Lactation Consultant

Job Overview

Provides lactation consultation and educational services to breastfeeding families, nursing staff, midwives and physicians.

• Graduate of an approved technical, professional, or vocational program
• Equivalent experience accepted in lieu of degree
• Basic Life Support for Healthcare Providers (BLS)
• Must successfully pass international Board Certified Lactation Consultant exam within 30 months of hire
• Completion of mother/infant unit orientation
• Knowledge of teaching breastfeeding skills and counseling new mothers

• Recognizes and intervenes appropriately in situations which may jeopardize or compromise newborns, and/or postpartum patients, which include but are not limited to: breast management, emotional upsets; abnormal feeding of infants; and signs and symptoms of dehydration.
• Voices concerns to the care coordinator to communicate to home care agencies if breastfeeding is not going as well as it should be at discharge.
• Provides breastfeeding education to patients who are having difficulty breastfeeding and act as a support service to staff.
• Plans for teaching as necessary in areas that include but are not limited to anatomy and physiology of breast, physiology of milk transfer, effects of toxins and medications on human milk composition; normal course of lactation; infant growth and development; breastfeeding evaluation; and signs and symptoms of dehydration.
• Promotes outpatient lactation through communicating information to patients about available services and products.
• Assesses patients for pumping needs and encourages patient to make a decision before end of business day to prevent patient disappointment due to pump rental not being available in later evening hours.
• Promotes breastfeeding support group.
• Performs initial and ongoing assessments of research clients and implements care directed towards optimal outcomes.
• Plans care for research clients/family based on assessment, standards of care, optimal outcomes and protocol requirements.
• Implementation and evaluation of plan of care.
• Performs technical skills according to policy and procedure and accepted Tri Health standards.
• Demonstrates utilization of evidence based practices in breastfeeding and professional practice.
• Works as a team and develops education materials for patients, nursing, and other medical professionals.
• Acknowledges team differences and works to resolve issues in a professional manner.
• Completes patient assessment and incorporates breastfeeding skills and interprets pertinent patient data as part of the assessment.
• Provides for patient/family participation in development of goals and plan of care based on the plan care.
• Documents plan of care so that peers can follow-up as needed and nursing can follow plan of care.

• Climbing - Rarely
• Hearing:
  Conversation - Frequently
• Hearing:
  Other Sounds - Frequently
• Kneeling - Rarely
• Lifting 50+ Lbs.
  
  - Rarely
• Lifting