Interest in the program has grown through the Child Life Association of Stevens Point (CLASP), a campus student organization that Brodhagen began at the encouragement of a mentor at Marshfield. Within a few months of its creation, five CLASP members, including Brodhagen, presented research at the National Association of Child Life Professionals conference. The project was a collection of interviews with child life specialists across the nation to learn about their career paths in this extremely competitive field. Brodhagen completed an internship at Children’s Wisconsin, a Wauwatosa hospital. Her experiences included time in outpatient specialty clinics, a trauma intensive care unit and an acute care unit. She helped children by explaining procedures, demonstrating the medical equipment, and teaching coping techniques such as deep breathing and distraction. “The huge difference we can make is worth it,” she said. “We can offer our patients choices and support that turn a negative experience around. Even providing a soothing touch is a win. We take pride in that.” Katie Uhlenbrauck of Hortonville had already earned a bachelor’s degree in health
She spent three weeks shadowing a CLS on the oncology/hematology floor and three weeks in the emergency department. “I learned how to assess patients and tailor care to fit the needs of all different age groups of children,” she said. “I learned how to implement coping plans, and individualize care to offer developmentally appropriate procedural preparation, support, and activities to help make the hospital environment a more welcoming place.” Uhlenbrauck hopes to work in an inpatient setting and someday be a therapy dog handler that helps to brighten a child’s day through animal assisted therapy. While the field is growing in children’s hospitals, the child life specialist skillset is also valuable in dental offices, schools, funeral homes, crisis shelters and specialty summer camps – anywhere children need support. “The biggest role that a child life specialist takes is being an advocate for the young patient and their family,” said Brodhagen, who recently passed her certification exam. “We treat them as a child first, not as their diagnosis.”
Katie Uhlenbrauck ’21 Child Life Specialist Prep Certificate Children’s Wisconsin
promotion and wellness when she returned to earn the CLS certificate. Like Brodhagen, she was looking for a career in health care that helped children. Many of her degree classes fit into the new program’s requirements, and Wall and Professor Corey Huck helped complete paperwork so she could earn credits during a practicum experience at Children’s Wisconsin.
“The data is clear that child life specialists have an impact on health outcomes and meeting a family’s needs.” –Professor Sterling Wall, Ph.D.
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