Lactation Consultant

TriHealth • Wilmington, OH

4d • Onsite

About The Position

Lactation Consultant – Labor & Delivery – TriHealth Clinton Regional Hospital CMH Regional Health System’s Clinton Memorial Hospital (CMH) is a 165-bed hospital located in the heart of Wilmington, Ohio. This role provides lactation consultation and educational services to breastfeeding families, nursing staff, midwives, and physicians. The consultant will recognize and intervene appropriately in situations that may jeopardize newborns and/or postpartum patients, including breast management, emotional upsets, abnormal infant feeding, and signs of dehydration. They will also voice concerns to the care coordinator regarding home care agencies if breastfeeding is not progressing well at discharge, and provide breastfeeding education and support to patients and staff. The position involves planning teaching sessions on topics such as breast anatomy and physiology, milk transfer, effects of toxins and medications on milk, lactation, infant development, breastfeeding evaluation, and signs of dehydration. Additionally, the consultant will promote outpatient lactation services, assess patient pumping needs, encourage timely decisions regarding pump rental, and promote breastfeeding support groups. The role includes performing initial and ongoing assessments, implementing and evaluating care plans based on assessment, standards of care, and protocols, and demonstrating the utilization of evidence-based practices. The Lactation Consultant will also develop educational materials for patients and staff, work collaboratively within a team, and resolve issues professionally. They will complete patient assessments, incorporate breastfeeding skills, interpret patient data, and involve patients/families in developing goals and care plans, ensuring documentation is clear for peer follow-up.

Requirements

• 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

Responsibilities

• 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 TriHealth 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.

Benefits

• retirement plans
• tuition reimbursement

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: Associate degree