The Role of a Child Life Specialist in PICU

Lee Health Certified Child Life Specialist Mandy Groulx spends her days with the families inside the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at Golisano Children’s Hospital. “Most of our children are very critically ill when they come to the ICU, so I offer lots of family support and sibling support, I do outside activities for long-term patients to try to offer some normalization.”


She works with patients and their families during surgeries. “To help prep and get them comfortable,” said Groulx. “We’re kind of like the translator between the medical team and the children.”


She also helps with sibling visits, “I will walk into the room with a sibling and point to all the things in the room and explain the reasoning behind the medical equipment.” Groulx said she can help provide emotional support when needed. “I will sit down with siblings and talk about death at a developmentally appropriate level for them, and do different exercises through play or through different worksheets to help them cope and process.”


Her role helps take care of a patient’s total needs—mental and physical. “While we have our medical staff focusing on getting our babies, and kids, and children, and adolescents healthier medically, they also have their psychosocial side, and they also need the support there, especially being in the PICU is when they’re here for months at a time sometimes.” Helping lighten the load for families with children in the PICU.





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