Entry Level Doula - Birth Sister I, Obstetrics and Gynecology (per diem)

Entry Level Doula - Birth Sister I, Obstetrics and Gynecology

Location: Boston, MA

Schedule: Per Diem

Position Summary:

The Birth Sister I provides non-clinical, physical, emotional and evidence-based informational support and assistance to the birthing person and family. Participates as a liaison with clinical care providers involved in the birthing person's prenatal, birth and postpartum care.

Job Responsibilities:

Prenatal Period:

• Facilitates communication between the birthing person, the family and the clinical care providers over the course of the entire perinatal period.
• Initiates and provides various prenatal appointments and counsels clients on the topics of general pregnancy health, the stages of pregnancy, nutrition and exercise, culturally-sensitive birth preferences, preparing for labor and delivery, the stages of labor, common methods of induction and augmentation, common interventions, non-clinical pain management, the miles circuit and laboring exercises, pushing positions and breathing, breastfeeding, fundamental newborn care, postpartum mental health and the transition to life with an infant.
• Assesses social determinants of health and provides resources and preliminary navigation to ensure access to necessary services.
• Provides video and phone check-ins, in between appointments, as necessary.

Labor and Childbirth:

• Responds to pager alerts within one hour.
• Manages the implementation and execution of the individualized birth plan.
• Maintains bedside presence and ensures emotional comfort of birthing person throughout labor.
• Suggests and provides non-clinical physical comfort measures as requested by the client, such as massage, compress application, implementation of water in shower or tub, hip squeezes, counter pressure, stretches, etc.
• Provides information and instruction in the placement and use of the peanut ball, birthing ball, wedged pillows and other tools for optimal labor progression.

Postpartum Period:

• Provides in-hospital follow-up with birthing person within 24 hours of delivery
• Arranges and provides at least one in-home postnatal visit within seven days of delivery to discuss physical postpartum healing, breastfeeding success, mental/emotional health, etc.
• Escalates conflicts, as they arise, to pertinent internal departments and teams and external programs
• Provides additional home visits, as needed and as requested, in order to provide additional support with light tasks, newborn care, etc.
• Provides ongoing postpartum video and phone check-ins to ensure smooth transition into and throughout the fourth trimester.

General:

• Documents all patient encounters and interactions appropriately and immediately.
• Maintains ongoing communication with Birth Sister management.
• Adheres to hospital standards of performance and conduct, including those pertaining to patient rights and advocacy, so as to promote and maintain the highest level of customer service.
• Follows established hospital infection control and safety procedures.
• Performs other duties as needed.

Job Requirements:

Education:

• High School Diploma or GED required.
• Basic doula training from an accredited, certifying doula education program (24 hours) Required.

Certificates, Licenses, Registrations Required:

• Within 90 days of hire, must complete:
• BMC Birth Sisters education (12 hours)
• BMC Birth Sisters hands-on labor training (36 hours)
• BMC Birth Sisters perinatal visit shadowing (12 hours)
• BMC childbirth education course (12 hours)
• Within 180 days of hire, must complete:
• Supervised labor hours as primary Birth Sister (36 hours)
• Supervised perinatal visit hours as primary Birth Sister (12 hours)
• One-on-one professional development coaching with management (12 hours)

Experience:

• Prior experience in social services, maternal health, health education, patient navigation or patient care preferred, but not required.

Knowledge and Skills:

• Ability to speak, write and read English.
• Bilingual or multi-lingual skills appropriate to the patient population preferred. Must have cultural sensitivity and be comfortable serving socially and clinically high risk patients with a variety of needs.
• Must exhibit strong interpersonal skills in order to instill confidence in and advocate for patients and their family.
• Must be able to demonstrate empathy, active listening skills and exemplary bedside manner.
• Must be willing to work collaboratively with Birth Sisters team, OBGYN administration and members of the clinical care team.
• Must be comfortable with and around bodily fluids.
• Knowledge and experience in the neighborhoods of Boston preferred.

Special Working Conditions:

• Flexible schedule required
• Availability for on-call work (reliable transportation required)
• Ability to conduct in-home visits (reliable transportation required)

Compensation Range:

$24.04- $33.65

Equal Opportunity Employer/Disabled/Veterans