Doula Perinatal Care Navigator

Position Summary

A Doula Perinatal Care Navigator will be an integral part of the obstetrical team at Esperanza Health Center, coming alongside mothers during their antepartum, intrapartum, and postpartum care.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Completed doula training
• Passionate about women's health and perinatal care
• Ability to multitask and manage schedules for multiple patients
• Desire to attend deliveries and postpartum home visits
• Demonstrates lifestyle consistent with Biblical standards
• Communicates effectively with other health care professionals
• At work or staff meeting on time
• Communicates with supervisor if more than 10 minutes late
• Checks and responds promptly to urgent care-related calls and messages

Team Function

• Trained as a prenatal/postpartum doula and matched with panel of obstetrical patients to follow through prenatal and postpartum care
• Receives training as lactation counselor
• Receives training as medical interpreter
• Confidently communicates with hospitals and other outside medical institutions to advocate for prenatal patients, additionally assisting in scheduling obstetric ultrasounds and referrals
• Empowers patients by encouraging them to be the primary agent in seeking wellness
• Connects patients to community resources and programs or internal referral such as social services and behavioral health
• Completes charting in the electronic medical record and sees each patient during prenatal visits as much as possible
• Works efficiently to decrease patient waiting time
• Encouraging, positive, and constructive in interactions with team members
• Gives feedback and contributes ideas to the team
• Is approachable and teachable, receiving constructive criticism well
• Keeps work area neat and organized
• Documents in medical record the progress report from labor and delivery clearly and in a timely manner

Clinical Skills/General

• Provides continuous emotional, physical, and informational support to mothers before, during, and after childbirth
• Ability to answer questions and provide guidance in a non-judgmental manner
• Remains calm and provides emotional support in potentially high stakes and stressful situations
• Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills
• Attends prenatal visits to get to know the mother and her birth preferences
• Keeps up to date on childbirth support, birthing techniques, pre and post-natal care by conducting research, connecting with other doulas and mothers and attending workshops and lectures
• Practices according to biblical ethical worldview, ascribing sacred value to all human life from the time of conception
• Does not refer for elective pregnancy terminations

Spiritual and Holistic Care

• Assesses psychological needs of patients and makes referrals to behavioral health as needed
• Assesses social needs of patients and refers to social services or outside resources as appropriate
• Provides effective spiritual intervention with patients, sharing hope and salvation through Jesus Christ, sharing helpful Biblical instruction and scriptures, praying for pts, and connecting/referring to Christian churches as appropriate and according to the leading of the Holy Spirit, motivated always by love
• Avoids taking advantage of status and privilege as doula as opportunity for spiritual coercion or manipulation
• Gives spiritually uninterested or antagonistic pts greatest respect and appropriate space, continuing to provide exemplary care
• Serves all pts in a Christ-like manner, with respect, humility, love, and self-control

Interpersonal Relationships

• Communicates directly and in a timely fashion with co-workers to resolve conflicts/disagreements
• Avoids negative comments in the hearing of others; refrains from discussing any information critical of anyone in the hearing of uninvolved persons
• Expresses enthusiasm, contributes to the morale of other staff

Additional Responsibilities

• Effectively explains to patients his/her role as a doula
• Sets up and seeks supervision and input from the obstetrical provider of the patient
• Operates within the training that has been provided
• Sets up and seeks all appropriate co-signatures in a timely fashion
• Uses administrative time effectively
• Participates in staff devotions daily
• Leads devotions periodically
• Suggests improvements and works to help implement practice improvements

Competencies

• A good active listener
• Able to provide practical advice with interpersonal and cultural sensitivity
• Natural ability to nurture and guide
• Careful, patient, and kind
• Self-directed and motivated
• Exceptional organizational and interpersonal skills, with attention to detail required
• Strong oral/written communication is required
• Establishes and maintains open lines of communication with other staff
• Ability to work collaboratively in a team
• Maintains discretion and confidentiality in communicating with others
• Serves Christ and proclaims the gospel in word and deed