Lactation Consultant

Position Purpose

The Lactation Consultant is accountable for maintaining knowledge and skills essential to performance of stated behaviors in the position and is accountable to Maternal Child Health Management.

The Lactation Consultant is a registered nurse with a minimum of three years of experience in counseling breastfeeding mothers. The Lactation Consultant is skilled in assessment planning, implementation and evaluation to assist the breastfeeding mother to attain her individual goals.

The Lactation Consultant functions as a member of the multidisciplinary health care team as a consultant, instructor, mentor and preceptor to other nurses, health care professionals and patients.

Nature and Scope

The major challenges to this position are to be knowledgeable in the physiology and methodology of breastfeeding, working with maternity patients of different socioeconomic backgrounds and providing education to nursing staff. The Lactation Consultant will analyze assessment information to identify concerns and/or problems, develop a plan of care based on identified concerns or problems and the mother's breastfeeding goals, formulate expected outcomes of suggested interventions, evaluate and document the plan of care in the client record.

The incumbent must demonstrate the knowledge and skills necessary to provide care based on physical, motor/sensory, psychosocial and safety appropriate to the neonate, infant, child, adolescent and adult patient population.

It is common to encounter potential hazards in the healthcare environment. Some of these hazards could include, but are not limited to: radiation, toxic chemicals, biological hazards, heat, noise, dust and stress. Renown Health has a Safety Management Program in place that addresses these issues.

This position (does) does not provide patient care.

Bibliography:

1. Code of Ethics for Nurses With Interpretive Statements, American Nurses Association Publication

2. Edwards, DuAnne; The Synergy Model: Linking Patient Needs to Nursing Competencies, Critical Care Nurse; Vol. 19, No. 1, February, 1999

3. Magnet Recognition Progress, Recognizing Excellence in Nursing Service - Healthcare Organization Instruction and Application Process Manual, American Nurses Association Credentialing Center; Washington, DC, 2002, pp. 134, 135, 127.

4. Nurse Practice Act, Nevada Revised Statutes, Chapter 632, NAC, Chapter 632. Nevada State Board of Nursing, September, 2002.

5. Nursing: Scope and Standards of Practice, American Nurses Association Publication.

Disclaimer

The foregoing description is not intended and should not be construed to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, skills and efforts or work conditions associated with the job. It is intended to be an accurate reflection of the general nature and level of the job.

Minimum Qualifications
Requirements - Required and/or Preferred

Name

Description

Education:

Must have working-level knowledge of the English language, including reading, writing and speaking English. Bachelor's Degree in a health-related field is preferred. Completion of formal lactation program within six months of hire date.

Experience:

Minimum of three years working with lactating mothers and neonates.

License(s):

Ability to obtain and maintain a State of Nevada Registered Nurse license.

Certification(s):

Must be certified by IBCLC. Current BLS certification by AHA standards required.

Computer / Typing:

Must possess, or be able to obtain within 90 days, the computers skills necessary to complete online learning requirements for job-specific competencies, access online forms and policies, complete online benefits enrollment, etc.