Lactation Consultant

Wellstar Health System • Marietta, GA

2d

About The Position

The Lactation Consultant provides specialized care, education, and support to breastfeeding families, using a family-centered approach that addresses patients’ age-specific physiological, emotional, developmental, psychosocial, and spiritual needs. The role supports families from pre-conception through weaning and helps mothers meet their individual breastfeeding goals, including in complex breastfeeding situations.

Working as a member of the multidisciplinary healthcare team, the Lactation Consultant serves as a consultant, instructor, mentor, and preceptor to patients, families, healthcare professionals, and community members. The position independently performs its functions and is responsible to the Manager or Assistant Nurse Manager. A consultant who is not IBCLC certified must work with an IBCLC preceptor and be checked off on inpatient, outpatient, and phone consultations for six months after hire.

The role includes inpatient and outpatient consultations, telephone support, breastfeeding education and classes, professional development, performance improvement, and assistance with breastfeeding-related retail products and services. The position complies with Wellstar Health System policies, standards of work, and code of conduct.

Requirements

• Associate degree in Health Science or Nursing; a bachelor’s degree in another field is preferred.
• At least two years of breastfeeding or lactation experience.
• Breastfeeding experience required for eligibility to sit for the IBCLC exam; the posting describes this experience as adequate for entry-level Lactation Consultant practice.
• Breastfeeding experience is typically a minimum of 2,500 hours; the required hours vary based on educational background.
• BLS, American Red Cross BLS, or BLS Instructor certification.
• IBCLC certification within one year of hire.
• Strong judgment and ability to work with minimal supervision and make independent decisions consistent with department policies, procedures, and philosophy.
• Ability to assist breastfeeding mothers in attaining their individual goals and assess and provide breastfeeding care for newborns, infants, and mothers.
• Ability to communicate with healthcare team members, teach breastfeeding classes, and provide telephone counseling.
• Keyboard skills; computer skills, including word processing, are desirable.

Nice To Haves

• Bachelor’s degree in a field other than Health Science or Nursing.
• Computer skills, including word processing.

Responsibilities

• Conduct inpatient consultations, including contacting the patient’s nurse, introducing oneself to the mother, taking a history, assessing infant feeding and latch, developing an individualized feeding plan, and making referrals for outpatient consultations or breast pump rental.
• Conduct outpatient consultations, including history intake and assessment, hands-on assistance, care planning, follow-up and referrals, and reporting to healthcare providers by fax or phone when needed.
• Conduct follow-up calls to NICU mothers to assess milk supply and address concerns, call previously seen Breastfeeding Center outpatients, and respond to helpline calls.
• Maintain confidentiality and serve as a professional role model, mentor, and resource to peers, staff, students, nursing and medical staff, and healthcare leadership.
• Support performance improvement initiatives designed to promote quality patient care.
• Work with prenatal and postpartum providers to help families meet breastfeeding goals and support hospital policies for exclusive breastfeeding.
• Provide internal and community breastfeeding education and promotion; maintain current clinical knowledge and contribute evidence to curricula.
• Identify patient learning needs and use age-specific educational principles to address them.
• Design and implement educational programming; contact class participants, obtain rosters, ensure adequate supplies, communicate supply needs, and set up classes with consideration for site-specific differences.
• Teach breastfeeding classes in hospital and community settings.
• Help customers select breast pumps, nursing bras, and other retail items; provide guidance on pump registration and rental; collect cash and issue receipts for cash-and-carry retail items.
• Perform other assigned duties and comply with Wellstar Health System policies, standards of work, and code of conduct.

What This Job Offers

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