Child Life

Internship Program

Thank you for your interest in our internship program at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.  We offer a 15-week (600-hour) internship for credit at the undergraduate/graduate level or independently upon completion of appropriate area of study.  This internship is designed for students with backgrounds in Child Development, Child Life, and related fields.  To learn more about the Child Life Council Certification process and appropriate areas of study, please go to www.childlife.org

 Learning Opportunities and Responsibilities

• Orientating to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and the Child Life department (week 1), plus two rotations on different units 
• Developing skills outlined in the Child Life Council Competencies which are required for entry level positions
• Participating in daily clinical work with patients
• Training rotations may include: Cardiology, Hematology/Oncology, Dialysis, Solid Organ Transplant, General Peds, Pulmonary, Surgical Services,  Radiology, Intensive Care, Emergency Services, Neurology, and Rehabilitation. 
• Working on Intern Skill Development and Competency Assessment for the following areas: Medical Play, Procedural Support, Procedural Preparation, Pre-Operative Preparation and Diagnostic Teaching
• Planning and implementing therapeutic interventions
• Planning and supervising play sessions
• Interacting with the interdisciplinary team through rounds, report and referrals
• Documenting patient/family assessments, interventions and outcomes in the medical record
• Supervising volunteers
• Reviewing current literature in health care
• Attending inservices and training sessions (topics include: siblings, bereavement, cultural issues, pain management, assessment/prioritizing, charting and unit specific information)
• Participating in group learning with other interns and coordinators through case presentations, assignment reviews, and journal reviews

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 Application Deadlines:

Note: All applicants must be post-marked by the “Application Deadline” date.  If the “Application Deadline” date falls on a weekend or a holiday, then the deadline date moves forward to the next business day. 

For those schools who require interns to know the placements prior to our above deadlines, please follow the below process:

You will need to follow the "Application Deadline" for the internship session that is prior to the internship session for which you wish to be placed.

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 Eligibility:

• Applicants are required to have a senior level status in a bachelor’s degree program or higher
• Applicants must be working towards completing the certification requirements to sit for the Child Life Council Certification Exam 
• Applicant must have volunteer and/or paid work experience with well infants, children, youth and/or families in a variety of settings
• Applicant must have volunteer and/or paid work with children and families experiencing stressful situations, healthcare and/or health issues.  Hospital experience is preferred.
• Applicant must have a minimum GPA of 3.0 overall and a 3.0 in their major.

Child Life Intern Job Description

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 Application Packet:

• Application Child Life Internship application form and guidelines
• College Transcript(s): must be an official document from your college/university
• Resume
• Two letters of recommendation on business letterhead
  1. One must be from an academic instructor from your college/university
  2. One must be from a supervisor who has observed your work with children in the past 2 years

Please make sure your application is complete and postmarked by the deadline date.  Incomplete packets and/or packets that do not meet the deadline date will not be considered.  

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 Mailing Address (Mail application to either):

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 Interview Process:

• It is the student’s responsibility to ensure the application is complete and meets the deadline dates. 
• Following receipt of your application, it will be reviewed and may be selected for the next step. Applicants selected for the next step will be contacted to schedule a phone interview.  
• Following the phone interview, applicants will be selected to come in for an on-site interview.  Applicants not selected for an on-site interview will receive a written or electronic message.
• Following the on-site interview, offers and declines will be made via telephone and electronic message.

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 Pre-internship Responsibilities

• A Student Participant Agreement must be signed and complete prior to the start date.  Non-student Participant Agreements (contract) are available for applicants who have already graduated and meet the education requirements set by the Child Life Certification Committee.
• A mandatory Participant Health Screen Form must be completed.
• Background check must be complete and appropriate.
• Must have a current CPR card that will not expire during the internship.
• Suggested reading to prepare for internship:

“Child Life in Hospitals: Theory and Practice.” Thompson and Stanford.  (1981)
“Psychosocial Care of Children in Hospitals: A Clinical Practice Manual.” Gaynard, et al. (1990).
“Official Documents of the Child Life Council.” (2002)

 In the Official Documents you will find the Child Life Code of Ethics.  These resources can be purchased through the Child Life Council website, www.childlife.org. 

Note: Contracts, signed health screen forms, and proof of CPR must be turned in to coordinate on the first day you are at the hospital.  
 

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 Dress Code:

• Business Casual; should allow ease of movement from floor to chair to standing
• Tennis shoes should be neat and clean
• Pants must touch the ankle
• Skirts must be no more than 2 inches above the knee 
• Sleeveless shirts must be covered with a sweater or jacket
• Hosiery  must be worn with skirts and dresses and knee highs/socks with slacks
• No perfume
• No denim shirts, pants, or skirts are permitted
• No open toed shoes are permitted in patient care areas
• Nails must be no longer than ½ inch from the tip of the finger
• No artificial nails due to infection control

Volunteer Opportunities:

Find more information about volunteer opportunities.

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Equal Opportunity Employer