciplinary environment. • A sense of creativity. • Ability to establish supportive relationships with children and their families.
• • Child Life Certification - Current CPR Provider Certification

Physicial Requirements and Working Conditions:

• • Empathetic to individual needs of patients. • Understanding and supportive. • Convey warmth and non-verbal skills. • Works well under stressful and difficult situations. • Resilient and flexible in a changing environment. • Ability to establish and maintain rapport. • Ability to collaborate and work with a large interdisciplinary team.
• If position h