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 & Nursing.

Applicants for this role may also receive access to additional matched opportunities through the Careertakes platform.

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Role overview

Confidential Client is seeking a Child Life Specialist (NICU) to join the neonatal team in Terrytown, LA. As an integrated member of the multidisciplinary care team, you will deliver developmentally appropriate, evidence-based psychosocial care and procedural preparation for infants and their families to reduce distress, strengthen coping, and improve the overall patient and family experience.

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What You’ll Do

• Conduct developmental and psychosocial assessments to identify patient and family needs and guide individualized plans of care.
• Design and implement therapeutic interventions that support coping and emotional expression.
• Provide procedural preparation and bedside support to reduce anxiety and trauma associated with medical procedures.
• Educate families and caregivers on coping strategies, developmental expectations, and available resources.
• Collaborate with physicians, nurses, and other multidisciplinary team members to coordinate patient-centered care.
• Maintain timely, professional clinical documentation in accordance with organizational and professional standards.
• Mentor and guide Child Life Assistants and interns during clinical practice and program activities.
• Participate in quality improvement initiatives, interdisciplinary committees, and program development that enhance family-centered outcomes.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

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Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor’s degree in child life, child development, psychology, or a closely related field.
• Completion of an accredited Child Life Internship and eligibility to sit for the Child Life Certification exam.
• Minimum 1 year of experience in child life, child and family studies, child development, or a related area.
• Basic Life Support (BLS) certification.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills and professional interpersonal skills.
• Ability to maintain patient confidentiality and professional boundaries.
• Ability to work flexible clinical schedules (including nights, weekends, holidays, and on-call as needed).

Preferred

• Master’s degree or advanced coursework in pediatric or developmental disciplines.
• Certified Child Life Specialist (CCLS) or ability to obtain CCLS within the organization’s timeframe.
• 2+ years of clinical child life experience in a pediatric healthcare setting, ideally in NICU or critical care.

Skills & technical

• Proficiency with clinical documentation, common software, and web-based applications.
• Good organizational and time-management skills.
• Experience delivering procedural preparation and family education in a hospital setting.

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Working conditions & physical demands

• This position is based in Terrytown, LA and requires on-site clinical work in patient care areas (NICU).
• Medium work: may occasionally lift/move up to 20–50 pounds and frequently 10–25 pounds; roles require walking, standing, and active bedside support.
• Routine exposure to blood, body fluids, tissue, and other potential communicable disease risks; adherence to universal precautions and facility safety protocols required.
• May be exposed to hazardous medications or contaminated waste in certain clinical duties.
• Reasonable accommodations are available to qualified individuals with disabilities.

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Compensation & benefits

• Listed/estimated salary on source: $38,109 per year (estimate). Final compensation and benefits will be determined by Confidential Client and may include health insurance, retirement plans, paid time off, and other standard benefits — details provided during the hiring process.

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Why join?

• Use your child development and therapeutic skills to make measurable differences for infants and families during critical care.
• Work as part of a collaborative, multidisciplinary team dedicated to family-centered care and clinical excellence.
• Professional development and mentorship opportunities for early-career and experienced child life specialists.

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Are you ready to make a difference? Apply today through the Careertakes platform to be considered for this Terrytown, LA Child Life Specialist (NICU) opportunity.

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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.