Child Life Specialist - NICU - Confidential Client - FT
The Child Life Specialist in the NICU at Confidential Client is a key clinical team member providing developmentally appropriate psychosocial support to pediatric patients and families. This role involves conducting assessments, delivering therapeutic interventions, preparing patients for procedures, and collaborating with multidisciplinary teams to enhance patient and family experiences. The position requires strong communication, organizational skills, and the ability to mentor junior staff while ensuring compliance with healthcare standards.
About Careertakes
👉 Important disclosure: Careertakes is a third-party recruiting platform supporting this hiring process. If selected, you will be employed directly by our client, Healthcare — Hospital.
Applicants for this role may also receive access to additional matched opportunities through the Careertakes platform.
What You’ll Do
Confidential Client is seeking a Child Life Specialist - NICU to join their pediatric care team in Kenner, LA. You will deliver developmentally appropriate, evidence-based psychosocial care to neonatal and pediatric patients and their families, reducing distress, strengthening coping skills, and improving the overall patient and family experience in clinical settings.
- Conduct developmental and psychosocial assessments to identify patient and family needs and guide individualized care plans.
- Design and deliver therapeutic interventions that support coping, emotional expression, and adjustment to medical care.
- Provide procedural preparation and bedside support to reduce anxiety and trauma during treatments and procedures.
- Educate families and caregivers on age-appropriate coping strategies and developmental considerations.
- Collaborate with physicians, nurses, and the multidisciplinary care team to coordinate patient-centered care and support clinical goals.
- Maintain accurate clinical documentation in accordance with professional and organizational standards.
- Mentor Child Life Assistants and interns; contribute to interdisciplinary committees, quality improvement, and program development.
- Perform other duties as assigned that support patient- and family-centered care.
Minimum Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in child life, child development, psychology, or a related field required.
- Completion of an accredited Child Life Internship and eligibility to sit for the Child Life Certification exam.
- Basic Life Support (BLS) certification required.
- Minimum 1 year of relevant experience in child life, child and family studies, child development, or a related field.
Preferred Qualifications
- Certified Child Life Specialist (CCLS) or ability to obtain CCLS within the organization’s designated timeframe.
- Master’s degree or advanced coursework in pediatric/developmental disciplines.
- 2+ years of clinical experience in a pediatric healthcare setting, ideally including NICU exposure.
Knowledge, Skills & Abilities
- Proficiency with computers, software, and web-based clinical applications.
- Strong verbal and written communication and presentation skills.
- Excellent interpersonal skills; ability to interact compassionately and professionally with patients, families, and multidisciplinary teams.
- Strong organizational and time-management skills.
- Ability to maintain patient confidentiality and professional boundaries.
- Flexibility to work varied schedules (including weekends, holidays, and on-call as required) and travel between facilities as needed.
Working Conditions & Physical Demands
- Medium work: may require lifting or moving objects (20–50 pounds occasionally).
- Regular exposure to patient care areas and potential exposure to blood, body fluids, and communicable diseases.
- Work within a clinical healthcare environment that may include hazardous medications or waste handling as related to duties.
- Reasonable accommodations will be provided to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.
Location & Remote Eligibility
This role is based in Kenner, LA. The position may be eligible for remote work per Confidential Client policy; applicants should review location eligibility. Note: some locations are not eligible for remote-work roles per the employer’s policy, including residents of the following areas: Colorado, California, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Vermont, Washington, and Washington D.C.
Compensation (Visible Estimate)
Estimated base pay: $36,238 per year (estimated). This figure comes from the source posting and is provided for transparency; actual pay and benefits will be determined by Confidential Client and may vary by experience and location.
Equal Opportunity & Hiring Transparency
Careertakes and our client are Equal Opportunity Employers committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce. We prohibit discrimination or harassment of any kind. To support a fair and efficient hiring process, AI tools may be used to assist with application review or resume screening. These tools do not replace human decision-making. Final hiring decisions are made by people.
If you have questions about how your data is used, please contact us directly.
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