Practicum and Volunteer Experience
On this page, you will learn about my experience as a volunteer and as a practicum student at various hospitals. It was in these settings that I solidified my love of Child Life and took steps toward increasing my clinical experience.
Practicum Student at East Alabama Medical Center
During the Summer of 2017, I served as a Child Life Practicum Student at East Alabama Medical Center through Auburn University. Throughout the summer, I spent time observing medical procedures, patient interaction, and the Child Life Specialists’ role in the Emergency Room and Pediatric Unit. Being in the Emergency Room gave me a chance to practice building rapport quickly with patients that are most often in and out within a matter of hours. I provided normalization for children in the waiting room as well as at bedside and observed and practiced preparing patients for procedures such as IV starts, blood draws, X-Rays, stitches, and many other procedures. I learned to be quick on my feet during the fast-paced style of the Emergency Room and I also improved my communication skills as I was able to introduce and explain Child Life to many different patients and their family members. I gained so much knowledge and improved my skills this summer and I feel more prepared and excited for what lies ahead.
Northside Hospital Child Development Center
During the summer of 2016, I volunteered at the Northside Hospital Child Development Center in Atlanta, GA. As a volunteer, I assisted in preparing activities for children with ages ranging from newborns to age 6 and assisting the staff in leading the children both in the classroom and on field trips. Through this, I learned how to communicate with the children, create a positive learning environment, and navigate the ins and outs of the hospital. One of my favorite tasks I did was to completely re-do the library for the kids. My supervisor gave me full-reign to design, organize, and help make the library a place where children would excite in the idea of reading. Because of this, I was able to take charge on a project and see it completed from start to finish, which was something that I was very proud of. Through being a volunteer, I can now see the value of every part of a job, no matter how small it seems and I'm extremely thankful that I had this experience, which stretched me in ways I never have been before.
Practicum Student at Children's of Alabama
In the Fall of 2016, I had the incredible opportunity of being a Child Life Practicum Student at Children's of Alabama. A few of my roles included facilitating the normal growth and development of pediatric patients through normalization and medical play and
observing psychological preparation and patient support for various procedures under supervision of a Certified Child Life Specialist. I spent 12 weeks on the Pulmonary Unit of the hospital building relationships with the patients and staff on the floor. Because most of the patients on the Pulmonary Unit are long-term, I was able to really get to know a lot of the same patients over the course of the semester, which was a piece that I really enjoyed. I was also able to see and hear from talking to the patients the effects hospitalization can have on children and spent my time learning how to make it less stressful for the kids and their families. Through my time at the hospital, I learned so many valuable pieces of information and advice from my mentor. I learned how to introduce services, communicate with hospitalized children, prepare children for procedures, provide bereavement support, and many more skills that will prepare me for my future career.
