Lactation Care Coordinator - Temporary

Tahoe Forest Health System•Truckee, CA

26d

About The Position

The Lactation Care Coordinator coordinates, plans, and manages complex infant-feeding concerns. The role promotes breastfeeding, supports mothers in meeting their infant-feeding goals, and collaborates with community partners providing perinatal services to address social drivers of health. The coordinator fosters a baby-friendly environment and uses the nursing process to provide lactation consultant services to patients across the health system, supporting continued Baby Friendly Program designation as part of the Perinatal Lactation Care Coordination Program team and other departments. The position provides lactation and infant-feeding assessment, individualized planning, care implementation, and evaluation in inpatient and outpatient settings. It develops and documents care plans, evaluates patient response, supports breastfeeding education and staff training, provides postpartum consultations and follow-up, and collaborates with hospital colleagues and community partners. The role may work with referrals involving infant or maternal health concerns, conduct home visits, participate in postpartum support and prenatal education, and coordinate care for high-risk or medically complex patients. It also contributes to quality assurance, performance improvement, data collection, health outcomes reporting, and clinical audits. The position has no supervisory responsibilities.

Requirements

Certificate of completion from a college or vocational school and completion of a nursing education program from an NLN-, CCNE-, or equivalently accredited school of nursing, including clinical experiences with actual patients under qualified faculty supervision.
Five or more years of relevant experience.
California Registered Nurse (RN) license upon hire.
Nevada Registered Nurse (RN) license within three months of hire.
International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) certification upon hire.
Basic Life Support (BLS) for Healthcare Providers upon hire.
Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP) certification upon hire.
Three years in a labor and delivery unit, with an adequate number of deliveries to ensure competence in labor, delivery, postpartum, and newborn care.
Familiarity with fetal monitoring in high-risk labor and delivery, neonatal management, and postpartum management.
Newborn CPR.
Demonstrated computer skills.
Proficiency using an Electronic Medical Record (EHR).
BLS: employee will be enrolled in the Resuscitation Quality Improvement (RQI) BLS Entry or Prep Curriculum, depending on previous BLS certification, within three months of hire.

Nice To Haves

STABLE certification.

Responsibilities

Assess patients’ physical, educational, and psychosocial needs and develop objectives to support successful breastfeeding in inpatient and outpatient settings.
Develop individualized infant-feeding care plans, document care in the medical record, and evaluate patient responses.
Participate with lactation staff in developing, evaluating, and revising breastfeeding education programs.
Use appropriate tools and equipment for lactation interventions and help teach staff to use them.
Communicate and collaborate with colleagues to maintain and advance breastfeeding standards of care and practice.
Collaborate with community partners, including the County Health Department, WIC, Family Resource Centers, Early Head Start, and Home Visiting Programs, to provide breastfeeding education and support.
Provide postpartum consultations to address identified concerns, including low milk supply and poor latch, and encourage return demonstrations of infant feeding.
Work collaboratively with the Lactation Consultant RN and the Perinatal Lactation Care Coordinator.
Receive or initiate appropriate referrals involving infant feeding or health concerns, maternal health concerns, and potential child welfare concerns.
Participate in Baby Friendly quality assurance and performance improvement activities; support Baby Friendly designation and assist with lactation policy and procedure management and revisions.
Conduct postpartum follow-up calls and make patient referrals as appropriate.
Support high-risk and medically complex patients, including those experiencing diabetes during pregnancy, perinatal mood or anxiety concerns, or perinatal loss.
Participate in postpartum support groups, assessments, interventions, and outreach or prenatal education as needed.
Conduct home visits as indicated to monitor patient progress and assess needs.
Participate and collaborate with the Care Coordination department.
Communicate effectively, demonstrate interpersonal skills, and keep the Manager informed of patient-centered care issues or concerns.
Participate in data collection, health outcomes reporting, and clinical audits.
Pursue professional growth and demonstrate professional behavior.
Adhere to patient care standards, hospital and system policies and procedures, and System Values.
Perform other duties as assigned.