Why I want to be a Child Life Specialist

My brother has Batten's Disease which is a very rare genetic disease. Fortunately, he has a different type of the disease so it hasn't affected him like it's supposed to. That may sound bad but instead of him supposed to pass away by 10 like most people affected by this disease, he is 21 years old and is doing pretty good.
I want to become a child life specialist because I love helping the disabled. I wanted to be a nurse but a child life specialist is just like a nurse without having to do the gross stuff and all I have to do is make kids happy and make sure them and their families know what's going on.

Working hours

Being a child life specialist means you can have long working hours just like a nurse. Most child specialist work from 7:30am to 7:30pm.

http://www.mayoclinic.org/careerawareness/ce-childlife.html

Child Life Council

Child Life Council represents a group of trained professionals with expertise in helping children and their families overcome life’s most challenging events


http://www.childlife.org/

Podcast- Julia Collins

This podcast by Julia Collins talks about the educational solutions for pediatric patients.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-19-educational-solutions/id281301994?i=64262470&mt=2

Child Life Julz- Julia Collins

Julia Collins is a child life specialist who has toured the world of Child Life and does interviews from people in the field. Each podcast will give you a rare glimpse into hospitals and programs through the eyes of Child Life specialists and other medical professionals who work closely with children in various locations throughout the world.
Ms. Collins made twenty podcasts including the intro. In the podcast I selected it is her third episode and she explains the lives of the professionals that work with kids and families with Cystic Fibrosis and Diabetes.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-3-cystic-fibrosis/id281301994?i=27270536&mt=2

Blog about Child Life Specialist

Below is a link written by a child life specialist at LeBonheur Children's Medical Center. The blog explains the academic requirements and schooling to become a child life specialist. The blog also states what a child life specialist is and how to get an internship.




http://www.lebonheur.org/blogs/childlifeblog/page/child-life-specialist

Smiles

In the picture is a child life specialist talking to one of her patients. The child actually looks happy even though she is sick in a hospital.