Help us support NICUs implementing or strengthening Child Life Services in their units. 

If your unit doesn’t offer Child Life Services, what are their barriers?

  • Hasn’t been the priority to advocate for this position since we are advocating for nursing positions that we don’t have but need; Don’t have a pediatric service line; Developmental team handles a lot of the pieces currently that a CLS may do
  • There is not a budget for Child Life in the NICU; Used to be 9 hrs a week then that reduced; We do contact them as needed basis for families and they do come from pedi floors to assist
  • The Children’s Hospital does not have enough specialists
  • Though we have Child Life there are staff shortages and they can’t cover as much as they want to
  • We have a Child Life coordinator that works mainly with our pediatric floor; She will sometimes come to the NICU if we have older children, but not often
  • Awareness, budgeting; We are a mother/baby delivery hospital w/ NICU but our sister hospitals with PICUs might have Child Life Services (I’m unsure)
  • They mainly are in the Pedi area, we can request if needed
  • We have a Child Life Specialist; She is only ordered for “special” occasions, which is to provide mobiles
  • Child Life at our hospital has noted that they do not have enough available FTEs to support our NICU
  • Funding; Within the Canadian system we barely have funding for OT/PT/SW services in the level 2 nurseries
  • Financial aspect
  • Probably $$$ and lack of awareness
  • We have them in Peds and they frankly don’t like the NICU; We do have amazing OT/PT/SLP support though
  • There are only 2 Child Life Specialists at this location and their main areas are Burn and ED; They answer NICU consults as needed but have to prioritize their main units
  • Lack of understanding of their capabilities
  • Staffing & funds; We are consulted on a case by case basis

If your unit does offer Child Life Services, how do CCLS collaborate with other roles like Developmental Care Specialists and Social Workers?

  • Our NICU doesn’t have Developmental Care Specialists; Child Life writes note in patient chart (Epic) and follows up with Social Worker in person if needed
  • We collaborate with each other’s roles and understand what each brings to the unit;  A great way to look at this is from a shared role description which breaks down each role and shows what overlaps and what are distinct to each; Then each discipline can see what areas need collaboration, etc. 
  • Work closely with Social Work, with role definition between the two specialties
  • They are part of our Family-Centered Care team; They attend rounds and aid with sibling support, bereavement support, development and discharge prep
  • CLS is very much part of the team and work together with SW frequently to meet the needs of the families. we do not have DCS but do partner with OT/PT/Parent Educator/CLS also on multidisciplinary team

  • If I’m (child life specialist) unaware that a patient has siblings, the case manager or social worker will reach out; Most of our babies are discharged around their due date, so we don’t often have older babies that I can do more developmental play with. I collaborate with our developmental coordinator (PT) to introduce recorded sounds after 32 weeks and high contrast cards for stimulation once they’re full term. These two interventions are often used when siblings are involved to help them bond from afar.

  • CCLS focus a lot on siblings and bereavement in our unit, SW are often first contact and the CCLS are looped in
  • No collaboration
  • She works with the entire team to provide services to parents, siblings, and the patient. Sometimes it is a program like a holiday party, or it may be bringing in someone to provide parent massage, helping to inform parents about the Ronald McDonald space, or it may be a craft. She also coordinates our volunteers and helps to identify patients who could benefit from extra cuddle time.
  • Developmental Care Rounds, coordinate eye exams, provide developmental sessions for patients, RN education on development – particularly when to introduce toys and choosing appropriate toys
  • Work together on ROP eye exams, Developmental Care Team, bedside support for infants, Child Life leads our NICU reading program, etc.
  • During interdisciplinary rounds, care conferences, meetings
  • CCLS are key members of our developmental care team
  • Interdisciplinary approach is key in being a CCLS and I work closely with MOD, SW, and medical staff (MD, RN, RRT, etc.)
  • Supporting families and siblings through end of life, celebrating milestones and normalizing the hospital environment for siblings
  • They are in close communication with the interdisciplinary team. They coordinate memory making and work closely with chaplains during end of life situations. They help coordinate sibling visits and work closely with social work. Our child life specialists collaborate with nursing to help support babies through procedures, and provide education to the family/siblings. They also collaborate with the clinical therapy team and occasionally co-treat with Music Therapy, and PT.
  • In interdisciplinary rounds weekly and through secure chat
  • Family support, bonding with baby, sibling support, play sessions with older infants
  • There isn’t frequent collaboration 
  • Daily communication in person, collaboration when needs are identified, weekly multidisciplinary psychosocial rounds meetings to discuss any social/developmental/family needs of all patients on the unit
  • Multidisciplinary rounds and psychosocial rounds
  • I work with all members of the team, do not require a consult (since I am a non-billable service). I focus on bereavement/palliative care, family support, sibling support, developmental care and continuity of team communication within the unit.
  • They seem to work well with all. It is seen as complimentary therapy