Entry Level Child Development Jobs (NOW HIRING)

*This position is located in Fort Lauderdale

Job Summary

Works under the supervision of the Director, Clinical Operations Broward to assist with the administration, supervision, and day-to-day operations of the child life department. Provides services to the child and/or family to assist in their adjustment to the hospital, diagnosis and/or treatment plan by providing pre/post procedural/surgical teachings, emotional support, developmentally appropriate play activities, distraction and support during painful procedures, and medical play to enhance understanding. Collaborates as a member of the multidisciplinary team to develop and administer an individualized plan of care, adhering to the professional standards of practice.

Job Specific Duties

• Advocates, prepares, and empowers all stakeholders through the creation of Child Life Goals and evaluates their success. Participates in new program development for the department. 
• Assists Director with the maintenance of the day-to-day operations of the department by managing schedules to ensure productivity standards & developing methods to improve patient outcomes. 
• Assists Director in ensuring compliance with all hospital codes and standards, maintaining/updating departmental policies & procedures and fulfilling leadership roles within the organization.
• Conducts Clinical Supervision Groups that will enhance the professional growth of the specialists and encourage therapeutic competence, critical thinking and reflective skills. 
• Plans and organizes daily routine; meets deadlines for completing assigned projects. Documents professional assessments/interventions accurately and concisely within the medical record. 
• Establishes and maintains a healthy, balanced, and therapeutic relationship with the patient/family within the integrated healthcare system based on patient/family needs. 
• Demonstrates respect & advocates for the rights, values & belief systems of patient/family; acts in response to patient/family needs, promotes comfort & creates a compassionate/therapeutic environment. 
• Utilizes the healthcare team to support and contribute to the shared patient/family focused care goals. 
• Identifies learning needs of patient/family; identifies inhibitors to learning process & readiness to learn; adjusts teaching strategies based on age appropriateness, ethnic & gender issues.
• Utilizes educational strategies to manage transitions across the continuum of care. 
• Observes team to validate and support services provided. Ensures quality of services delivered are within the standards set by NCHS and the Child Life Council. 
• Performs chart reviews on the documentation of patient information by the Child Life Specialists to check for accuracy and compliance. 
• Provides orientation to volunteers; incorporates volunteers into daily programming through delegating, valuing input, empowering, and providing feedback.
• Provides support to and mentors Child Life Specialists in order for them to successfully meet the competencies for their position. 
• Provides ongoing feedback in a constructive manner, responding to the learning needs of the team by role playing and modeling the core values and benefits of the child life profession. 
• Remains productive by thoroughly covering caseload & prioritizing patients based on the Child Life Council for standard of care & departmental standards for delivery of service. 
• Utilizes clinical decision-making process & critical thinking skills to effectively deliver patient care across continuum of care and to achieve desired patient/family outcomes.

Minimum Job Requirements

• Bachelor's Degree in Child Life, Child Development, Early Childhood Education 
• Certified Child Life Specialist (CCLS)
• American Heart Association AED - maintain active and in good standing throughout employment
• 5-8 years of Child Life Specialist experience; complete 12 hours of professional development hours (PDU) per year; and participate in the NCHS Clinical Advancement program and expected to accrue a minimum of 7 points per year.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Demonstrates ability to mentor entry level child life specialists, and child life interns.
• Demonstrates effective and efficient use of technological resources utilized by the department.
• Demonstrates leadership abilities within the organization and/or child life field.
• Demonstrates the knowledge and skills necessary to provide appropriate services to each patient on their assigned unit and other units as needed based the assessed developmental level.