Lauren Byers

Responsibilities

As a child life intern, I observed Certified Child Life Specialists provide support and services to pediatric patients and their families in the children's hospital. I assisted with education, preparation, and procedural support for potentially stressful hospital encounters for patients. I rotated through different departments of the hospital, including pediatric surgery, outpatient emergency department, and inpatient general pediatrics.

Accomplishments

My greatest accomplishment during this internship was gaining the trust of my supervisors to be assigned my own census of patients during my last rotation on the inpatient floor. I was able to prioritize these patients in a way that felt appropriate to me and provide interventions for them as I saw beneficial to them. I built rapport with many pediatric patients and their families during this rotation.

Learning experience

I learned the importance of HIPPA, professional boundaries, and providing support in a way that promotes family-centered care and prioritizes the patient's psychosocial needs. Remaining firm with HIPPA guidelines and maintaining professional boundaries is important in any healthcare setting. I also applied my knowledge of child development in a real-world setting and gained experience with diverse populations.

What advice would you give?

There are so many career paths and opportunities to explore within HDFS. My advice to future students in this program is to keep an open mind throughout your higher education experience, but when it's time to gain professional experience (internships, volunteering, job shadows, etc.), take a deep dive into any opportunity you receive and learn as much as you can. During my internship, any down time I had was spent discussing different aspects of child life with the team and asking them questions about their profession, healthcare settings, and more.