Child Life Specialist
Child Life Specialists normalize the hospital environment using play. This
gives kids the chance to still be kids. Child Life Specialists help children
and their families feel more comfortable and safe while staying in the
hospital. Child Life Specialists help children cope with the hospital
experience using developmentally appropriate explanations and interventions.
Child Life Specialist are non-medically trained members of your child’s
healthcare team. Our Child Life Specialists’ are educated in fields
such as human growth and development, education, psychology, or a related field.
Child Life Specialists educate, prepare, and support children and families
through tests, procedures, and the unfamiliar hospital setting. Child
Life Specialists can help calm fears about what happens while in the hospital.
- Some of our child life services include:
- Preparing patients for medical procedures using developmentally appropriate
teaching tools such as dolls, medical supplies, and pictures
- Providing support during medical procedures
- Helping children develop ways to cope such as imagery, distraction, and
relaxation to decrease anxiety
- Advocating for the unique needs of patients and families
- Playroom for children to feel safe where no medical procedures or exams can occur
- Therapeutic bedside play
- Sibling support
MEET OUR CHILD LIFE SPECIALIST
Jupiter Medical Center is proud to welcome Laura Stanley, Child Life Specialist
to our Pediatric team. Laura has worked in the field since 2010 and most
recently comes to us from the University of Virginia Children’s
Hospital in Charlottesville, VA.
After graduating with her Bachelors of Science in Human Development with
a concentration in Child Life from Wheelock College in Boston, Laura went
on to get her Master’s degree in Child Life and Family Centered
Care. During college Laura completed her internship at Hasbro Children’s
Hospital in Providence, Rhode Island.
Laura will be working with Jupiter Medical Center’s Pediatric patients
and families to assist in their adjustment to the hospital experience.
She will work to enhance patients’ emotional and cognitive growth
during their time here, taking into consideration each child’s personality,
background and culture. Laura uses developmental interventions and play
to provide developmentally appropriate explanations and preparations to
help patients and families better understand what is happening and enhance
their coping skills.
Laura always keeps a bag of tricks on-hand; in it you will find her favorite
distraction tool -bubbles, her favorite book -
Oh, the Places You’ll Go! by Dr. Seuss and magic glitter wands.
Laura now lives in the Jupiter area and enjoys going to the pool, watching
baseball and tennis, spending time with family and friends and doing a
variety of arts and crafts.
Qualifications
At Jupiter Medical Center, our Child Life Specialists have earned a minimum
of a bachelor's degree, with an educational emphasis on human growth
and development, education psychology or a related field of study. They
are required to obtain the CCLS (Certified Child Life Specialist) credential,
which is administered by Child Life Council. All Certified Child Life
Specialists must complete a supervised 480-hour clinical internship, pass
a national examination and adhere to continued professional development
standards in order to maintain their certification. Through their specialized
training, Child Life Specialists become experts in anticipating the needs
and concerns of children in the healthcare environment.
As partners in the health care team, our child life specialist advocates
for the unique needs of children and their families who visit our De George
Pediatric Unit and promote our core philosophy of patient-and family-centered care.