As hospitals look for ways to make care delivery more efficient for children, they are increasingly turning to child life specialists. Although the position has been around for at least 40 years, hospitals are employing them in greater numbers to relieve some of the trauma and unease that children can experience when they’re forced to be at the hospital.
In an interview with SF Gate, Kristen Beckler, who serves as a child life specialist at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital, described the role this way:
“It’s my job to home in on the child, see how they’re coping at that moment,” she said. “Sometimes we want to come up and make it be not scary. But you can’t always do that. I help them understand what to expect.”
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Part of their job also involves helping to explain a diagnosis or describe a procedure. They provide a communication link between the doctor and nurse and children. The article added that it’s not unusual for them to take a doctor or nurse aside to suggest a treatment strategy.
Michael Towne, manager of child life services at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital, said there has been a shift in the way hospitals view these roles, according to the article.
“Hospitals are changing how they think about child life. They’re not just thinking about us as a pleasant addition for a positive experience. If the child copes better, it’s less of a struggle to treat them, it takes less time and it takes less medicine. It’s more efficient care.”
Although child life specialists are frequently used in the emergency room, their scope has grown to include children with chronic illness and every ward in major hospitals.
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The first child life program that focused on educational, social and emotional needs of children was set up at Cleveland City Hospital by Emma Plank in 1955. As of 2005, there were more than 3,000, according to the Child Life Council. There are also about 470 programs to train them. The training has become more rigorous and often includes a master’s degree.
