Play amid pressure: Multidisciplinary perspectives on the role of child life therapy in an Australian tertiary hospital emergency department

Child life therapists (CLT) use play and education to empower children and reduce their stress and anxiety in hospital. There is growing research on their effect on patient care; however, experiences of the multidisciplinary team (MDT) who work alongside them have not been explored. To explore the MDT’s perceptions on the role and impact of CLT in a children’s emergency department (CED), during routine procedures such as cannulation, sedation and laceration repair. A qualitative descriptive study was conducted using in person semi-structured interviews with 12 participants recruited through convenience sampling. Interviews were audio-recorded and manually transcribed verbatim, then subjected to inductive coding, primarily descriptive, and grouped into themes to identify patterns. Four key themes arose: (1) positive impact on family and wellbeing; (2) operational excellence and workflow enhancement; (3) professional impact and practice evolution; and (4) service demand and implementation challenges. Code frequency indicated that anxiety reduction, positive impact, resource availability, and improved workflow were the most prominent aspects identified. Introduction of CLT had a positive perceived impact on the MDT, contributing to enhanced patient-centred care. Findings reflected strong support for CLT integration within teams and recognised practical implementation considerations to inform future adoption in other departments.