Child Life Internship Experience

The child life specialists at Bronson play an important role in helping to ease children’s fears throughout their visit to the hospital. The Bronson Child Life Program offers students the chance to gain hands-on clinical experience through its child life internship, a 600-hour clinical internship.

Note: The information below is subject to change based on the needs of the intern and/or staffing availability.

The winter/spring 2026 internship begins in January 2026 and ends in May 2026.

  • Application open date: August 20, 2025
  • Application deadline: September 5, 2025 - 5 PM EST

Child Life Internship Overview

The Bronson Child Life Program offers services in the following units:

  • Inpatient pediatrics (36 beds)
  • Pediatric intensive care unit (8 beds)
  • General surgery
  • General trauma/emergency (Bronson Methodist Hospital and Bronson Battle Creek)
  • Outpatient pediatric hematology/oncology clinic
  • Radiology

 Interns will rotate through two departments, supervised by certified child life specialists who meet the standards of the Association of Child Life Professionals (ACLP) and Child Life Certification Committee (CLCC). Additional shadowing opportunities may be available based on staffing.

As a child life intern, you will help plan and implement developmentally and emotionally supportive programs for children and teens under supervision. You will gain hands-on experience in various department settings, building a strong foundation to work independently as a child life specialist.

The internship begins with a comprehensive orientation and curriculum study to help you become familiar with the hospital environment. You will use play, emotional support, healthcare education and family involvement to promote the well-being of children and families during their healthcare experiences.

Certified child life specialists and the medical team provide daily supervision, training and feedback to ensure you develop the skills needed to address the social, emotional, intellectual and physical needs of patients and families.

Internship Goals and Expectations

Through ongoing guidance and evaluation, the program enables interns to:

  • Facilitate therapeutic interventions and activities that support patients and families
  • Help children and families adjust to the healthcare environment
  • Share observations, experiences, and assessments with their rotation supervisor
  • Develop assessment skills and intervention strategies
  • Contribute to family-centered care through a multidisciplinary team approach
  • Attend monthly child life staff meetings
  • Maintain a daily journal to document experiences and reflections
  • Observe, shadow and apply therapeutic interventions during rotations
  • Engage in self-evaluation through reflection, weekly meetings and feedback from supervisors
  • Design, implement, and evaluate an approved project
  • Build the skills and knowledge required to become a certified child life specialist 

Internship Eligibility Requirements

Eligible interns must provide the following:

  • Relevant coursework as deemed by the ACLP Eligibility Assessment Report (in-progress courses are accepted as long as they are completed before the internship start date)
  • Proof of coursework taught by a certified child life specialist
  • Proof of pre-internship experience working with infants, children and/or teens

At this time, we are accepting university-affiliated and non-affiliated applicants. A practicum is not required but would count as a pre-internship experience.

Internship Program Application

We only accept the ACLP Common Readiness Application. We do not require recommendation letters, but you may be asked for references if selected for an interview.

Applications should include the following documents:

  1. ACLP Common Application
  2. ACLP Eligibility Assessment
  3. Unofficial transcripts (if selected for an internship, official transcripts may be required)

How to Apply

If you are interested in applying for the Child Life Internship, please submit an application through the Clinician Nexus system, following the steps below.

Instructions to apply for the Child Life Internship opportunity in Clinician Nexus:

  1. Go to https://app.cliniciannexus.com/login and click “Sign Up For Free.”
  2. Enter your email and password, choose "Student" for your role and add your school's name. In the dropdown, there is an option for “Not Enrolled” or you may add your school if it does not appear in the list.
  3. Confirm your email through the link that was emailed to you by Clinician Nexus.
  4. Skip the profile section.
  5. Navigate to https://app.cliniciannexus.com/search/rotations/76342 to access the correct rotation.
    1. If you are unable to access the link or find the correct rotation, apply to the placeholder opportunity here: https://app.cliniciannexus.com/search/rotations/55092 and email student.experiences@bronsonhg.org for further assistance.
  6. Click “Start Application” at the bottom of the description.
  7. Click “Save and Submit Request” after completing all required information.
  8. Ensure your application status shows "Pending" in purple at the top of your screen. If it doesn't, check that all required information is entered and make sure your email address has been verified. If issues persist, use the chat function on the Clinician Nexus website for support.