LACTATION NURSE

Job Description Summary
The Lactation Nurse 1 is a healthcare professional who provides advice and support to antenatal and breastfeeding mothers and their families. This role focuses on promoting, protecting, and supporting breastfeeding practices through education, guidance, and intervention strategies. The specialist will work collaboratively with maternal and child health providers to ensure optimal breastfeeding outcomes. Supports hospital-wide breastfeeding guided by the Saudi MoH 10 Steps to Successful Breastfeeding.

Strategic Roles & Responsibilities

1. Pursue high staff engagement
2. Obtain high patient experience
3. Achieve and sustain high quality of care and patient safety

Operational Roles & Responsibilities

1. Assist with training and precepting nurses, lactation team members, multidisciplinary members of the healthcare team including students and interns.
2. Conduct hospital rounds to evaluate postpartum mother and baby’s needs related to breastfeeding and the initiation of lactogenesis.
3. Conduct hospital rounds to evaluate antenatal patients in terms of breastfeeding knowledge and preparation.
4. Develop and promote a comprehensive evidence-based lactation program at JHAH.
5. Develop feeding plans to address the nutritional needs of the infant that may include breastfeeding support, breast pumping support, and supplementation as appropriate.
6. Educate mothers in the use of electric and manual breast pumps and provide information on storage and transfer of expressed breast milk.
7. Identify changes or problems with breastfeeding/lactation and intervene promptly and appropriately according to lactation standards.
8. Make involved contributions across all clinical settings, home visits, and educational sessions within the community.
9. Participate in discharge planning to ensure continuous support for breastfeeding after the mother leaves the hospital, coordinating follow-up care and referral to external breastfeeding community support groups.
10. Plan, teach, and evaluate breastfeeding and pregnancy wellness for expectant mothers.
11. Provide coordination and leadership support to all maternal-newborn lactation programs.
12. Provide direct lactation care using advanced lactation knowledge and skills to assess, plan, implement, and evaluate neonates and their families.
13. Provide verbal and written information to parents about breastfeeding antenatally, at delivery, postpartum, and follow-up home care.
14. Work with obstetricians, pediatricians, nurses, and other healthcare professionals to integrate breastfeeding support into maternal and infant care.
15. Work flexible hours required to accommodate patient needs.
16. Arrange patient visits to Lactation Clinic and make follow-up telephone calls within 3-7 days postpartum or more frequently as required.
17. Assess antenatal patients 28-32 weeks gestation and encourage enrollment in antenatal childbirth preparedness rounds.
18. Participate in the running of in-person antenatal childbirth preparedness rounds.
19. Conduct pregnancy wellness sessions in-person/virtually.

Minimum Education Required
Bachelor Degree in Nursing is required.

Professional Certifications Required
IBCLC (International Board-Certified Lactation Consultant) certification required.

Years of Experience
Minimum 6 years of Nursing Experience and a minimum of 1 year of experience in an acute care setting as a lactation specialist.

Languages
English: Fully Proficient; Arabic: Preferred.

Functional Competencies

1. Due Diligence
2. Audit Reporting
3. Data Collection

Core Competencies

1. Excellence
2. Integrity
3. Accountability
4. Cybersecurity
5. Person-Centered Care