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Abstract
Certified Child Life Specialists (CCLS) are pediatric healthcare professionals who help to prevent or reduce psychological trauma resulting from a medical experience. Because their clinical work includes frequent exposure to trauma and emotional investment with patients, CCLSs are at high risk for developing Impostor Phenomenon (IP), burnout, or a combination of both. To our knowledge, no research has been conducted investigating the relationship between IP and burnout in a CCLS sample. The present study sought to better understand how child life specialists experience these phenomena and what factors put them at risk for experiencing them. Not only were IP and burnout experiences found to be related, but IP and the impact COVID-19 had on a child life specialist helped predict levels of burnout. By understanding the relationship between these two constructs, we can work to promote better professional quality of life for CCLSs especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.