Lactation Specialist, Part-time, Day shift

Adventist Health•Templeton, CA

1d•$36 - $54•Onsite

About The Position

The Lactation Specialist provides inpatient lactation services to women and their families, adapting instruction and care to patients’ lifestyles, cultural backgrounds, and socioeconomic status. The role works with direct nursing staff and physicians to support a successful start to breastfeeding and to advance breastfeeding goals identified by the nursing staff providing direct patient care. The position uses an interdisciplinary approach to newborn assessment and lactation support, coordinates services and follow-up, assesses mothers and newborns, and provides education to families and healthcare professionals. It also contributes to lactation protocols, breastfeeding education programs, and quality monitoring related to breastfeeding and perinatal care. The position is part-time and day shift.

Requirements

Certified Lactation Consultant certification is required.
Basic Life Support (BLS) certification from an approved vendor per Adventist Health policy is required for the department.
All associates must receive required vaccinations as a condition of employment and annually thereafter where applicable; medical and religious exemptions may apply.

Nice To Haves

High school education, GED, or equivalent is preferred.
Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of education and related experience is preferred.
Two years of relevant experience is preferred.
Experience teaching health education classes and facilitating support groups is preferred.
Registered Nurse (RN) licensure in the state of practice is preferred.
Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) certification or Basic Life Support (BLS) certification from an approved vendor per Adventist Health policy is preferred.

Responsibilities

Provide comprehensive newborn assessment and lactation support using an interdisciplinary approach, and coordinate necessary services for patients and families.
Coordinate care for hospital admissions, specialty referrals, and ancillary support services based on newborn visit assessments.
Contact every woman who has delivered a newborn within the assigned service area; offer telephone assessment and lactation support, develop a nursing care plan, and monitor follow-up.
Assess mothers and newborns in the postpartum period, document high-risk factors and problems, and plan appropriate consultation, intervention, and follow-up.
Identify parents’ educational and competency gaps related to breastfeeding and newborn assessment, and conduct and document individual or family visits to address them.
Assess staff knowledge and identify competency-based education needs related to breastfeeding and newborn assessment.
Provide formal and informal education to medical and nursing staff, evaluate its effectiveness, and adjust educational plans as needed.
Assess and support new mothers and infants daily in conjunction with nursing staff; document assessments, interventions, and plans of care, and communicate plans with bedside nurses.
Perform clinical nurse duties in the assigned setting when necessary.
Help develop and update lactation protocols with physicians, nurse practitioners, midwives, social workers, nutritionists, and other healthcare team members.
Teach group prenatal newborn care and lactation classes, educate and mentor healthcare professionals, and mentor nursing staff in inpatient education.
Communicate and promote breastfeeding education programs to target audiences using appropriate methods and assessed needs.
Provide breastfeeding education to obstetrical and pediatric care providers in the community.
Communicate outpatient clinic assessments and plans of care to the mother’s and/or baby’s doctor.
Work with the department manager, quality management, and/or designee to monitor breastfeeding and mother-infant care indicators, policy implementation, and perinatal care quality.
Collect, monitor, record, and report data as needed, and participate in quality assurance review of monitored data.
Perform other job-related duties as assigned.