Spoken and Un-spoken Connections:  Navigating Death and Dying with Children, Teens, and Caregivers

Free webinar presented by the Pediatric Palliative Care Coalition of Minnesota

1 NSG CEU provided

The vast majority of hospice agencies do not have a child life specialist on staff, so the responsibility often falls to nurses and other team members who typically lack specific training in these interventions. This situation is not optimal for the child or their family. Child Life Specialists play a vital role in prioritizing the coping and developmental needs of children and families when experiencing a new diagnosis or the death of a family member through therapeutic play, age-appropriate diagnostic teaching, coping tools, and other tailored interventions. In this session, an experienced Child Life Specialist and a pediatric hospice RN will share practical tools and resources to help hospice team members support children, both directly and indirectly.

Speakers:

Gina Theune, RN, works as the Professional Development Nurse at Crescent Cove (Respite and Hospice Home for Kids).  She has worked in pediatrics for 11 years and has been with Crescent Cove for 7. From her early days as a nurse, she has loved working to keep medically complex children out of the hospital and thriving in their communities. She is also passionate about caring for children at the end of life and supporting their loving families.  Gina received her bachelor's in nursing from Winona State University.  She is certified as a Hospice and Pediatric Palliative Care Nurse (CHPPN).  Gina is a lover of alpine skiing and any flavor of ice cream.  She and her family love to cheer on the Green Bay Packers!

Laura Sufka, MA, CCLS is a Certified Child Life Specialist and Founder of Children’s Coping Connection,

LLC. She received her undergraduate degrees in Human Services and Child Psychology and her Masters

degree in Education from St. Mary’s University of Minnesota. As a Certified Child Life Specialist Laura

works with children, teens, and families that have experienced acute or chronic illness, trauma, disability,

loss, bereavement, and other challenging life events. Laura’s extensive experience in the field spans over 26

years including inpatient and outpatient work at Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota, and

M Health Masonic Children’s Hospital, Fairview. Her dedication to the field of Child Life led to co-founding

the Minnesota Child Life Coalition, teaching as an adjunct professor at the University of Minnesota’s

Institute of Child Development, authoring for Play In Hospitals:Real Life Perspectives, and speaking

internationally. In Laura’s spare time she can be found baking delicious treats, exploring the great outdoors and creating memories with her

supportive husband and three adventurous teens

Microsoft Teams meeting

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