Q: What's a typical workday like for you?

A: I work on an inpatient medical-surgical unit with the cardiology, pulmonary, renal and transplant populations from birth to 18 years old. I help patients and their families understand the diagnosis and the reason for their admission. I do a lot of hands-on teaching with dolls and coping support to help patients through procedures. I advocate for patients and help them and their families cope with their hospital stay. I also help siblings understand what's going on with their brothers and sisters.

Q: How does your role fit into the bigger healthcare picture?

A: Overall, I'm there to allow a kid to learn and grow on their journey, whether it's a chronic or an acute illness. I want to provide the support and care they need to heal and get home.

Q: Who do you interact with during the course of the day?

A: I interact with patients, caregivers and siblings, and work very closely with the interdisciplinary team: nurses; care coordinators; immunotherapy staff; physical and occupational therapists; speech-language pathologists; physicians and surgeons. I work with all the teams to try to coordinate them to best support the patient's and family's needs.

Q: Why did you become a child family life specialist?

A: I've always wanted to work with kids and love the hospital environment. I met a child life specialist during a college course, loved what she did and started in that direction.

Q: What do you like about your work?

A: I love working with patients and families, helping them to learn and grow through their experience. They teach me so much through their strength and courage, living with these illnesses and diagnoses. I love seeing them learn through play and I love building rapport with patients and families. It's a very rewarding job.