Child Life Specialist (Permanent Full-Time 100%) - Queen Elizabeth Hospital - Unit 5 Pediatric - 158144

Open to the Public

Child Life Specialist

Health PEI

Location - Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Charlottetown

Full-Time Permanent (IUOE) Position

(Commencing Immediately)

Are you ready to make meaningful connections and drive impact in a growing healthcare organization? At Health PEI, we offer more than a job - we’re inviting you to join a dynamic workplace committed to creating meaningful changes. From hospitals to community care and beyond, you’ll play a pivotal role in attracting top-tier health professionals and building a workforce that supports the evolving needs of Prince Edward Island. With access to training and development resources, leadership opportunities, and a collaborative environment, this is your chance to thrive while making a real difference in the lives of others. If you’re passionate about shaping the future of healthcare, we want to hear from you.

Health PEI values the different ideas, perspectives and backgrounds that a diverse, equitable and inclusive work-place culture can bring. Not only does this help us deliver better outcomes, more innovation, but it also creates a safer space for our patients when our employees are more reflective of the communities we serve. It is important for us to create an environment where our employees are comfortable bringing their authentic selves to work and challenging the status quo to make Health PEI a better more inclusive employer and healthcare system. We recognize we have more work to do but finding intentional ways to grow our understanding and support of those who have faced barriers due to accessibility, ethnicity, ancestry, gender identity, age, sexual orientation, language or other grounds is a key priority for us. We encourage underrepresented groups to join our team, be yourself, and help us achieve our vision for an inclusive workplace and healthcare system.

The Child Life Specialist is responsible for helping children and their families cope with the stress associated with health care experiences by providing developmental, educational, and therapeutic interventions for children and families throughout the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (i.e. Pediatric Nursing Unit 5, Pediatric Clinic, Operating Room, Pediatric Ambulatory/Oncology, Intensive Care, Emergency). The Child Life Specialist uses play (therapeutic, expressive, dramatic, creative) and other forms of communication and assessment to promote optimum development, while attempting to maintain normal living patterns and minimize trauma during hospitalization. The Child Life Specialist prepares children for, and assists children during medical procedures through education, rehearsal and coping skill development. As an integral member of the health care team, the Child Life Specialist provides children with opportunities for gaining a sense of mastery, for play, for learning, for self-expression, for family involvement and peer interaction.

Duties may include, but are not limited to:

• utilizing the Child Life Assessment Intervention plan to determine the patient and family’s vulnerability and response to stress from their health care experience;
• assessing and supporting patients and/or families regarding coping strategies to use during stressful events, medical procedures or changes in a family members medical condition;
• collaborating with the multi-disciplinary team and child life colleagues to design and share patient goals and child life plan of care in helping children, youth and families cope with hospitalization;
• initiating child life therapeutic interventions consequent to assessment of individual patients and families designed to address their social, emotional and developmental needs;
• evaluating interventions provided; establishing and maintaining a supportive, helpful and trusting relationship with patients/families regarding their concerns, special needs and rights;
• making appropriate referrals within the hospital and community;
• representing Child Life on committees, rounds, conferences and hospital and community initiatives where there is concern for the psycho-social, emotional and developmental needs of children, youth and families;
• examining the strengths and areas for improvement in Child Life Service.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Certification by or from the Association of Child Professionals is required; Master’s (MSc) in Child Life and Pediatric Psychosocial Care Program is required;
• registration with professional association, Child Life Certified Commission;
• Extensive work experience in the child life profession is preferred;
• demonstrated competence in; Growth and Development, Functions of Play, Therapeutic Processes and Boundaries, Ethical Child Life Practice, Behavior Management, Principles of Learning/Teaching;
• demonstrated skill in working with children, youth with health behavioral challenges is required;
• excellent oral and written communication, decision making , interpersonal skills as well as the ability to work as part of an interdisciplinary team is required;
• knowledge of internet use and computer skills including word processing is required;
• a good previous work and attendance record is required;
• the successful applicant must provide a satisfactory criminal record check prior to beginning employment.

Other Qualifications

• competency in other languages (i.e. French) is preferred;
• additional relevant education and experience will be considered an asset.

Please ensure the application clearly demonstrates how you meet the noted qualifications as applicants will be screened based on the information provided. We would like to thank all applicants for their interest; however, only those who are selected for an interview will be contacted.

Salary Range: $30.43 - $37.32 per hour
Bi-Weekly Hours: 75.0 hours bi-weekly / Day shifts; evenings and weekends as required.
Posting ID: 158144-0723QEPI
Closing Date: Open until Filled

Where possible, submitting an electronic resume or job application is preferred. Otherwise, applications may be submitted by mail to the PEI Public Service Commission at either P.O. Box 2000, Charlottetown, PE C1A 7N8, or c/o ACCESS PEI/ACCÈS Î.-P.-É., 120 Heather Moyse Drive, Summerside, PE C1N 5L2. Applications may also be sent by fax to (902) 368-4383 or (902) 888-8083. As receipt of faxed applications cannot be guaranteed, applicants are encouraged to confirm receipt by telephone or in person prior to the closing date. Please ensure the appropriate Job Posting ID number is included on all application materials. Applications may be submitted online, and application forms may be obtained at www.jobspei.ca, any ACCESS PEI/ACCÈS Î.-P.-É. location, PEI Government office, Regional Services Centre, or by telephone at (902) 368-4080 or (902) 888-8013.