Lactation Specialist, Part-time, Day shift

Located in Templeton amongst the oak trees, Adventist Health Twin Cities has been serving northern San Luis Obispo County since 1977. Comprised of a 122-bed acute care facility, our team provides exceptional care in emergency medicine, orthopedics, obstetrics, digestive disorders, wound care, and various medical, surgical and outpatient services. Locals enjoy weekly farmers markets in downtown Templeton, farm-to-fork dining, beautiful landscapes for hiking and biking, and beach days just fifteen minutes away at Cambria and Morro Bay.

Job Summary

Provides inpatient lactation services to women and their families adapting the instruction and care to the lifestyle, cultural lifestyle, cultural background and socio-economic status of the patient. Works in collaboration with the direct nursing staff and the physician to assist the patient in achieving a satisfactory start to successful breastfeeding. Assists in the implementation of short and long range goals applying to breastfeeding that are identified by the nursing staff providing direct patient care.

Job Requirements:

Education and Work Experience

• High School Education/GED or equivalent: Preferred
• Bachelor's Degree or equivalent combination of education/related experience: Preferred
• Two years' relevant experience: Preferred
• Experience teaching health education classes and facilitating support groups: Preferred

Licenses/Certifications

• Registered Nurse (RN) licensure in the state of practice: Preferred
• Certified Lactation Consultant: Required
• Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) certification or Basic Life Support (BLS) certification from approved vendor per AH policy: Preferred

Department Specific License/Certifications

• Basic Life Support (BLS) certification from approved vendor per AH policy: Required

Essential Functions

• Employs an interdisciplinary approach to providing comprehensive newborn assessment and lactation support. Facilitates the coordination of all necessary services for patients and families. Coordinates patient care for hospital admissions, specialty referrals, and ancillary support departments based on the assessment from the newborn visit. Within the assigned service area of operation, contacts every woman who has delivered a newborn, offers telephonic assessment and lactation support, generates a nursing care plan, and monitors follow up. Assesses the needs of the mother and her newborn in the post-partum period. Documents identified high risk factors and problems, which may require consultation and intervention, and plans for appropriate follow up.
• Collaborates with other members of the health care team to identify parent's educational and competency gaps related to breastfeeding and newborn assessment. Conducts and documents individual or family lactation or newborn visits to address the identified gaps associated with the newborn or lactation visit. In collaboration with other members of the healthcare team, assesses staff knowledge and identifies competency-based educational needs of staff related to breastfeeding patients and newborn assessment. Provides both formal and informal medical and nursing staff education services in a manner that is consistent, uniform, efficient and cost-effective. Evaluates the effectiveness of the education and modifies educational plans as needed.
• Provides daily assessment and support of new mothers and infants in conjunction with the nursing staff. Appropriately documents breastfeeding assessments, interventions and plan of care in the medical record. Communicates breastfeeding assessment and plan of care with bedside nurse to ensure continuity. Performs duties of the clinical nurse in assigned setting when necessary. Assists with development and updating of lactation protocols in collaboration with a health care team of physicians, nurse practitioner, midwife, social workers, and nutritionists. Teaches group prenatal newborn care and lactation classes. Provides education and mentoring to health care professionals. Mentors nursing staff in providing inpatient education.
• Communicates and markets breastfeeding education programs to a broad target audience using appropriate methods, and based on identified/assessed needs. Provides breastfeeding education to obstetrical and pediatric care providers in the community. Communicates the assessment and plan of care to the mother and/or baby’s doctor when seen in the outpatient clinic.
• Collaborates with the department manager, quality management, and/or designee to establish ongoing monitoring of breast feeding, mother-infant care indicators, policy implementation and improve quality of perinatal care as needed. Collects, monitors, records, and reports data as needed. Meets with appropriate person and/or committee as needed to review monitored data for quality assurance.”
• Performs other job-related duties as assigned.

Organizational Requirements:

Adventist Health is committed to the safety and wellbeing of our associates and patients. Therefore, we require that all associates receive all required vaccinations as a condition of employment and annually thereafter, where applicable. Medical and religious exemptions may apply.

Adventist Health participates in E-Verify. Visit https://adventisthealth.org/careers/everify/ for more information about E-Verify. By choosing to apply, you acknowledge that you have accessed and read the E-Verify Participation and Right to Work notices and understand the contents therein.