Lactation Consultant

HCA Florida Gulf Coast Hospital; Panama City (FL); On-site; USD 75,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical benefits

Wellbeing support

Paid time off

Retirement savings plan (401k)

Education support / tuition assistance

Fertility and family building benefits

Job summary

HCA Florida Gulf Coast Hospital seeks a Lactation Consultant to provide expert breastfeeding support to mothers and babies. You will teach prenatal and postpartum classes, conduct bedside rounds, and counsel patients with breastfeeding challenges while leading in-service education for staff.

You will collaborate with nursing teams, participate in quality initiatives, and ensure patient privacy and high-quality care in a dynamic hospital setting.

Qualifications

• Must have IBCLC or CLC credential.
• Within the last 3 years, at least 45 clock hours of education focused on breastfeeding.
• Basic Cardiac Life Support within 30 days of start date.
• Healthcare background preferred.
• Practice as breastfeeding consultant preferred.

Responsibilities

• Provide quality breastfeeding support to mothers and babies.
• Teach prenatal and postpartum classes promoting breastfeeding benefits.
• Conduct bedside lactation rounds and counseling for breastfeeding issues.
• Plan, teach and conduct in-service education for nursing staff.
• Participate in unit Quality Improvement processes.
• Advocate for patient privacy and confidentiality.

Skills

Lactation management

Quality Improvement

Customer service

Patient advocacy

Education

IBCLC credential

45 clock hours breastfeeding education

Job description

As a Lactation Consultant, your voice to influence patient care is valued and empowered at every turn –whether through open, collaborative relationships with your direct manager or more formal opportunities through hospital councils and national nursing initiatives. You'll help shape decisions that elevate both patient outcomes and the future of nursing.

Job Summary And Qualifications

Provide quality breastfeeding support to mothers and babies. Teach prenatal and postpartum classes promoting the benefits of breastfeeding and conduct support groups for new mothers. Conduct bedside lactation rounds and assist in identifying and meeting needs of breastfeeding women. Consult with mothers having breastfeeding problems and provide ongoing counseling for women who need individualized instruction. Plan, teach and conduct in-service education for nursing staff.

What you will do in this role:

• Demonstrates knowledge and application of lactation management.
• Participates and cooperates in the unit based Quality Improvement processes.
• Supports, maintains and provides an environment which is supportive of quality patient care through effective use of resources and personnel.
• Practices, develops and endorses customer service skills in relationships with internal and external customers.
• Serves as the patient and family advocate with respect to the patients right to privacy by protecting confidential information.
• Plans and implements breastfeeding and childbirth education and support for patients and staff.
• Evaluates and documents patient response; monitors and recognizes changes in physiological and psychosocial status in relation to breastfeeding and takes appropriate action based on assessment of the patient.
• Actively seeks ways to control costs without compromising patient safety, qualify of care or the services delivered.
• Demonstrates knowledge of the occurrence reporting system. Uses system to report potential patient safety issues.
• Follows established guidelines for reporting a significant medical error or unanticipated outcome in the patient’s care which results in patient harm.
• Attends in-service presentations and completes all mandatory education requirements.
• Uses Performance Improvement Plan to improve patient safety.
• Regular, punctual and dependable attendance.
• Other duties as assigned.

What qualifications you will need:

• Basic Cardiac Life Support must be obtained within 30 days of employment start date
• (IBCLC) International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, or (CLC) Certified Lactation Counselor required
• A minimum of 45 clock hours of education specific to breastfeeding within the last three years
• Healthcare background preferred
• Practice as a breastfeeding consultant preferred

Benefits

HCA Florida Gulf Coast Hospital, offers a total rewards package that supports the health, life, career and retirement of our colleagues. The available plans and programs include:

• Comprehensive benefits for medical, prescription drug, dental, vision, behavioral health and telemedicine services
• Wellbeing support, including free counseling and referral services
• Time away from work programs for paid time off, paid family leave, long- and short-term disability coverage and leaves of absence
• Savings and retirement resources, including a 401(k) Plan with a 100% match on 3% to 9% of pay (based on years of service), Employee Stock Purchase Plan, flexible spending accounts, preferred banking partnerships, retirement readiness tools, rollover support and financial wellbeing counseling
• Education support through tuition assistance, student loan assistance, certification support, dependent scholarships and a partnership with Galen College of Nursing
• Additional benefits for fertility and family building, adoption assistance, life insurance, supplemental health protection plans, auto and home insurance, legal counseling, identity theft protection and consumer discounts

Learn More About Employee Benefits

Note: Eligibility for benefits may vary by location.

"Nurses are essential to the delivery of healthcare and serve as its foundation. At HCA Healthcare, we are committed to equipping nurses with the tools and resources they need to deliver exceptional patient care, championing the profession, and supporting the advancement of nursing’s future."

Erica Rossitto, MBA/HCM, BSN, RN, NEA-BC

Senior Vice President and Chief Nurse Executive

HCA Healthcare

HCA Florida Gulf Coast Hospital is a 238-bed acute care hospital. For 40 years, we have served Bay County and the surrounding communities. We are an accredited facility offering comprehensive care. This includes advanced cardiac assessment and treatment. We offer certified women's services. Our hospital has dedicated spaces for adult and pediatric emergency services. We are certified in Advanced Primary Stroke Care. Our hospital is accredited as a Comprehensive Breast Care Center. We are the area's only Accredited Chest Pain Center with Primary PCI and Resuscitation. Other services that we offer include orthopedic care and joint replacement, robotic surgery, cardiac, vascular, and interventional services. We are home to the only Pediatric ER in the community. We have the only Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and Pediatric Intensive Care Unit in the region. Together, we continue to raise the bar in healthcare.

HCA Healthcare has been recognized as one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies® by the Ethisphere Institute more than ten times. In recent years, HCA Healthcare spent an estimated $3.7 billion in cost for the delivery of charitable care, uninsured discounts, and other uncompensated expenses.

We are an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.