Child Life Specialist II - Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU)

Description

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UNC Health is seeking an experienced Certified Child Life Specialist II (CCLS II) to join our Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) team. This role is designed for a skilled clinician who brings demonstrated resilience and the ability to thrive in a complex, fast-paced environment. In this high-acuity setting, you will support critically ill children and their families while advancing compassionate care, clinical excellence, and resilience across the care continuum.

As a CCLS II, you will be recognized for your clinical expertise, experience, and leadership contributions, with opportunities to mentor others and help shape the continued growth of the child life program.

What You'll Do:

• Assess developmental, psychosocial, emotional, and cultural needs using a patient- and family-centered care approach

• Provide developmentally appropriate preparation and education for procedures and diagnoses

• Deliver non-pharmacological pain management interventions and facilitate therapeutic play

• Offer emotional support, including bereavement care, to patients and families

• Serve as a clinical resource and mentor within the child life team, supporting professional development and onboarding

• Contribute to program development, quality improvement initiatives, and departmental advancement

• Demonstrated leadership skills and a commitment to collaboration and team development

• Strong clinical judgment and the ability to adapt in a high-acuity, fast-paced environment

• Experience in pediatric critical care preferred

Summary:
The Child Life Specialist II provides advanced evidenced-based evaluation and delivers developmentally appropriate treatment of pediatric physical, cognitive, social, emotional, play and life skill needs. Educates family on effective methods and strategies to improve pediatric patient's quality of life. Employees in this classification provide evidence-based evaluation, consultation, and skilled treatment and instruction to patients and caregivers. The clinician participates in annual continuing education and provides departmental and organizational teaching to enhance personal and peer knowledge of evidence-based practice.

Responsibilities:
1. Completes child life documentation per team guidelines. Manages daily caseload with efficiency and efficacy. Meets productivity standards per team guidelines.
2. Evaluates patient progress towards treatment plan and responses to treatment interventions, adapts as necessary in compliance with team performance expectations. Designs treatment plans and individualized and/or group treatment interventions for assigned patient population to meet their treatment needs with teammates and other disciplines in compliance with team performance expectations. Plans for patient discharge and recommend continued service or aftercare in accordance with team performance expectations.
3. Guide assistive personnel and delegates responsibilities as per licensing board guidelines. Assists with onboarding of new staff by completing clinical orientation and competency verification.
4. Develops, coordinates, and evaluates specialized programs for specific clinical service areas; engages in research and quality improvement initiatives for the clinical service team and department. Serves as an interdisciplinary liaison.
5. Provides clinical education, clinical precepting and mentoring of students, and other disciplines; participates in competency verification and evaluates the learner's performance. Develops best practices and goals in compliance with departmental and organizational standards.
6. Serves as resource to North Carolina government departments and statewide health professionals in specialty areas; Presents at local (university/hospital) or state level conferences; Participates in community outreach screening and educational events and career promotion efforts.
7. Demonstrates leadership attributes, advocates for the profession and facilitates change, contributes to the professional development of others, promotes initiatives, and exemplifies quality service provision.

Other information:
Education Requirements:
* Bachelor's degree Child Life or a related field that meets the Child Life Council's recommendation for coursework concentration in Child Life, which includes an internship.
Licensure/Certification Requirements:
* Certification by the Child Life Certifying Commission.
Professional Experience Requirements:
* Five (5) years of Child Life experience including one (1) year in the specialty field of work to which assigned.
Knowledge/Skills/and Abilities Requirements:
* Advanced clinical skills as evidenced by specialty certifications, additional training and/or expertise in a given clinical specialty.
* Exhibits effective communication and interprofessional skills; requires physical stamina and repetitive movements, including, but not limited to, sitting, standing, kneeling, walking, and squatting during patient interventions while supporting one's weight; can engage in high-level problem-solving to ensure patient safety during mobilization.

Legal Employer: STATE

Entity: UNC Medical Center

Organization Unit: Recreational Therapy Child Life

Work Type: Full Time

Standard Hours Per Week: 40.00

Salary Range:$24.98 - $35.91 per hour (Hiring Range)

Pay offers are determined by experience and internal equity

Work Assignment Type: Onsite

Work Schedule: Day Job

Location of Job: US:NC:Chapel Hill

Exempt From Overtime: Exempt: No

This is a State position employed by UNC Health Care System with UNC Health benefits. If, however, you are presently an employee of another North Carolina agency and currently participate in TSERS or the ORP, you will be eligible to continue participating in those plans at UNC Health.

Qualified applicants will be considered without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, genetic information, disability, status as a protected veteran or political affiliation.

UNC Health makes reasonable accommodations for applicants' and employees' religious practices and beliefs, as well as applicants and employees with disabilities. All interested applicants are invited to apply for career opportunities. Please email applicant.accommodations@unchealth.unc.edu if you need a reasonable accommodation to search and/or to apply for a career opportunity.