By Katie Taylor, CCLS
When you walk into an appointment you can expect there to be a wait time… especially in healthcare. There are papers to sign, you’re asked several questions multiple times and it seems you meet at least a handful of people before you even see the doctor. The idea of meeting an “extra” person seems unnecessary, until you understand the role that they play.
I’m talking about child life specialists.
Child Life Specialists are healthcare workers that need to be at the top of a family’s list to meet because they will actually save the family and the hospital time in the long run.
Child Life Specialists understand the nuances of how healthcare works. They speak “medical” and “non-medical” at the same time and help you better anticipate how the process will go. When families know what comes next, it’s easier to live in the moment without the dread of unknown anticipation.
Child Life Specialists fill parents in on the important parts of supporting their child so parents don’t have to guess. By no fault of their own, when put in a stressful situation it’s easier and extremely common for parents to just tell their child what they want to hear instead of what they need to hear. Child Life Specialist give families the words to say in a way kids can actual understand without added fear. Check out this quick video about how to prepare your child for painful medical procedures like shots and vaccines here– His sweet little face says it ALL!
Child Life Specialists reduce delays due to patient anxiety. Because families now have a better understanding of what is going to happen and how to help a child through it… patient delays are greatly reduced.
Child Life Specialists prepare staff for the best way to serve the patient. Getting insight from the family and then giving the staff pearls of wisdom saves time in the long run. For example, child life specialists have the intel that the patient does not want the blood pressure cuff on their right arm because they had their IV blow in that arm last night. This keeps the care team from putting the child into an upsetting scenario and causing trauma and discomfort which can lead to delays.
These are just a few of the ways child life specialists decrease unnecessary delays in healthcare. If you want more information on how child life specialists make medical environments easier for kids and families, click the like button and share.
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