Lactation Consultant - 24 Hours

Job Description

Welcome To

Welcome to Winchester Hospital, part of Beth Israel Lahey Health. Winchester Hospital was the first hospital in Massachusetts to earn Magnet recognition, the American Nurses Association’s highest honor for nursing excellence, three times. It has since received the recognition a fourth time. As the northwest suburban Boston area’s leading provider of comprehensive health care services, the 229-bed facility provides care in general, bariatric and vascular surgery, orthopedics, pediatrics, cardiology, pulmonary medicine, oncology, gastroenterology, rehabilitation, radiation oncology, pain management, obstetrics/gynecology and a Level IIB Special Care Nursery.

About the Job

JOB SUMMARY:  This professional licensed staff position contributes to the Hospital’s mission to care, to heal, and to excel in service to our community by utilizing the nursing process in the coordination and delivery of quality, safe clinical care.  Utilizes compassion, empathy, and respect to provide hands-on assistance and support to all breastfeeding families.  This professional licensed position will have an impact on families’ long term success with breastfeeding by acting as a hospital-wide resource to and educate staff and family members about breastfeeding.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Education

Required:

• Hired prior to 10/1/13:  Graduate of a state approved and/or accredited RN program.
• Hired on or after 10/1/13:  Bachelors’ degree in Nursing (BSN) or obtain BSN within 5 years of hire

Experience

Required: At least three years of clinical experience as registered nurse in Maternal Child Health

Preferred: At least one year of experience in patient and staff education and lactation consulting.

Other Skills/Knowledge:

Required: Basic computer skills and word processing

LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS, CERTIFICATIONS:  

Required:

• Valid State of Massachusetts Registered Nurse license. 
• International Board Certified Lactation Consultants certification (IBCLC).

LIFE SUPPORT CERTIFICATION REQUIRED: Basic Life Support

POPULATION SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS: Neonate, Infant, Children, Adolescent, Adult

OTHER JOB REQUIREMENTS:

Professional Commitment Requirements:  Keep abreast of developments in the field and/or licensure through continuing education, participation in professional organizations or a combination of both.

On-call:  N/A

Schedule requirements:  Based on business needs.  Saturday schedule may be required.

Travel requirements: N/A

REPORTING RELATIONSHIPS:

• Reports to Lactation Consultant Coordinator
• Not responsible for supervising the work of others.

Consistent with the PROMISE principles and inherent in a hospital environment, employees must be flexible in meeting patients’ and the Hospital’s needs. While the list below describes the primary functions of this job, all employees at Winchester Hospital need to recognize that an essential element of their job is the ability to respond to unanticipated and/or changing situations.  This may result in assuming responsibilities or tasks, which are not on this list.

As part of the Mother Baby Unit team, this position:

• Serves as a consultant for clinical practice within breastfeeding specialty to the hospital nursing staff, obstetric, pediatric, neonatology and family medicine providers.

• Utilizes the nursing process and evidenced-based practices to provide quality and safe patient care by performing comprehensive material child feeding assessments and implementing individualized feeding and nursing plans of care.   Provides lactation consultations and triages lactation phone calls for nursing mothers.
• Establishes a therapeutic relationship with the patient, the patient's family and significant others by involving them in each step of the process and accommodates factors that may influence the provision of care. Provides support and encouragement to enable mothers to successfully meet their breastfeeding goals.

• Utilizes critical thinking skills to coordinate and direct the healthcare team in the implementation of the patient’s plan of care to ensure the best possible outcomes and patient/family experience.
• Educates and informs patients and family members on evidenced based lactation information. 
• Appropriately follows the chain of command and adheres to hospital policies and procedures.
• Communicates effectively with the healthcare team utilizing established handoff procedures. 
• Collaborates with the outpatient lactation consultants, pediatricians and obstetricians and neonatologists as part of the continuum of care for the breastfeeding mothers to ensure optimal nutrition for their newborns.
• Demonstrates purposeful rounding on patients receiving lactation consulting services.
• Implements nursing interventions to assist the mother and infant in acclimating to breastfeeding
• Plans care to ensure the patient’s physical, emotional, cultural, and spiritual needs are met.
• Performs all required documentation accurately, legibly and timely.
• Gives and accepts respectful feedback to enhance teamwork.
• Minimizes preventable harm events and consistently executes the infection control protocols.  Incorporates the Culture of Safety tools in daily practice, adhering to quality and safety guidelines and communicating near-miss or potential risks.
• Coordinates work schedule with departmental supervisor to provide coverage and maintain safe staffing levels.
• Maintains a clean and safe work environment to enhance patient satisfaction and a culture of safety.
• Responds to supply/equipment issues in a timely manner to ensure availability of equipment and to maximize its useful life.
• Adheres to the Magnet standards of professional development and clinical practice.
• Functions effectively in patient crisis situations and utilizes emergency resources. 

Shift

24 Hours Weekly

About Us

Beth Israel Lahey Health is dedicated to improving health and wellness and making a difference in the lives of our patients, their families and all members of the communities we serve.  Formed in March 2019, Beth Israel Lahey Health is a patient-centered, integrated care delivery system providing a continuum of services spanning academic, tertiary and community hospitals, dedicated orthopedic and psychiatric hospitals, primary and specialty care, community acute care, ambulatory care, behavioral services and home health.  Beth Israel Lahey Health Performance Network is a unified joint contracting and population health management organization, jointly governed by participating physicians and hospitals.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Minorities/Females/Disabled/Veterans.