Patients & Families

Child Life Practicum 

The Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children practicum program is a teaching program for individuals that have an interest in the child life field. The program is offered three times per year during the spring, summer and fall and lasts for two and a half to three months.

Practicum students in the Child Life department have three main areas of responsibility during their time at TSRHC.

1. Clinic area: In the clinic area, the student works with children and teens in an outpatient setting, bringing games, art activities, medical play activities or musical activities to the clinic waiting areas. When a patient is waiting to see the doctor, fear and anxiety may build. The role of the practicum student is to try to alleviate the patient’s fear and anxiety by allowing the child or teen to participate in an activity. This helps not only the patient and family but also the nurses and doctors. The patient will be more relaxed, less anxious and hopefully more compliant with the medical staff.
2. Inpatient nursing unit: The student works with patients in the inpatient unit who are immobile and can’t leave their rooms. While on the nursing unit, the student will check on all patients on the inpatient floor and identify patients that could benefit from an activity with the student or with one or two other inpatients. By providing this service to patients, the student is able to help patients participate in developmentally appropriate activities, contributing to their continual psychosocial well-being.
3. Child Life playroom: While in the playroom, the student assumes the greatest area of responsibility and creativity. The playroom is set up to allow each inpatient and their families a place to come to just be a “kid” within the hospital environment. It is the student’s responsibility to set up the playroom environment, including medical play and developmentally appropriate activities for infants, toddlers, school-age and teenage patients.

The practicum student will have the opportunity to observe the child life specialists in several areas of the hospital, including admission intake, pre-admission tours, hospital tours, special events, community transition programs and education and interventions that take place in the clinic and on the inpatient floor. A project and a few short papers are due upon completion of the practicum.

For more information or to apply for the child life practicum, please view the practicum application.