Senior play specialist at Kidz First

Play specialist Robyn Maria gets great satisfaction from seeing children achieve. Picture / Getty Images

Name: Robyn Maria
Job title and employer: Senior play specialist at Kidz First, Manukau
Hours: 40-hour week depending on needs.
Pay: Varies per region. Average starting salary $34,000 to $50,000.
Qualifications: Auckland College of Education (now University of Auckland) Bachelor of Education (Teaching) in Early Childhood Education and Diploma in Early Intervention plus 30 years experience. Also an American Certification as a Hospital play specialist
Relevant work experience: 30 years of early childhood teaching experience.

What do you do?

I am one of 10 play specialists at Kidz First. We work across the continuum, including emergency, medical, surgical, newborn, orthopaedic and neurological wards. I work in the surgical care unit with burn injuries as part of a multi-disciplinary health care team.

Through therapeutic play programmes, we provide activities to maintain learning and development and prepare children and young people for medical and surgical procedures by helping them cope with their feelings and anxieties. We also support families and contribute to clinical decisions within the multi-disciplinary team.

Play provides a way to help children and young people adjust to potentially stressful situations and speeds recovery and rehabilitation. It involves anything from finger painting to medical play using equipment such as a miniature CT scanner.

The playrooms provide children with familiar toys in a familiar environment. A lot of equipment is unfamiliar initially so playing with familiar things helps their self esteem and makes it easier to challenge the unknown.

Play and recreation in hospital has an additional purpose of bridging the gap between the hospital and home, early childhood centre or school.

Why did you choose this job?

I heard about play specialists when I was a kindergarten teacher and doing the diploma in early intervention. When I heard about it I realised I'd found a new challenge.

What training and experience do you need for the job?

The minimum qualifications are the diploma in early childhood education (ECE) and the diploma in early intervention (special developmental needs) or similar qualifications in psychology and counselling.

Experience in early childhood teaching and a recognized qualification is important because some of our playrooms are licensed Ministry of Education early childhood centres.

What skills or qualities do you need?

Good listening and communication skills. You have to communicate with parents, children and the health care team you work with.

Flexibility is important and a curiosity to explore ways of working with children. You also need to believe in the importance and power of play.

Best part of the job?

It is very special to watch a child or young person accomplish something they've worked hard to do. It could be anything from lifting a paint brush, to their first step in learning to walk again or managing a painful dressing.

It is also great to work with a variety of people. Aside from the play specialists, I also work with 20 health professionals through the burns team.

The most challenging part of the job?

Finding a coping technique that will support the child in accomplishing whatever it is they need to do.

Another challenge is being aware the child or young person comes with a family and working out how to include them, particularly siblings who may have observed the injury or been part of it.

How would you define success in this job?

Success is when you know you've done the best possible job you can and have put into place a programme that supports a child or young person within the hospital setting.

Advice to someone wanting to do same thing?

Get your qualifications and experience in an early childhood setting. Then volunteer in one of the hospitals. There are currently only 40 play specialist positions in New Zealand so you need to persevere and keep in touch with hospital services.

Career prospects?

Aside from management, play specialists can go into lecturer roles or take on advocacy, review or policy roles through the Ministry of Health or the Ministry of Education.

It is a new profession in New Zealand and will eventually go beyond the hospital confines to areas such as dental, palliative or respite care.