Certified Child Life Specialists in Hospice and Palliative Care Organizations: A State of the Profession.

Abstract

Certified Child Life Specialists (CCLSs) provide developmentally appropriate psychosocial care to children to promote positive coping. However, little is known about the current professional landscape and opportunities for professional growth, especially in hospice and palliative care. To conduct a needs assessment among CCLS and examine the role in hospice and palliative care. CCLSs were surveyed on their experience and needs in providing care in hospice and palliative care organizations. The online survey contained questions about demographics and work environment. The survey included multiple choice, yes/no, and open-ended questions. Descriptive statistics were generated from the survey items and comments/open-ended questions were coded and assessed for themes. Among the 191 respondents, most were females (96.3%), under 40 years of age (63.8%), Caucasian (87.4%), and non-Hispanic (95.3%) with under 12 years of full-time work experience (57.0%). CCLSs commonly worked in urban/suburban (67.5%) pediatric programs (62.3%) with clients ranging from perinatal (33.5%) to adult caregivers of children (60.2%). Themes from the open-ended questions were: (a) role clarification, (b) staffing, (c) funding, (d) training/education, (e) professionality, and (f) self-care. Key insights into the profession, along with challenges and opportunities of working within the hospice and palliative care setting were identified. The findings highlighted the unique need for professional development among CCLSs.