Sample Abstract C - Child Life Council

Poster Title: Excellence through collaboration: An initiative to foster consistency
between child life student programs within a region
Poster Summary:
Child life programs are quite variable but have the common goal to maintain excellence.
This initiative creates a meeting place for student coordinators to share ideas and build
collaborative relationships that positively impact student programming. Attendees will
discover the benefits of this cooperative gathering, essential attitudes needed to
implement a successful initiative, specific achievements and obstacles, and other
collaborative healthcare models. (word count 61)
Poster Objectives:
Attendees will learn the benefits of collaboration for child life student programming.
Attendees will recognize the essential attitudes and elements needed for successful
collaboration in their region.
Attendees will learn about the achievements and obstacles of the current initiative.
Attendees will identify similar healthcare models that support collaboration.
Domain 3, Task 2
Poster Abstract:
A. Background/Literature Review
Child life student programs differ in form and function across the profession. Student
coordinators strive to design program models that promote the internship goals as
defined in The Official Documents of the Child Life Council (Child Life Council [CLC],
2002). In May 2010, the child life department of a freestanding pediatric hospital
implemented a change in the structure of the student program leadership, establishing a
student committee facilitated by a team of co-coordinators. The team valued the
positive effects of collaborative leadership, mutual influence and a networking
community to improve student programming (Hallinger & Heck, 2010; Heck & Hallinger,
2010; Grams, 2012). As a result, the team invited student program coordinators in the
region to gather for a day of networking, information sharing and collaboration. This
cooperative approach is supported by other healthcare models, including the Magnet
Model of Nursing and the Core Concepts of Patient- and Family-Centered Care.
(American Nurses Credentialing Center [ANCC], 2012; Institute for Patient- and Family-
Centered Care [IPFCC], 2012)
B. Purpose of the Poster
The purpose of this poster is to highlight the benefits of collaboration between child life
professionals, in order to promote quality clinical experiences for students. The

presentation will provide an overview of how a region of child life student coordinators
created a networking initiative for the purposes of building positive working
relationships, establishing lines of communication, supporting one another through
program growth and challenges, and increasing consistency amid regional student
programming.
C. Program’s Development/Description of Concept/Methodology of Research-
In May 2011, a children’s hospital hosted the first regional gathering of student
coordinators representing eight child life programs. Since that meeting, there have
been two other sessions hosted by other children’s hospitals in the region, with the
fourth scheduled for the fall 2012. These full-day sessions allowed student coordinators
the opportunity to openly discuss programming processes, needs and challenges. This
encouraged community and prevented one organization from dominating the discussion
(Grams, 2012), thus fostering an attitude of collaboration rather than competition. For
example, discussion items were collectively decided prior to the gathering and
prioritized by all attendees on the day of the session. In order to ensure productive
dialogue, coordinators from the host-hospital facilitated conversation, served as
timekeeper and transitioned the discussion. Topics discussed have included:
• Implementation of CLC certification eligibility requirements relevant to student
programming (CLC, 2012)
• Alignment of practicum and internship expectations and program content
• Implementation of effective supervisor training
• Structure of departmental student programming team
• Partnerships with regional academic institutions
Coordinators at the host-hospital were responsible for delegating action-items requiring
follow through and providing meeting minutes to both those present and those unable to
attend.
D. Results/Outcomes -
As a result of this initiative, child life professionals in the region have built positive and
supportive relationships. Attendees have reported they are more comfortable
contacting each other with questions and concerns and agree that student programs
benefit from these conversations. Other outcomes include document sharing and
increased consistency between programs in the region. For example, at the most
recent session, attendees agreed to follow common deadlines and offer dates for
practicum programs. For the spring 2012 session, representatives from universities and
colleges were invited to share their feedback and ideas, affording an opportunity to build
relationships and improve communication between academic institutions and child life
programs. Their participation has created an avenue for discussion around the Child
Life Council’s requirements for academic preparedness (CLC, 2012b). Obstacles

include event promotion and participation; however, the number of programs
represented increased with each networking session.
E. Relevance to child life practice
This initiative impacts child life practice by creating a practical forum for relationship
building and discussion between multiple organizations. Attendees are able to better
their student program content in a way that is meaningful and supportive, thus directly
benefitting students who complete training programs in the region. Through this
initiative, student coordinators discuss and promote recent CLC efforts to bring
consistency and credibility to training programs (CLC, 2012b). Just as the participants
of this initiative embrace the components of collaborative leadership, innovation, and
information sharing supported by the Magnet Model of Nursing (ANCC, 2012) and the
Core Concepts of Patient- and Family-Centered Care (IPFCC, 2012), other regional
child life professionals can collaborate to implement similar programs.
Poster Organization:
The poster will be composed of three sections. Section one will introduce the
background information, the process of conducting a needs assessment, and
developing and implementing a regional initiative. A model, highlighting the essential
elements of the initiative and illustrating their relationship to one another, anchors
section two, the largest section. Components of this model include collaborative
leadership, mutual influence, innovation, information sharing, peer collaboration, and
communication. Lastly, section three, will identify obstacles and clarify outcomes
achieved by the initiative.
References:
American Nurses Credentialing Center. (2012). Magnet recognition program model.
Retrieved from http://www.nursecredentialing.org/Magnet/ProgramOverview/New-
Magnet-Model.aspx
Child Life Council. (2002) Official documents of the Child Life Council. (3rd ed.).
Rockville, MD: Child Life Council.
Child Life Council. (2012a). Eligibility requirements. Retrieved from
http://www.childlife.org/Certification/Getting20Certified/EligibilityRequirements.cfm
Child Life Council. (2012b). Child life professional certification candidate manual.
Retrieved from http://www.childlife.org/Certification/Getting20Certified/Eligibility
Requirements.cfm

Grams, C. (2012, July) The innovative power of communities. T+D Magazine. Retrieved
fromhttp://www.astd.org/Publications/Magazines/TD/TD-Archive/2012/07/The-
Innovative-Power-of-Communities
Hallinger, P., & Heck, R. H. (2010). Collaborative leadership and school improvement:
Understanding the impact on school capacity and student learning. School Leadership
& Management, 30(2), 95-110.
Heck, R. H. & Hallinger, P., (2010). Collaborative leadership effects on school
improvement: Integrating unidirectional- and reciprocal-effects models. The Elementary
School Journal, 3(2), 227-252.
Institute for Patient- and Family- Centered Care. (2012). What are the core-concepts of
patient- and family-centered care Retrieved from http://www.ipfcc.org/faq.html