The Child Life Assistant facilitates age-appropriate activities and play-based interventions to reduce patient distress and promote development. They also coordinate volunteer training, maintain safe play environments, and support healthcare team members in pediatric care settings.
Job Description: Temporary position
The Child Life Assistant Interacts directly with pediatric patients, families, and other healthcare team members and facilitates age-appropriate activities to help make the healthcare experience easier for patients and families.
Under the direction of a child life specialist, the child life assistant provides activities in a play setting that reduces patient and family distress, increases effective patient and family coping, fosters patient independence, and promotes optimum development.
This role is designed as a career path toward other child development roles and most Child Life Assistants are working towards child life certification through the Association of Child Life Professionals while earning a degree and certifications.
Posting Specifics Entry Rate: Based on experience Position is NOT Benefits eligible.
Shift Details: Full-time TEMPORARY position (40 hrs/wk).
Must be able to work flexible shifts of 8–10 hours and maintain availability Monday through Saturday to meet staffing and scheduling needs.
PRN coverage as needed by the department as well.
Position is onsite at Salt Lake City location in the Kids Clubhouse, Forever Young Playroom, Teen Room and Hope Garden.
Additional
Details: Child Life Assistants work under the direction of a child life specialist to provide therapeutic safe environments, developmentally appropriate activities, play-based interventions, and support to patients and families. Child life assistants also coordinate volunteer training and scheduling. Experience with children and knowledge of Child Development is necessary. Knowledge of child cognitive, social and skills of child development Ability to communicate effectively in Spanish, including knowledge of medical terminology in Spanish, to support diverse patient needs Enthusiasm for data collection, statistics, and proficiency with Excel Required Qualifications Demonstrated experience working with healthy children or children in a medical or hospital setting Knowledge of child development Computer experience in word processing, spreadsheets, and databases or similar applications Able to work independently and be organized Ability to work in a stressful environment related to patient needs including acute, chronic, and complex disease, and grief and bereavement Maintains appropriate boundaries with patients and families
Associate or bachelor’s degree Working towards child life certification through the Association of Child Life Professionals Work experience as a child life assistant. Completion of child life pre-internship/practicum Completion of a 600-hour child life internship. Spanish speaking Essential Functions Accurately assesses and prioritizes developmental needs of the pediatric patient and family and updates child life specialist when patient needs are outside scope of practice. Develops, implements, advertises, and evaluates developmentally appropriate play/recreational activities and directs parents, students, and volunteers in providing developmentally appropriate toys to patients and families in play space. Screens and transports patients to play areas, completes appropriate check-in guidelines and policies to ensure child safety and assists in coordinating special events, holidays, and special visitors. Maintains a clean, safe environment in accordance with infection prevention and safety standards. Monitors and provides a supportive child-friendly environment in play spaces; supervises, orients, and trains students and volunteers as needed. Assists with ordering, receiving, organizing, and distributing supplies. Supervises and independently leads the facility “Kids Clubhouse,” coordinating the work of the volunteers in those spaces. Skills Relationship building Supervision Teamwork Critical thinking Communication Interpersonal skills Patience Decisiveness Emotional intelligence Creativity Physical Requirements Frequent interactions with patient care providers, patients, and visitors that require employee to verbally communicate as well as hear and understand spoken information, alarms, needs, and assess issues quickly and accurately, particularly during emergency situations to maintain safety Ongoing need for employee to see and read information, documents, monitors, identify equipment and supplies, and be able to assess customer needs. Manual dexterity of hands and fingers to manipulate complex and delicate equipment with precision and accuracy. This includes frequent computer use for typing, accessing needed information, etc. Expected to lift and utilize full range of movement to transfer patients. Will also bend to retrieve, lift, and carry supplies and equipment. Typically includes items of varying weights, up to and including heavy items.
Learn more about our comprehensive benefits package here.
By applying for a position with Intermountain, I acknowledge that I will comply with all applicable Intermountain policies and expectations. If applying for a remote or hybrid role, this includes remote work expectations related to confidentiality, information security, work schedules, conflicts of interest, and use of company equipment. I further acknowledge that outside employment or activities may not interfere with job responsibilities or create a conflict of interest with Intermountain. Actual or reasonably perceived conflicts may be grounds for disqualification from consideration or, if hired, corrective action up to and including termination of employment.
Intermountain Health is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status.
At Intermountain Health, we use the artificial intelligence ("AI") platform, HiredScore to improve your job application experience.
HiredScore helps match your skills and experiences to the best jobs for you.
While HiredScore assists in reviewing applications, all final decisions are made by Intermountain personnel to ensure fairness.
We protect your privacy and follow strict data protection rules.
Your information is safe and used only for recruitment.
Thank you for considering a career with us and experiencing our AI-enhanced recruitment process.
All positions subject to close without notice.
Candidates must have experience working with children in a medical or hospital setting and possess knowledge of child development. Proficiency in computer applications and the ability to communicate effectively in Spanish are also required.