Overview

DEFINITION OF POSITION:

Responsible for the overall coordination, planning, and management of patient, family and staff education related to breastfeeding in accordance with the hospital’s philosophy, policies, procedures and standards. 

Qualifications

QUALIFICATIONS:

Certification as a Lactation Educator from an accredited college or university and five years of experience providing breastfeeding assessment, consultation, and information to new mothers; or a combination of training, education, and experience. BLS required

Job Knowledge:

• Professional knowledge of the breastfeeding process, antepartum, intrapartum and post partum health care and psychosocial issues. Knowledge of premature infants and from newborns to toddlers.

• Knowledge of the breastfeeding care and educational principles, practices, procedures and techniques required to assess learning needs, develop an educational plan, and teach/counsel staff, patients and family members and evaluate the effectiveness of the instruction.

• Specialized skills and abilities regarding: assessment, intervention based on patient history and assessment, initiation and modification of complex situations and related therapies and interventions.

• Ability to provide information with consideration of mental, emotional, cultural, social and physical factors.

• Educational strategies to provide individual, family and group counseling, guidance and health promotion instructions to assist patients and family members to participate in their health care plan and maintain good health habits and prevention activities.

• and desire to breastfeed.

• Knowledge of pharmaceuticals and the effects on lactation for antepartum, intrapartum, postpartum patients and newborns to toddlers. Able to identify the appropriate route and dosing, desired effects, complications of use, and recognition of adverse reactions.

Knowledge of a wide range of acute and chronic conditions and wellness/preventative services commonly found in a primary care setting serving antepartum, intrapartum, postpartum patients and newborns to toddlers. Provide expertise to families and mothers who are adopting infants Graduate of an accredited School of Nursing. LPN, licensed to practice nursing in the State of Oregon. Two years of experience in lactation consulting.

Job Knowledge: Ability to successfully assist mothers with breastfeeding skills. Ability to work with several different patient care units and levels of care providers.

Physical Requirements: Physical and emotional health sufficient to meet the criteria and specific job demands with are inclusive of but not limited to: standing, walking, bending, lifting equipment.

Working Conditions: Requires extensive periods of talking, walking, standing, bending, pushing and some lifting of equipment. Work is performed on Unit A, Family Care or clinic that provides services of OB, pediatric and/or neonatal patients. Exposure to infections and contagious disease is possible. Inside environment, protected from the weather but not necessarily temperature changes.

Other: Bilingual and/or English-Spanish speaking preferred. Ability to work with diverse population.