Lactation Consultant - Casual

Hennepin Healthcare; Minneapolis (MN); On-site; USD 85,000 - 100,000; Part time

Job summary

Hennepin Healthcare seeks a Lactation Consultant to collaborate with teams in improving breastfeeding outcomes. The role focuses on health promotion, patient-centered education, and assisting families prenatally and postnatally within the lactation services program.

The specialist serves as a clinical expert, educator, and consultant, ensuring services align with the hospital’s mission and standards while supporting inpatient and outpatient families with lactation care.

Qualifications

• Current IBCLC certification required.
• Preferred: Registered Nurse (RN).
• Preferred: at least 1 year experience working as an RN and IBCLC.

Responsibilities

• Provides direct 1:1 bedside lactation support for mother-infant pairs.
• Educates mothers on breastfeeding routines and problem-solving for feeding difficulties.
• Prepares equipment and educates patient/family on use and maintenance.
• Documents education and progress in hospital records.
• Acts as a resource to nursing staff, community, and students.
• Collaborates with interdisciplinary teams to plan care for breastfeeding families.
• Contributes to development and review of breastfeeding education and policies.

Education

Registered Nurse

Job description

JOB DETAILS

Department: Lactation Services FTE: Casual Workdays: Varied Shift Length: 8 hours

Purpose of this position: The lactation consultant works collaboratively to improve the quality of patient care and facilitate favorable outcomes in establishing and maintaining breastfeeding. The lactation consultant focuses on health promotion and encourages self-care and parental decision making prenatally and postnatally. The lactation consultant functions as a clinical expert in the role of practitioner, consultant, and educator. The lactation consultant ensures that services comply with Hennepin County Medical Center’s mission and vision.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Essential duties and responsibilities:

• Provides direct 1:1 patient care at the bedside assisting mothers with infant & maternal positioning, deep latch, and establishment of adequate milk supply
• Provides consultation and instruction in basic and complex breastfeeding routines and techniques to new mothers, both inpatient and outpatient
• Provides support and problem-solving to patients experiencing feeding difficulty with infants
• Prepares equipment and educates patient and family in proper use and maintenance
• Documents patient/family education and progress of the mother and baby in accordance with hospital standards
• Provides breastfeeding assessment, support, and counseling through daily rounds, follow-up visits, physical breastfeeding assessments and care plan development for breastfeeding families with particular attention will be made to those mothers with special needs babies (e.g. multiple births, Down's syndrome, Pierre-Robin Syndrome, cleft lip and /or palate, hyperbilirubinemia, prematurity, loss of baby.)
• Serves as a resource for the nursing staff, community, medical staff, and students

Other duties and responsibilities:

• Assesses clinical and educational needs of pregnant and lactating women
• Collaborates in the development of standards for nursing practice for the breastfeeding family and breastfeeding services.
• Collaborates with interdisciplinary team members to develop a plan of care for the breastfeeding family
• Assists in coordinating and developing prenatal and postpartum breastfeeding education as well as education for health care professionals working with breastfeeding families
• Assists with development and implementation of the Lactation program with focus on the inpatient and outpatient services offered
• Collects and analyzes data related to breastfeeding rates. Assists in development of a plan utilizing quality improvement principles to increase breastfeeding initiation and duration rates
• Participates in research efforts for improvement of patient care and nursing practice
• Participates in organizational Breastfeeding Collaborative committee
• Assists in review of breastfeeding policies and procedures
• Incorporates evidence-based practice into Lactation program

QUALIFICATIONS

Minimum Qualifications:

• Current certification as an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC)

Preferred Qualifications:

• Registered Nurse
• At least 1 year experience working as an RN and IBCLC