Essential Skills for Child Life Specialists in Pediatric Healthcare Settings

Interested in a rewarding career that empowers you to make a real difference in the lives of children and their families? If so, and if you have a general interest in healthcare and advocacy, then a career as a child life specialist may be well-suited to your compassionate heart.

With a better understanding of what the work of a child life specialist entails and how to become a child life specialist, you may be in a better position to decide whether this path is worth pursuing.

What Does a Child Life Specialist Do?

Specifically, a child life specialist works alongside doctors, nurses, social workers and other professionals to assist and advocate for children and their families following a hospitalization, trauma or medical diagnosis.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, child life specialists are responsible for working with children to help them cope with medical issues while ensuring that their quality of life and routine are preserved as much as possible. In addition to working directly with children, child life specialists may also support the families and loved ones of children affected by injury, illness or other medical diagnoses.

Importance of Child Life Specialists in Pediatric Healthcare Settings

Being injured, hospitalized or faced with a serious medical diagnosis can be life-altering for children and their families. Child life specialists play a critical role in supporting these patients, advocating for their needs and facilitating communication between young patients and their healthcare teams.

Providing Emotional Support to Patients and Families

Children and families experiencing medical trauma may experience high levels of stress and anxiety. An experienced and knowledgeable child life specialist can use techniques like play therapy to help them manage stress while better understanding their diagnosis/treatment.

Enhancing the Patient Experience

In many ways, child life specialists also serve as advocates for patients and their families, striving to improve their healthcare experience as much as possible. They can do this by providing families with much-needed information, coping mechanisms and other resources during what is likely one of the most difficult times of their lives.

Improving Communication Between Families and Healthcare Teams

Finally, child life specialists foster clear communication between patients/families and healthcare providers, ensuring that everybody is on the same page and that the child's needs are being considered throughout every step of treatment.

Skills Every Child Life Specialist Should Have

So, what does it take to be a compassionate and effective child life specialist? There are several essential skills that can serve you well in this field.

Communication Skills

Because child life specialists serve as advocates for their patients and families, they need to have strong written and verbal communication skills. This allows them to interact effectively not just with their patients and families, but with other healthcare providers as well.

Emotional Intelligence

Emotional intelligence is also critical for child life specialists because it allows them to understand not only their own emotions, but those of their patients and families as well. With strong emotional intelligence, child life specialists can build stronger relationships, mitigate conflicts and better serve their patients overall.

Play Therapy Expertise

Child life specialists also rely on proven techniques to help patients learn about their medical diagnoses, cope and express themselves in a healthy way. There are many different types of play therapy that a child life specialist needs to be able to use, including role-playing and instructional play.

Problem-Solving Skills

Obstacles are common in the work of a child life specialist, which is why solid problem-solving skills are so important. Child life specialists need to be able to come up with creative solutions to problems as they arise while always keeping their patients' best interests at the forefront.

Patience and Resilience

Working as a child life specialist isn't for everybody. Unfortunately, these professionals witness grief, loss and devastation on a fairly regular basis, so these professionals need to be resilient for patients and their families.

Cultural Competence

The individuals with whom child life specialists work come from different walks of life with different cultural and social backgrounds. With this in mind, child life specialists must be both culturally sensitive and culturally competent, working diligently to overcome any inherent biases and providing patients with the best care possible.

Teamwork and Collaboration

Working as a child life specialist is truly a team effort. These professionals must be able to work with a wide range of healthcare providers and others to ensure their patients and their families receive quality care that meets their unique needs.

How to Become a Child Life Specialist

In addition to possessing the above skills, child life specialists also need some formal education and extensive training before they can start working in this role. Typically, child life specialist requirements include a minimum of a bachelor's degree in psychology, human development or a related field.

In addition to a formal degree, some employers may also prefer to hire a certified child life specialist. These are professionals who have obtained their certifications from the Association of Child Life Professionals by meeting their posted requirements, such as gaining hands-on experience and passing an exam.

Ready to Pursue Your Degree?

While working as a child life specialist can certainly come with some inherent challenges, it can also be extremely rewarding and fulfilling work for compassionate individuals who want to make a positive impact on young lives.

If you're interested in becoming a child life specialist, choosing the right bachelor's degree program to prepare you with foundational skills and knowledge is a must. At the University of Memphis Global, our Bachelor of Professional Studies in Child Life Specialist program is designed to help students understand child development, family dynamics and effective strategies for providing support during healthcare interventions. Plus, because this program is offered 100% online, students can pursue their degrees without putting other parts of their lives on hold.

Reach out to learn more about this program or take the next step by completing your online application for admission.