Along for the Journey: Supporting Patients With Chronic Illness Through Life Transitions

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Transition is defined as a passage from one stage to another (Merriam-Webster, 2018). Within pediatric health care the word transition is most often used when referring to the transition from pediatric to adult health care. While the transition to adult health care is a significant event for many patients with chronic illnesses, there are many other life transitions that are potentially stressful and offer opportunities for child life specialists to provide support. Some of these other transitions include the transition between medical teams, to foster care, palliative and/or hospice care, and end of life. Child life specialists, especially those who work with patients with chronic illnesses, are often in the position to provide support during these transitions. It is important for child life specialists to be aware of the various transitions that patients may be experiencing, as this is an opportunity to provide individualized care to promote positive adjustment.

After this webinar, participants will have:

an increased understanding of various transitions that patients may experience

knowledge of interventions to utilize as they support patients through various transitions

the ability to consider the impact of transitions on a patient’s coping within the health care setting

Nikki Orkoskey

MA, CCLS

Nikki Orkoskey, MA, CCLS (she/her/hers) is a child life specialist at the University of Maryland Children's Hospital, working with patients of all ages and developmental levels on an inpatient medical unit and outpatient radiology. Nikki has worked with patients who identify as gender diverse and their families in a variety of healthcare settings, both inpatient and outpatient. Nikki has a professional interest in educating professionals about evidence-based practice for patients who identify as LGBTQ+.

Nicole Tanghe

MA, CCLS

Nicole Tanghe MA, CCLS, has been a Certified Child Life Specialist for ten years and currently works as a Child Life Specialist III within the lung transplant program at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. She established child life services in the lung transplant program at CCHMC and is the child life representative on the medical center's interdisciplinary Transplant Information Program Sharing (iTIPS) committee. She serves as a mentor and preceptor to new employees within the Division of Child Life and Integrative Care, a clinical supervision facilitator, and is an evidence-based practice project mentor to child life interns. Nicole is the current chair-elect of the ACLP Mentor Program subcommittee. Nicole is an adjunct instructor at Northern Kentucky University for a children and families in healthcare course.