Child Life Services
Child Life Specialists
 The members of the child life staff are certified professionals
who are prepared at the bachelors and masters levels in child life,
child development, early childhood education, and other related
fields.
Child life services includes the
child life program and the
hospital school, which collaborate with one another to better
serve patients' needs.
Child life specialists provide activities that help reassure pediatric
patients and their families regarding illness, hospitalization,
surgery, or other procedures. They provide hands on use of play
materials and actual medical equipment, and structured and unstructured
educational and play experiences.
Child life specialists help to minimize stress and disruption of
growth and development by:
- coordinating
- special creative arts programs
- holiday celebrations
- celebrity guest visitors
- outdoor garden activities (seasonal)
- listening and advocating for pediatric patients and their families.
- providing age appropriate, safe play environments.
- implementing a wide range of developmentally appropriate activities
that meet the unique needs of each patient and family.
- taking an active role in the in-service education of volunteers,
child life students, student nurses, and various groups from the
community. The child life program has established an internship
program with many of the local colleges and universities.
Child life specialists are an integral part of the interdisciplinary
health care team. Their observations, interactions and assessments
contribute to the development of the total patient care plan.
For more information on child
life or the hospital school, please call child life services at 401-444-8278.
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