Child Life Practicum - Blank Childrens Hospital

Practicum Overview

The Child Life Practicum Program at Blank Children's Hospital offers an 8-week pre-internship experience each summer. Our Child Life program is committed to providing quality learning and training experience for future Child Life specialists. Through the practicum experience, students are given opportunities to observe and become familiar with the field of Child Life and the hospital setting. Students will have the opportunity to become familiar with medical play, pre-operative and pre-procedural preparation, coping facilitation, planning and supervising developmentally appropriate activities, and working with individuals and groups. This experience, with others, will provide the student with a knowledge base to continue pursuing a career in Child Life.

  • The Child Life Practicum is eight weeks long and totals 200 hours.
  • The program accepts a minimum of one but not more than two students.

Blank Children’s Hospital’s Practicum will include educational modules recommended by the Association of Child Life Professionals (ACLP) in addition to opportunities for observation of Child Life interventions and support and therapeutic play opportunities. The pre-internship experience practicum is designed to facilitate the student's growth as a professional by participation as a member of an interdisciplinary healthcare team.

Components

Students will complete the following during the pre-internship program:

  • Participation in volunteer orientation.
  • Daily Journals of hospital experience to be turned in weekly.
  • Assigned readings given by the practicum supervisors.
  • Participation in reflective discussion and educational modules to enhance professional development.
  • Provide appropriate play opportunities to patients in inpatient and outpatient settings.
  • Observe preparation, coping and charting throughout practicum.
  • Complete a procedural checklist.
  • Plan, implement and evaluate a therapeutic play activity and a health care play activity.
  • Complete a case study on a patient following guidelines.
  • Participation in the evaluation tools used at midterm and final.
  • Complete a mock interview with Child Life Specialists to receive feedback and prepare for future internship application process.
  • A self-evaluation at midterm and at final evaluation. Additional responsibilities as assigned.

Eligibility

  • All practicum students must have at least a junior level status.
  • Students must maintain affiliation with an academic institution at the time of the pre-internship experience.
  • Students must have taken at least one introductory Child Life course taught by a Certified Child Life Specialist to be considered for this pre-internship experience.

Blank Children’s Hospital follows the Application Deadline and Offer Date schedule set by the ACLP. Please refer to the ACLP Clinical Internship webpage for more information on the summer session application deadline and offer date.

Application Process

Applications for Blank Children’s Hospital Practicum must include the following items:

  1. Application form
  2. Resume
  3. Unofficial college transcripts. (This information is only needed to ensure the student has taken at least one introductory Child Life course.)

Applications should be saved as a PDF document and submitted via email to dm_childlifestudents@unitypoint.org. All applications emailed should include the student’s name, "Summer” and year of the practicum in the subject line (ex. Jane Smith Summer 2024).