Professional Experience

Child Life Specialist, Texas Children's Hospital

Houston, TX (September 2017 - Present)

Provides procedural preparation, coping support and normalization to patients of all ages in both inpatient and outpatient settings
Serves as back-up handler to 3rd facility dog; covering EC, Rehabilitation Unit, and various inpatient units
Communicates with inpatient specialists and prioritizes needs to provide bereavement services, siblings visits and patient care on weekends and after hours • Supervises students during six week rotations for observation of procedures and learning to introduce services and implement normalization activities
Expanded professional portfolio as a member of the ACLP Professional Resources sub-committee including published article and blog posts as well as updating resources available to national members

Baltimore, MD (October 2016 - August 2017)

Implemented normalizing activities, procedural preparation and support to a caseload of 20+ patients per shift in Pediatric Emergency Department
Coordinated bereavement resources and final visits for children of adult patients on numerous adult inpatient units throughout hospital
Served as sole CCLS to entire hospital during regular weekend and evening coverage, including pediatric emergency room, pediatric intensive care, pediatric progressive care, and consults to adult units
Created collaborative initiatives to better serve psychiatric population seen in the Pediatric Emergency Room

St. Louis, Missouri (May - September 2016)

Provided psychological preparation, support, normalizing play and coping strategies for a multitude of procedures
Integrated child life services into the multidisciplinary team, consulting staff for plans of care and advocating for patient preferences
Completed rotations under supervision of a Certified Child Life Specialist on Same Day Surgery with part-time NICU, Emergency Unit, and Hematology/Oncology in-patient and clinic
Developed an interactive iBook to serve as a comprehensive tool for all resources the hospital has to offer

Washington D.C. (January - April 2015)

Facilitated normal growth and development of pediatric patients through normalization and medical play activities
Observed psychological preparation and patient support for various procedures, including VCUG, MRI, induction, and IV placement
Completed rotations under supervision of a Certified Child Life Specialist on the Heart & Kidney unit, Dialysis outpatient unit, Radiology unit, and Pediatric Intensive Care unit
Developed and implemented an interactive iBook for dialysis patients as a normalization activity