Who’s Who on Your Child’s Care Team?
Alyssa Friedberg, M.Ed., CCLS, GCCA-C
As a Certified Child Life Specialist (CCLS), I work with children and families during hospitalization. I know how stressful it can be to come to the hospital, so my job is to help make sure you and your child have whatever you need to cope with a medical experience in as positive a way as possible. A CCLS is just one of the many people you may meet during a hospital stay. Keeping track of who each person is and the role they play in your child’s care can be overwhelming, especially if your child has long or frequent stays in the hospital.
Helping Your Child to Recognize their Care Team
Helping your child to get to know their care team can help them feel more comfortable during their hospital stay and future appointments. You can help them learn about their caregivers by:
Taking photos on your phone and reviewing those photos with your child to help them remember who will be supporting their care. For longer stays you may even want to print photos of caregivers and put together a book or album for a child to review.
If your child will be making regular hospital visits for ongoing treatments, create a custom game of Guess Who? or a set of flashcards to help them remember their care team.
Read age-appropriate stories about what goes on at a hospital and the different people you meet while you’re there. Some child-approved favorites include:
Who’s who on Your Child’s Care Team?
Hospital care teams generally consist of two different types of providers - medical and psychosocial. The medical team is focused on treating your child’s medical condition and caring for your child’s physical health. The psychosocial team is focused on the whole child, beyond just treating a physical illness or injury. Their work includes supporting your child’s mental health and well-being, as well as supporting the needs of the whole family. Let’s take a look at some of the people you may meet while your child is undergoing treatment in a hospital.
DOCTORS
Doctors are the people who will diagnose and make a treatment plan for your child. Your child may see many doctors with different specialties during their hospitalization. This Glossary of Pediatric Clinicians from UNC Health Children’s has kid-friendly definitions for some of the more common medical specialists your child may encounter.
NURSES
Your child will meet lots of nurses during their stay at the hospital. Nurses are responsible for the day-to-day healthcare of your child. They will take your child’s vital signs regularly, administer medication, and may assist in some of the procedures or tests your child will need. Nurses will be available around the clock, working in shifts through the day and night.
PHYSICAL, OCCUPATIONAL & SPEECH THERAPISTS
Depending on your child’s medical and developmental needs you may encounter one or more of these types of therapists during your child’s hospital stay. A physical therapist may help restore strength or function after an injury or illness. An occupational therapist may help a child learn or relearn a skill such as brushing their teeth or buttoning their shirt if their medical challenge has impaired their ability to do those things either temporarily or permanently. A speech therapist can assist with difficulties related to speaking and eating/swallowing. All of these specialists may be called in to evaluate and assist with a child’s healing in the case of long-term hospitalization.
CERTIFIED CHILD LIFE SPECIALIST (CCLS)
Certified Child Life Specialists are trained in helping to promote positive coping for children experiencing illness, injury, trauma, and loss. Your CCLS will help educate your child about their diagnosis, prepare your child for procedures, and provide opportunities for therapeutic play and activities.
SOCIAL WORKERS
Social Workers provide counseling, support, advocacy, and resources for families during hospitalizations. Your Social Worker will work as part of the team to ensure that your family is coping appropriately and help you navigate the potentially challenging environment of pediatric hospitals.
MUSIC & ART THERAPISTS
Using the power of music and art, these individuals attend to pediatric patients' developmental, emotional, and social needs. Music therapists may help children create their own songs or play a soothing lullaby during a difficult moment. Art Therapists can use a variety of mediums to help a child express their emotions and reduce anxiety. For many children, these therapeutic experiences can help instill a sense of control and create confidence during a challenging time. If you are interested in pursuing creative arts therapies outside of a hospital setting, you can use this Art Therapist Locator database to find a provider near you.
CHAPLAINS
Regardless of religious affiliation, Chaplains are important to the psychosocial care team. They can provide spiritual and emotional guidance and create a calm, serene atmosphere that can benefit children and caregivers alike. Chaplains often help families process difficult news and can be available for prayer or other religious considerations throughout a child’s hospitalization.
YOU
Parents and primary caregivers are the most important members of the pediatric care team! You know your child better than anyone else, and the information you bring to the team should always be heard and regarded as expert knowledge about the patient. Ask questions, ask how you can be more involved in providing care for your child during hospitalization, and ask for support in meeting your unmet needs and the needs of your family that have been put aside during your child’s illness.
To learn more about parents' role in a healthcare setting, check out the parent pick resource guide from Parenting in the PICU, written by a heart warrior mom. This resource guide written by the parent of a child who has spent over 100 days in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit has tips to help caregivers who find themselves parenting in a hospital setting.
Contributed by: Alyssa Friedberg, Certified Child Life Specialist, Certified Child and Adolescent Grief Counselor, and founder of Chicago Child Life Consulting.