Registered Nurse- Lactation Specialist

Registered Nurse Lactation Specialist- Family Birth Center reports to Director of Women Services.

Summary: The lactation consultant is a knowledgeable and experienced member of the maternal-child health team who has specialized skills in breastfeeding management and care. The consultant critiques, evaluates and incorporates
evidence-informed findings into practice. The consultant supports practices which promote breastfeeding as the child-feeding norm.

Shift: PRN Day Shift 6:30a-7p

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Service:

• Consistently supports and communicates the Mission, Vision, and
  Values of St. Joseph Medical Center.
• Upholds the Standards of Conduct and Corporate Compliance.
• Provides one to one breastfeeding instruction to lactating mothers requiring additional support beyond the mother-baby nurse's scope.
• Assesses patient's breastfeeding knowledge and uses clinical judgment to determine health care needs of patient and appropriate plan of care.

People:

• Incorporates the patient's physiological, psychological, cultural, developmental and spiritual needs into the plan of care.
• Consistently follows patient care, and facility guidelines and procedures in performance.
• Directs support personnel in implementing patient's plan of care, provides supervision and guidance, and evaluates effectiveness of the delegated tasks.
• Collaborates with inter and intraprofessional colleagues to ensure quality outcomes.
• Promotes breastfeeding and assists mothers in reaching their own goals of breastfeeding.

Quality:

• Completes annual education requirements.
• Maintains competency, as evidenced by completion of competency validation requirements.
• Promotes of a culture of patient safety which results in the identification and reduction of unsafe practices.
• Uses nursing process to provide all levels of patient care
• Uses professional judgment and critical thinking to prepare, prioritize, and execute the patient's plan of care consistent with patient assessment data, physicians' treatment plans, and professional standards of care.
• Implements measures to prevent exposure to infectious pathogens and communicable conditions.
• Reviews care routines, policies, procedures and/or other aspects of the mother-baby hospital experience with involved clinical staff in order to highlight successes or needs of the breast feeding dyad.
  Expertise with pharmaceuticals and the effects on lactation.
• Possesses specialized skills and abilities regarding: assessment, intervention based on patient history and assessment, initiation and modification of complex situations and related therapies and interventions.
  Other duties as assigned

Growth:

• Maintains competency and knowledge of current standards of practice, trends, and developments.
• Enhances the patient experience by fostering a positive relationship with customers.
• Contributes to improving the patient satisfaction results.
• Conveys knowledge and skilled in the physiology and clinical management of breastfeeding-to-breastfeeding staff.

 

MINIMUMKNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES

• Licensed as a Registered Nurse accepted by Texas State Board of Nursing to engage in professional nursing.
• International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners (IBLCE) certification is needed.
• Technical, clerical, critical thinking and interpersonal skills relevant to patientcare/area.
• Current American Heart Association Basic Life Support certification required.
• Other certification requirements as defined by the certification policy.
• Able to communicate effectively in English, both verbally and in writing.

PREFERRED:

• Baccalaureate degree or progression to this degree.
• National Certification as recognized by the American Nurses Credentialing Center.
• Bi or Multilingual

Houston's oldest hospital is GROWING!

 

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