Posted by “Children and youth need honest and developmentally appropriate information to understand what they are experiencing here so that they can build a way to cope with it,” says Kelly Warren, Certified Child Life Specialist at the IWK. “I love being able to explain, teach, and prepare patients for procedures and tests and show them what medical equipment looks and feels like so there are no surprises.”
There are a lot of stressful and potentially traumatic things that can happen in a hospital. Warren’s job is to help patients cope effectively with all the aspects of a hospital visit.
“That can be anything from blood work, IVs, chest tubes, surgery, or diagnostic imaging but also missing family, friends, and the normal activities they might do at home,” she says. “I can help by providing preparation, procedural support, therapeutic activities, and play opportunities.”
Child Life Specialists work alongside nurses, doctor and other members of the health care team.
“I love the collaboration that happens here,” says Warren. “We are all using our skills to get that patient healthy again!”
Warren looks forward to the IWK being awarded ChildKind certification and is happy to see the increased use of Comfort Measures that are being included in patient care. She also hopes for an expanded role for Child Life Services.
“We are primarily based in inpatient care but there is so much potential in outpatient care as well,” says Warren.
March is Child Life Month, a time to celebrate child life specialists and the Child Life profession. Child Life Specialists help normalize the hospital experience and bring joy and comfort to hospitalized kids and their families