Careers Working with Children in Healthcare

Many people think of midwives as helping pregnant mothers deliver home births. While this is true in some cases, most certified nurse midwives work in hospitals or as part of a clinic, birthing center, or private group practice. CNMs provide routine prenatal care including exams, nutrition counseling, and education. Prenatal care can begin even before the pregnancy with support in family planning. CNMs work with pregnant women as they deliver, then provide follow up care for mothers and babies including lactation support.

Obstetric Physician Assistants or OB/GYN PAs support women and families throughout pregnancy and birth. They may help guide couples through family planning or infertility treatments prior to a pregnancy. Most OB/GYN PAs work in outpatient clinics, while some work within hospitals or birthing centers. OB/GYN PAs offer patients a full range of prenatal and postpartum care, including lactation support. They may perform or assist routine deliveries, as well as assisting cesarean deliveries.

Neonatal Pediatric Occupational Therapists work with babies in the NICU. Babies are admitted to a NICU for a variety of reasons including premature birth, respiratory issues, infections, or congenital or birth defects. A neonatal OT works to identify an infant’s potential developmental issues and they create a treatment plan to address those needs. Neonatal OTs also work with families helping them to learn and interpret their baby’s cues and bond with their baby using skin-to-skin ‘kangaroo care.’ They may also teach families specific skills for how to care for a special needs baby.

Infant massage can be an integral tool for bonding between parents and babies, whether their babies are typical, full-term babies or special needs babies. Infant massage therapy instructors teach parents specific massage techniques. NICU nurses may also become certified to perform infant massage. Infant massage can be uniquely beneficial within the stressful environment of the NICU. NICU nurses may also teach these techniques to the families of babies in the NICU.

Imagine not being able to be understood or to clearly understand those around you. Speech and language pathologists are like superheroes that unlock the world of communication for the youngest children. Early intervention with speech or processing disorders can have dramatic effects that can be truly life changing. Speech and language pathologists integrate play in their therapeutic interventions. They may help children from birth through age 5 develop their voices and improve their fluency, understand language, or correct swallowing or communication disorders.

Pediatric Nurse Practitioners (PNPs) care for patients from birth through age 5 (and beyond) in clinical or specialty care settings. State regulations determine the scope of a PNP’s practice and whether they are able to practice independently from doctors. PNPs provide primary care including regular well-child checks and sick visits. PNPs may also direct specialty care for patients with special medical needs, both chronic and acute.

Pediatric occupational therapy assistants work with children in their homes and schools, clinics, hospitals, or physical and occupational therapy offices. Pediatric patients may need occupational therapy because of an accident or illness. Some patients come to OT because of physical or developmental disabilities. Pediatric OTAs collaborate with occupational therapists to develop plans that integrate play. Pediatric OT helps patients build physical and social skills that will lead to full and rich lives. Pediatric OTs may also help children learn to use adaptive equipment that allows them a fuller range of experiences.

For kids who struggle with behavioral, emotional, or developmental disorders (particularly those with ADHD or autism), working with a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) can be truly life changing. These kids often have trouble meeting the demands of grade school because they lack the skills they need, like impulse control, to succeed in these environments. BCBAs may work with grade schoolers in private practice, schools or specialized facilities. They help them to develop strategies and apply skills they can use to learn more effectively.

Teenagers have very specific dietary and nutritional needs. Childhood obesity remains a national epidemic. On the flip side, children and teens can develop disordered eating like anorexia, bulimia, or even orthorexia. Teen athletes may require nutrition counseling to maintain wellness or improve performance while they are training. Chronic or acute illness may also cause families to seek out help from a Registered Dietician (RD). Whatever the issue, teens struggling with their relationship to food can work with an RD to achieve and maintain a healthy weight. RDs may work in hospitals, clinics, or private practice.

Clinical child psychologists often work with adolescents suffering from mental health issues, such as anxiety and depression, and behavioral issues, such as oppositional defiance or obsessive-compulsive disorders. Clinical psychology practice can span from teens dealing with relative minor adjustment issues to severe psychopathology including schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. Clinical psychology is a practice based in research and uses assessments including diagnostic interviewing, behavioral assessment, and psychological testing to inform intervention plans.