Community Discussions
Explore the latest discussions and community conversations related to this domain.
IamA LASIK specialist. I make life better for people by reducing their need for glasses or contact lenses. AMA! : IAmA
Main Post: IamA LASIK specialist. I make life better for people by reducing their need for glasses or contact lenses. AMA! : IAmA
Artificer Specialist: Life Weaver
Main Post: Artificer Specialist: Life Weaver
Top Comment:
Why not name it The Botanist or The Horticulturist since Artificer subclass names have a scientific or industrial flavor to them?
Career Change to Child Life Specialist Help
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Hi all, I am interested in becoming a Child Life Specialist but I have some questions. I already have a Master’s Degree and have worked in a hospital setting for over 2 years. I was inspired by our CLS and wanted to become one. However, do I need to enroll in another program to be eligible or can I take classes to help advance my current degree? Any advice is helpful. I have always wanted a career where I help people regardless of pay and this was the first time I thought “this is it”.
Top Comment: You will most likely need a few courses added on but not an entire other degree. You can find the course requirements on child life.org. I did some through UCSB extension, you can look into that.
Jobs Similar to Child Life Specialists
Main Post:
I really want to have a career doing everything a child life specialist does but I know child life doesn't pay well, especially at the pediatric hospital I want to work at.
One of my academic goals is to get my PhD or PsyD in psychology. Are there jobs where you can do similar things as a child life specialist and work in a hospital but be a psychologist? The best way to describe what I want to do in a career is to work with children in a hospital and provide them support and therapy with the training of knowing they are in the hospital or have a chronic illness. I would also love to have that include supporting patients through different types of treatments. I also want to offer families bereavement support.
I've thought about working on a pediatric oncology floor too.
What would a job that's like this but not specifically a child life specialist?
Top Comment: I’ve heard some people be interested in recreational therapy.
Child Life vs Child development specialist ?
Main Post:
I am having a question about the diffrences between these two, are they the same or different? and if I want to be a child life specialist do I have to have master degree? thank you
Top Comment: I believe a child life specialist has a more defined role/type of responsibility, working almost exclusively in medical-related settings (hospitals, mainly). A child development specialist (which, fwiw, I’ve never heard of being an actual career) sounds less defined, with a wider variety of applicable roles and settings.
Child life specialist undergraduate question.
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Hey all, my girlfriend is in undergrad studying to become a child life specialist. Her major is in Human Services and Consumer Sciences with a concentration in child and family development. She’s in her final year of college and has run into an issue where she’s struggling to find a practicum because she doesn’t have enough volunteering hours (she has ~20 hours right now). She’s currently volunteering at a Children’s hospital but we’re worried none of her applications will be accepted for Spring Practicums due to her lack of volunteer hours. My understanding is that in order to do a practicum you still have to be enrolled as a student so how does this work if you’re accepted into a practicum that is in a different location than where you attend school? If she graduates at the end of her spring semester would she then not be able to apply for practicums unless she enrolls into graduate school? Additionally she hasn’t taken a child life course taught by a child life specialist because her school doesn’t offer it. Has anyone else had this issue before? Any insight as to what she should do would be greatly appreciated.
Top Comment:
oh, and as for the course taught by a CCLS, take it online through APUS! its affordable, really manageable workload wise, and it’s offered multiple times a semester if she missed the first deadline.
I cannot for the life of me find a good specialist in UT
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It’s been a really shitty day. I’m (21F) sick and also I found out I will need a laparoscopy. Does anyone happen to know of a good specialist within a reasonable distance of Provo? I’ve been trying to look (still am), but again, I’m sick and I just want to lay on the floor and vomit. Thanks so much and sorry I’m useless today.
Top Comment: I only know of one newish doctor in SLC, Mark Dassel. Not many options in Utah.
Real life thinking of vent specialist…
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Why are we sending tali in when her suit rupture would be immediate death... I understand tech specialist but legion just seems to me to be the better choice
He is tech ... he is not as affected by the heat ...
I always sent talk because I trust her and she’s small but in my last playthrough I thought to myself.... It’s a vent... her suit ruptures or melts or whatever and she’s toast...
I don’t know... just thinking out loud. Garrus also has some tech capability. And Kasumi is a tech genius and tiny without the suit... it seems like they would be logical choices also (more so Kasumi)
Top Comment:
The way I figure it;
Tali's suit gives more protection against residual fumes and other dangers. It's rated as light armor, and has several airfilters and even a small reserve air tank.
Kasumi would be more vulnerable to those dangers.
Garrus is better suited to lead the second team.
Legions firepower would also be more useful outside of the vent, whether on your or the 2nd team.
And Jacob volunteers. Which gets him the job. (Which my headcannon has Tali call me out on, I should trust her to do the job, dating or not.)
Leaving Child Life After Only 3 Years
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I had my last day of work as a CCLS last week, and I start a new job tomorrow. I thought it might be therapeutic for me to write this out, and I'm sharing because I imagine my experience may be relatable to many of you. I love our profession deeply and the mass exodus of child life specialists is devastating. I hope positive change will come soon.
I first learned about Child Life in 2017. I had a Bachelor's Degree in education. At the time a Master's was going to be required, so like many, I applied to grad school. I completed hundreds of volunteer hours, moved out of state for a practicum, moved out of state again for an internship (applied to 30 internship sites with a 4.0 Master's GPA, was only offered 4 interviews, some of which I was expected to fly out for, and received 2 offers). My certification exam was canceled repeatedly due to the pandemic. I was finally able to take the test in summer of 2020 and ended up moving once again, this time for a job.
I started my job in January 2021 for $37,000 a year. I was offered that same amount in 3 different states, all in completely different regions of the US. I wasn't able to negotiate. I accepted the offer because I was so eager to finally begin my career.
For most of my time as a CCLS, I've made ~$20 an hour. I've supported children through thousands of procedures, given numerous hour long presentations to nurses and doctors, and spent countless hours providing end of life and bereavement support. All for less than I would make as a nanny, or at Walgreens for that matter. Cost of living in my area has skyrocketed and thankfully we've gotten a few cost of living adjustments that brought me up to $50,000, but that just isn't enough. I find child life incredibly rewarding and while I am glad to say I'm not burnt out, I've suffered significant vicarious trauma while making less per hour than almost every nursing assistant and ER tech that I know. I knew I'd never make much as a CCLS, but it's so upsetting that after 6 years of college and 3 years in my field, I make less than the people around me who have no degrees and who don't experience the same job related stressors.
I already miss child life so much. I didn't feel like I was done yet; there's still so much for me to learn. I hope that the issues plaguing our field can begin to be resolved. I will happily return if I can ever be compensated appropriately (at least on the same level as teachers and social workers). In the mean time, I'm going to work with families at a nonprofit and make nearly $20K more than I did last year.
Thank you all for all of the amazing work you do. I will continue to use my CCLS title proudly and I hope to return to the hospital setting someday. ❤
Top Comment: I left after 3 years too! I was never offered more than $22/hr even after experience and a masters. I make $47/hr doing something that required about the same amount of education and I deal with less stress. I’m still passionate about child life, but I realized that: 1. Passion doesn’t pay the bills 2. I can apply child life in so many areas 3. I can have more than one passionate career. The sadness from leaving gets easier with time.