“What is surgery?” “Why can’t I eat anything?” “Will it hurt?” “Where are my tonsils?” “Where is the popsicle room?” “Why can’t mom/dad be with me?” 

These are a few daily common questions that I get when I work with children in the outpatient surgery center.  As a Certified Child Life Specialist (CCLS), it is my job to help children understand what is going on around them.  Not only do I explain medical jargon to them in a way that they can understand, but I also provide normalcy in a chaotic environment. The outpatient surgery center is typically very fast paced, tons of bright lights, has a sterile smell, there are a bunch of people all wearing the same outfit, and so on and so forth. I am the person that keeps everything calm in the midst of the storm.  And before I go any further, let me get something straight here…I am not the “play lady”, “toy lady” or the “iPad lady.”  Yes, play is an important role in my job, but it is not the definition of Child Life.  I believe play is every child’s natural born right and is a natural part of childhood. It is a universal language between all children since there is no specific way to play. Children usually know how to play before they can even talk, walk, read, or write and it teaches them so many things.

I have officially been a CCLS for a little over than 3 years, and more specifically, the last 1.5-2 years I spent building a new program. I have worked very hard to say nonetheless.  Some child life specialists may think that it was “too early” for someone new in the field to do while others have found it very inspirational. Throughout my life, I have experienced many tribulations and never have I once let anything detour me from accomplishing my goals and dreams. I have always just told myself that God is closing this door and will open another when it is time.  One of the first tribulations I experienced starting a new program was receiving some push back from staff since child life wasn’t present in the past.  Not everyone was onboard with the child life choo choo train, but with time, they have learned and have seen the benefits of child life and some have even become my biggest advocates.  And I do have to say, I have had amazing coworkers and supervisors supporting me along this journey whether it was personal life milestones or at work. I think back to when I first started, I had only been in Pre-Op full time for about 6 months, and the whole Pre-Op/OR/PACU team threw a “bridal shower” for me at work before I went on leave!  It meant soooooo much to me because I was so new and they took me in as one of their own.

With my unit being very fast pace and often being really stressful for patients and families, I love that I get to be the light for these people. I get to be full of love, comfort, grace, mercy, and hope.  One of the rewarding parts of my job is seeing children overcome their fears and anxieties and telling them that they can do it. There have been many times where I walk into a room and a patient is tearful because they are scared and they feel like they can’t do it.  Once I get down on their level and explain who I am and what I can do, they usually begin to return to baseline and we then make a coping plan for their pending surgery.  Not only do I believe that this teaches them positive coping skills in the moment, but will also remind them when life gets tough (because we all know that it will one day), they will know how to overcome those trials and cope in an effective way.

I want to share a brief story about a patient.  One of my favorite stories is when I had a really anxious patient in pre-op, worked very intensely with them, provided anesthesia induction support in the OR, and then in recovery I followed up to assess coping. After some conversing I asked, “Did everything happen the way I prepped you?” and as we are talking they were sitting up eating a popsicle and shook their head in a “no” movement.  I immediately looked at them confused and asked, “Really? What was different?” and they replied, “It was easier…” with a smile on their face.  Now, how does that not warm your heart?!

This is just a glimpse of what I get to do BTS as a CCLS.  For children, not knowing what to expect is scary, but I have the knowledge to help solve the mystery of surgery through play, education, and often fun for these patients and families that walk through the doors.  I get to reduce fear, anxiety and pain through therapeutic play, preparation, and education.

This is the job that I get to do and this is the job that I love.

xoxo,

T

P.S.  Shout out to my surgical family!! I have learned so much from you and I will be eternally grateful.  Thank you for adopting me into your family.

P.S.S.  For those that want to learn more about my job, here is an awesome video done by Colorado Children’s Hospital about Child Life.