The nurse contacts a child life specialist (CLS) to work with children on a pediatric ward. What is the primary goal of the CLS?

A. Decrease anxiety and fear during hospitalization and painful procedures: The primary goal of a child life specialist is to provide emotional support, education, and coping strategies to reduce stress, anxiety, and fear in children undergoing medical treatment. This includes preparation for procedures and normalization of the hospital environment. B. Keep children who are hospitalized distracted from pain: While distraction techniques are part of the CLS interventions, their purpose is broader than simply diverting attention from pain—they aim to help children understand and cope with their experiences, promoting long-term emotional resilience. C. Perform medical procedures using atraumatic principles: Performing procedures is the responsibility of medical staff. CLSs provide guidance on how to make procedures less traumatic but do not independently perform medical interventions. D. Act as a liaison between the nurse and the child: CLSs facilitate communication and understanding, but their primary role is not liaison work; it is focused on psychosocial support and developmental care to reduce stress and anxiety in pediatric patients.