Child Life Intern

Ochsner Health•New Orleans, LA

2d•Onsite

About The Position

We've made a lot of progress since opening the doors in 1942, but one thing has never changed - our commitment to serve, heal, lead, educate, and innovate. We believe that every award earned, every record broken and every patient helped is because of the dedicated employees who fill our hallways. At Ochsner, whether you work with patients every day or support those who do, you are making a difference and that matters. Come make a difference at Ochsner Health and discover your future today! This job provides a structured developmental internship designed for individual completing required clinical hours toward Child Life Specialist certification. Under the supervision of certified Child Life staff, the Child Life Intern participates in therapeutic programming, patient support activities, and guided clinical learning experiences that build foundational competencies in pediatric psychosocial care. This role supports academic partnerships and workforce pipeline initiative and includes completion of approximately 600 supervised clinical hours aligned with certification pathway requirements. To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential duties. This job description is a summary of the primary duties and responsibilities of the job and position. It is not intended to be a comprehensive or all-inclusive listing of duties and responsibilities. Contents are subject to change at the company’s discretion.

Requirements

Education Required – Bachelor’s degree completed or in progress in child life, child development, psychology, family studies, or related filed aligned with Child Life certification pathway.
Work Experience Required – Acceptance into an approved Child Life internship or clinical training pathway requiring completion of approximately 600 supervised clinical hours toward Child Life Specialist certification.
Certifications Required – Basic Life Support (BLS) certification.
Proficiency in using computers, software, and web-based applications.
Effective verbal and written communication skills and ability to present information clearly and professionally to varying levels of individuals throughout the patient care process.
Strong interpersonal skills and ability to deal with patients, families, multidisciplinary team members, departmental peers, and community agency personnel effectively and courteously.
Good organizational skills.
Good time management skills.
Ability to maintain patient confidentiality and a professional relationship with patients and families.
Ability to work a flexible schedule (e.g. 24/7, weekend, holiday, on call availability) and travel throughout and between facilities.

Nice To Haves

Preferred – Enrollment in a Association of Child Life Professional (ACLP) eligible academic or certification preparation program.
Preferred – Volunteer, practicum, or observational experience supporting infants, children, youth, or families.
Preferred – Eligibility to pursue Child Life Specialist (CCLS) credential upon completion of required academic coursework and approximately 600 supervised clinical internship hours.

Responsibilities

Participates in supervised therapeutic interventions, developmental play, and psychosocial support activities for pediatric patients and families.
Assists with preparation and facilitation of coping strategies, therapeutic play, procedural preparation, and age-appropriate programming.
Observes and progressively participates in patient assessments, developmental observations, and clinical interactions under supervision of Certified Child Life Specialist.
Completes structured internship objectives aligned with certification pathway requirements, including approximately 600 supervised clinical hours of hands-on training.
Maintains accurate documentation of learning activities, clinical exposure, and internship progress as directed by supervising staff.
Attends educational sessions, interdisciplinary rounds, case reviews, mentorship meetings, and academic partnership activities supporting professional development.
Collaborates with Child Life staff and multidisciplinary care teams to support family-centered pediatric care delivery.
Demonstrates professional communication, ethical conduct, and adherence to patient privacy, safety, and hospital standards.
Performs other related duties as assigned.
Remains knowledgeable on current federal, state, and local laws, accreditation standards or regulatory agency requirements that apply to the assigned area of responsibility and ensures compliance with all such laws, regulations, and standards.
This employer maintains and complies with its Compliance & Privacy Program and Standards of Conduct, including the immediate reporting of any known or suspected unethical or questionable behaviors or conduct; patient/employee safety, patient privacy, and/or other compliance-related concerns.