Lactation Consultant - Casual

SUMMARY

Casual, non benefit opportunity currently available to join our Lactation Services team. Schedule is Days (as needed) requiring a minimum of 2 shifts picked up per month.

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