The Child Life Practicum at McLane Children’s Hospital is offered in both the fall and spring semesters and is designed for individuals interested in pursuing a career as a certified child life specialist.
During the practicum, students can become familiar with the child life profession and learn from/observe child life specialists applying theory into practice in their daily work.
A large part of the practicum schedule consists of shadowing child life specialists in various areas of the hospital to gain assessment skills through observation. There are also learning opportunities through hands-on experiences with patients and families, in-services, journaling, special events and projects.