What you need to know about this position:
- Summary:
The Lactation Consultant is a staff nurse and member of health care team who is primarily responsible for the lactation education plan; organization, coordination and evaluation of staff development/patient educational programs/literature; and patient education, works in collaboration with the Women and Children Clinical Nurse Specialist and the Nurse Manager. Acts as a breastfeeding resource for the medical staff. Promotes breast feeding as the preferred feeding method for newborns in the community. - Responsibilities:
MINIMUM COMPETENCIES/ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Employee meets the minimum requirements of the following competencies:
1) Establish a mechanism to provide inpatient lactation counseling for mothers after delivery who are experiencing breastfeeding problems that are not resolved using the standard nursing plans and/or who are at risk for problems maintaining breastfeeding.
2) Establish a mechanism to provide inpatient lactation counseling and support to the lactating mother and her child during the acute illness phase as needed.
3) Establish a mechanism to provide lactation counseling and support for breastfeeding mothers after discharge using a breastfeeding "HELP" phone line. Provide an answering machine and beeper system in order that the lactation consultant may be reached when she is not at her desk.
4) Provide outpatient consultations and treatment plans for mothers experiencing breastfeeding difficulties; as perceived by herself, her physician, or the lactation consultant.
5) Communicate with the primary medical provider when developing treatment plans for mothers experiencing breastfeeding difficulties.
6) Assist in providing lactation education to newly delivered lactating mothers before discharge and document teaching, progress, and plans of care on appropriate chart forms.
7) Offer and coordinate breastfeeding education for patients both prenatally and postnatally.
8) Assist in orientation of new perinatal staff and participate in the ongoing competency education/training/validation of all perinatal staff with relation to breastfeeding. Give input into performance reviews of perinatal Birthing Center staff.
9) Plan/Provide breastfeeding education to health care professionals in the community.
10) Develop, review and revise breastfeeding materials used and distributed in the perinatal period.
11) Develop, review and revise breastfeeding policies, standards of care, and procedures.
12) Provide leadership in the ongoing evaluation of breastfeeding support activities with a process for improvement of these activities through evaluation, planning, implementation, and re-evaluation as needed.
13) Provide access to breastfeeding equipment and proper instruction of the use of this equipment when their use is appropriate to the lactating mother and her breastfeeding infant. Such equipment to be available for purchase or rental to both inpatients and outpatients.
14) Represent Columbus Regional Hospital on any community committee/task force that relates to breastfeeding.
15) Actively network with the services in the community that support breastfeeding. Make available a list of community services that support breastfeeding when needed by a client.
16) Work with Human Resources and Employee Assistance Program to support breastfeeding employees who return to work and wish to continue breastfeeding.
17) Remain current on issues related to lactation and obtain continuing education credits/CERPS by attending networking meetings, conferences, workshops and seminars.
18) Employee meets all minimum competency requirements of position.
19) Other duties may be assigned.
What is required for this position:
Education and/or Experience
- Education:
- Experience:
Certifications, Licenses, Registrations
- Credentials:
Essential:
* Cert Basic Life Support (ARC or AHA)
* Cert International Board Lactation Consultant Exam (IBLCE)
* Lic Registered Nurse (Indiana or NLC) - Other information:
QUALIFICATIONS
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Education and/or Experience
· Minimum three years of experience working with childbearing families or maternal health nursing.
· Graduate of an accredited school of nursing
· BSN preferred.
· CN II level in the Clinical Enhancement Program required.
· Commitment to complete Quality Improvement Training within six months of appointment.
Certifications, Licenses, Registrations
· Registered Nurse, currently licensed in State of Indiana required. Current certification as International Board-Certified Lactation Consultant (I.B.C.L.C.) required within 2 (two) years of hire.
· Basic Life Support (BLS) certification required.
Language Skills
· Ability to read, analyze, and interpret general business periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures, or governmental regulations. Ability to write reports, business correspondence, and procedure manuals. Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of managers, clients, customers, and the general public.
Mathematical Skills
· Ability to work with mathematical concepts such as probability and statistical inference, and fundamentals of plane and solid geometry and trigonometry. Ability to apply concepts such as fractions, percentages, ratios, and proportions to practical situations.
Reasoning Ability
· Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions. Ability to interpret an extensive variety of technical instructions in mathematical or diagram form and deal with several abstract and concrete variables.
Other Skills and Abilities
· Ability and skill to work clinical area an average of 20 hours per week.
· Sound knowledge of unit nursing requirements.
· Ability to develop an educational plan based on identified unit needs utilizing the principles of adult education.
· Ability to manage multiple planning.
· Ability to utilize Quality Improvement techniques and/or act as a facilitator of CQI initiatives.
· Ability to apply adult education principles.
SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES
None required.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand and walk. The employee frequently is required to reach with hands and arms; stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl; talk, hear, and smell; and push or pull. The employee is occasionally required to use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, tools, or controls and climb or balance. The employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 10 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, and depth perception.
WORK ENVIRONMENT
The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly exposed to exposure to blood borne pathogens and exposure to air borne infections/disease. The employee is occasionally exposed to toxic or caustic chemicals and risk of radiation. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.
INTERPERSONAL RELATIONS
As a representative of Columbus Regional Hospital, all comments, attitudes, actions, and behaviors have a direct effect on the hospital's image and perceptions of its service quality. Interactions with patients, guests, visitors, volunteer workers, co-workers, supervisors, and other employees must be in a manner that is friendly, supportive, courteous, respectful, cooperative, and professional. This behavior will promote an atmosphere of teamwork and is congruent with the hospital's vision, mission, values, and guiding principles.
· Verbal and written communication skills.
· Excellent interpersonal skills.
· Positive attitude.
· Ability to work with others collaboratively.
· Flexibility in working hours is necessary.
AGE POPULATIONS SERVED
The employee must be able to demonstrate the knowledge and skills necessary to provide care appropriate to the age of the patients/customers served on his or her assigned unit. The individual must demonstrate knowledge of the principles of growth and development over the life span and possess the ability to assess data reflective of the patient's/customer's status and interpret the appropriate information needed to identify each patient's/customer's requirements relative to his or her age-specific needs, and to provide the care needed as described in the unit's/area's/department's policies and procedures.
REVIEWED AND APPROVED BY
Carolyn O’Neal
REVIEWED AND APPROVED DATE
4/1/2020