University of Virginia Hiring for Child Life Specialist – Pediatrics at Charlottesville, VA Full Time

This is your opportunity to be a part of the #1 Hospital in Virginia. Functioning as a member of the Child Life Team, a child life specialist collaborates with the interdisciplinary team to meet the psychosocial needs of pediatric patients and their families. The Child Life Specialists is responsible for assessing, educating, preparing and supporting patients during their healthcare experience. The goal of a Child Life Specialists is to increase coping and decrease stress, anxiety and trauma associated with hospitalization.

A member of the pediatric health care team who focuses on the emotional social and developmental needs of hospitalized children and adolescents. This professional works with ill or injured children and adolescents across the continuum of care to ease the anxiety and stress that accompanies illness injury or chronic conditions.

• Recognize and address the importance of therapeutic play in facilitating children’s mastery of and coping with health care experiences.
• Appropriately observe and assess patient and family learning style diagnostic understanding and needs.
• Prepare children and families for medical procedures.
• Facilitate supervised medical play opportunities for patients and their siblings to support coping skills.
• Assist patients with chronic illnesses and their families in coping with diagnosis treatment, hospitalization and loss.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to create and/or facilitate programming and/or special events
• Treats children, parents and team members with dignity and respect.
• Establishes relationships with team members and families that reflect the key elements of family-centered care.
• Functions as an effective team member working with administration team members and volunteers to ensure that appropriate parties are kept informed and those individual and collaborative assignments/responsibilities are met.
• Maintains records.
• Meets training requirements on an annual basis.

• In addition to the above job responsibilities, other duties may be assigned.

Position Compensation Range: $21.95 – $34.02 Hourly

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

Education: Bachelor’s degree in Child Life or Child Development related field required. Master’s degree preferred Completion of minimum of 480 hour Child Life Internship required.

Experience: Experience with the pediatric Hematology/Oncology population preferred but not required

Licensure: Child Life Professional Certification within one year of hire required. American Heart Association (AHA) Health Care Provider BLS certification required.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

Job requires standing for prolonged periods, frequently bending/stooping. Proficient communicative, auditory and visual skills; Attention to detail and ability to write legibly; Ability to lift/push/pull 20 – 50lbs. May be exposed to noise, blood/body fluids and infectious disease.

The University of Virginia, including the UVA Health System which represents the UVA Medical Center, Schools of Medicine and Nursing, UVA Physician’s Group and the Claude Moore Health Sciences Library, are fundamentally committed to the diversity of our faculty and staff. We believe diversity is excellence expressing itself through every person’s perspectives and lived experiences. We are equal opportunity and affirmative action employers. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, color, disability, gender identity or expression, marital status, national or ethnic origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, veteran status, and family medical or genetic information.