Lactation Consultant

Socket.dev; State College (Centre County); On-site; USD 70,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

Mount Nittany Health is seeking a nursing professional to promote breastfeeding and support mothers in achieving their breastfeeding goals. The role involves developing standards of care, coordinating education, and acting as a consultant for the nursing and medical team.

The ideal candidate will have an ASN/ADN with 5+ years of breastfeeding support experience, and will pursue or hold a lactation consultant certification.

Qualifications

• Graduate of an accredited college of nursing with an Associate Degree in Nursing required.
• Bachelor of Science in nursing preferred.
• Minimum of 5 years’ experience in assisting mothers and newborns with breastfeeding.
• Knowledge of nursing theory and practice; breastfeeding education and counseling.

Responsibilities

• Plans and coordinates breastfeeding education for patients, families and staff.
• Provides didactic education to patients needing breastfeeding information.
• Updates educational content on maternal/infant conditions (e.g., inverted nipples, cleft palate).
• Develops or obtains educational materials to aid patient understanding.
• Documents education and progress of mother and baby.
• Revises procedures and policies related to breastfeeding.
• Evaluates equipment related to breastfeeding.
• Accepts consults for education in inpatient settings.

Skills

Nursing knowledge

Lactation knowledge

Education coordination

Counseling patients/families

Medical consultation能力

Education

ASN/ADN required

BSN preferred

Job description

POSITION SUMMARY

Functions independently and collaboratively to promote breastfeeding and assists mothers in reaching their own goals for breastfeeding. Develops and implements standards of care and guidelines for assisting breastfeeding mothers in all areas of the organization.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

Education:

1. Graduate of an accredited college of nursing with an Associate Degree in Nursing required.
2. Bachelor of Science in nursing preferred.

Experience:

1. Minimum of 5 years’ experience in assisting mothers and newborns with breastfeeding.

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities:

1. Considerable knowledge of professional nursing and basic medical theory and practice
2. Considerable knowledge of the breastfeeding process, antepartum, intrapartum and postpartum healthcare and psychosocial issues. Knowledge of preterm newborns and from newborns to toddlers.
3. Considerable knowledge of the breastfeeding care and educational principle, practices, procedures and techniques required to assess learning needs and teach/counsel staff, patients and family members.
4. Knowledge of pharmaceuticals and the effects on lactation for antepartum, intrapartum, postpartum patients and newborns to toddlers.
5. Ability to discriminate between normal and abnormal findings.
6. Ability to evaluate equipment related to breastfeeding.
7. Ability to coordinate staff competency activities.
8. Ability to act as a medical consultant to other nursing/medical personnel.

License/Certification/Registration:

1. Current Pennsylvania RN licensure.
2. Meets the American Heart Association’s standards for Healthcare Provider Basic Life Support (BLS) and renews BLS every two years.
3. Certified Lactation Consultant or able to sit for the International Board Certified Lactation Consultant exam within 18 months of hire/transfer.

SUPERVISION RECEIVED

Performs all duties in an independent manner with little or no need for direct supervision.

SUPERVISION GIVEN

None.

Responsibilities

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

1. Plans, oversees and coordinates patient, family and staff breastfeeding education activities in coordination with Manager, Women & Children’s Services.
2. Provides and coordinates didactic education to all patients who require breastfeeding information in accordance with current research literature and national standards of care.
3. Establishes reviews and updates educational content on a variety of maternal and infant conditions to include inverted nipples, cleft palate, cleft lip, etc.
4. Develops or obtains suitable education materials to facilitate patient understanding of content.
5. Documents patient/family education and progress of mother and baby.
6. Updates/revises appropriate procedures and policies relating to breastfeeding.
7. Evaluates equipment related to breastfeeding.
8. Accepts consults for the education of patients/family members in the inpatient settings.

NON-ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

Performs related and miscellaneous duties as assigned.

Why Mount Nittany Health? At Mount Nittany Health, we provide high-quality patient care with a unique combination of the latest in clinical technology and compassionate medical professionals. We are committed to improving both the quality and availability of healthcare in our region and seek to hire only the best to support the communities we serve.