Child Life Specialist

Child Life Specialist

At UVA Health Children's, Child Life Specialists play a vital role in helping children and adolescents understand, cope with, and navigate the challenges of illness, hospitalization, and medical procedures. This is meaningful, highly skilled work, supporting patients and families at moments that matter most and ensuring emotional care is integrated into every clinical experience.

A career defining opportunity in pediatric care

This is more than a Child Life position. It is an opportunity to practice at the top of your training within one of the nation's premier academic health systems. At UVA Health Children's, Child Life Specialists are respected clinical partners whose expertise directly contributes to resilience, reduced anxiety, and positive coping outcomes for pediatric patients and their families. If you have completed your Child Life coursework and internship and are ready to grow your career in a collaborative, high acuity pediatric environment, UVA Health offers the support, scope, and purpose to do your best work.

Current openings are available in:

• Pediatric Emergency Department (Including Nights and Weekends)

• Pediatric Acute Care

• Pediatric Hematology/Oncology

The Role

The Child Life Specialist is responsible for assessing, educating, preparing, and supporting pediatric patients and families throughout the healthcare experience. This role focuses on promoting emotional wellbeing, fostering coping and resilience, and minimizing the stress and anxiety associated with illness, injury, and hospitalization.

In this role, you will:

• Assess developmental, psychosocial, and emotional needs of pediatric patients and families

• Prepare children and adolescents for medical procedures using developmentally appropriate education and therapeutic play

• Provide procedural and emotional support before, during, and after medical interventions

• Support families during times of uncertainty, crisis, and adjustment

• Collaborate closely with physicians, nurses, social workers, and interdisciplinary care teams

• Adapt interventions to meet the needs of diverse patient populations across varying levels of acuity