How would you like to work in a place where your contributions and ideas are valued? A place where you can serve with compassion, pursue excellence and honor every voice? At Wellstar, our mission is simple, yet powerful: to enhance the health and well-being of every person we serve. We are proud to have become a shining example of what's possible when the brightest professionals dedicate themselves to making a difference in the healthcare industry, and in people's lives.
Work Shift
Various (United States of America)
Job Summary:
The Lactation Consultant has specialized education and extensive experience in managing the needs and care of the breastfeeding family.
In providing patient care using an understanding of age specific needs, the Lactation Consultant addresses the physiological, emotional, developmental, psychosocial and spiritual needs of the patient and family/ support system. Using a family centered approach, educational needs may range from pre-conception through time of weaning, assisting the mother to attain her individual breastfeeding goals.
The Lactation Consultant is responsible for professional and self developmental activities. The Lactation Consultant is responsible for delivering patient care in complex, multiple problem breastfeeding situations.
The Lactation Consultant functions as a member of the multidisciplinary health care team as a consultant, instructor, and mentor/preceptor to other health care professionals and clients in hospital and community settings.
The Lactation Consultant independently performs her job functions and is responsible to the Manager or Assistant Nurse Manager.
Core Responsibilities and Essential Functions:
Inpatient Consults
Contact Patients nurse for any pertinent information
Visit mother in hospital room for introductions and history intake
Assess infant feeding/latch
Provide feeding plan specific to mother/babys individual needs/goals
Referral for outpatient consult and/or breast pump rental
Outpatient Consults
History intake/Assessment
Provide hands on assistance to resolve problems
Provide plan of care: follow up and referral
Provide report to healthcare provider via fax and phone call if needed
Phone Consultations
Follow up phone call to NICU mothers to determine milk supply and address any concerns
Follow up phone call to Breastfeeding Center outpatients previously seen
Answer helpline phone calls: address concerns
Performance Improvement surveys
Professional activities
Maintains confidentiality
Serves as a professional role model within professional designation
Serves a mentor in the development of peers, staff and students
Serves as resource to nursing staff and leadership, and medical staff
Supports performance improvement initiatives designed to promote quality patient care
Acts as a resource to members of the health care team
Work hand in hand with prenatal and postpartum providers to help new families meet their breastfeeding goals.
Help the hospital to establish and support polices for exclusive breastfeeding
Internal and external (community) breastfeeding education and promotion
Maintains current clinical knowledge in order to contribute evidence to curriculum
Identify patient learning needs and utilizes education principles based on age specific criteria to meet these needs
Designs and implements educational programming that addresses identified learning needs
Obtain roster and contact class participants prior to class
Ensure adequate class supplies and communicate needs in a timely and appropriate manner
Set up for classes adjusting for site specific variances
Breastfeeding Classes
Teaches breastfeeding classes in the hospital and community.
Retail sales
Assist customers in choosing breast pump which meets their needs
Assist customers in choosing/fitting Nursing bra
Assist customers in choosing other retail items
Provide direction in breastpump registration and rental process
Take in cash and provide receipt for cash and carry retail items
Performs other duties as assigned
Complies with all Wellstar Health System policies, standards of work, and code of conduct.
Required Minimum Education:
Required Minimum License(s) and Certification(s):
All certifications are required upon hire unless otherwise stated.
Required Minimum Experience:
Breastfeeding experience is required to become eligible to sit for the exam. This experience is considered adequate for entry level into Lactation Consultant practice. Hours vary based on educational background. Minimum breastfeeding experience is typically 2500 hours.
Required Minimum Skills:
Strong judgment skills the ability to work with minimal supervision and make independent decisions that still reflect the policies/procedures and philosophy of the department
Assisting the breastfeeding mother to attain her individual breastfeeding goals
Assessment and patient care regarding breastfeeding for newborns, infants and mothers
Communication with members of the health care team
Teach breastfeeding classes to the community and to health care workers
Telephone counseling
Keyboard skills (computer skills including word processing desirable)
Other duties as required related to health promotion, the WellStar Health System, and the day to day functioning of the department
Join us and discover the support to do more meaningful work-and enjoy a more rewarding life. Connect with the most integrated health system in Georgia, and start a future that gives you more.
As the largest healthcare system in the suburbs of Atlanta, WellStar serves more than a million patients a year within our hospitals, health parks, urgent care centers, and medical practices in NW Atlanta. We are a leading not-for-profit health system with state-of-the-art medical technology and a world-class employee family. Onsite concierge services, pension plans and job sharing are just the start of our innovative vision of a ‘Work Life Well Lived!’