RN Lactation Consultant- PRN

About the role

Coordinates the efforts of the health care team in a specialized area. Initiates plan of care changing as reassessment of patient need dictates. Ensures that patient family and staff are educated. Provides clinical expertise to patients and staff.

Responsibilities

• Identified needs of breastfeeding mother-baby pair and prevents recognizes and solves breastfeeding difficulties.
• Serves as an expert resource in the delivery of lactation care to patient.
• Uses current clinical management of breastfeeding problems and good technical knowledge of equipment.
• Maintains specialized knowledge of normal and abnormal newborn nursing physiology maternal anatomy and physiology and adaptation.
• Establishes and coordinates MCH infection control activities in collaboration with the Infection Control Department and the Nurse Manager.
• Serves as role model resource leader and change agent for nursing staff.
• Demonstrates flexibility in time management to meet patient care and unit needs.
• Serves as expert resource in the larger MedStar system or in the community.
• Follows appropriate chain of command.
• Possesses counseling skills with the ability to establish a rapport with patients from diverse socio-economic backgrounds.
• Demonstrates the ability to establish a supportive milieu for the breastfeeding patient that communicates caring and concern.
• Effectively communicates with unit/divisional and larger organizational committee work groups.
• Uses direct and assertive communication skills with all members of the health care team.
• Communicates breastfeeding advocacy beyond hospital borders.
• Participates in the formulation of policy and procedures and MCH standards of care as the clinical need arises.
• Yearly revises the mission and objectives of the LRC.
• Maintains operational budget and cooperates within its framework.
• Participates in and facilitates support groups to meet client and community needs.
• Cooperate with WIC efforts in breastfeeding promotion.
• Liaisons with other hospital-based Lactation Consultants.
• Maintains ILCA and CLCA membership meetings and positions of responsibility.
• Participates in area conferences or projects I cooperation with Breastfeeding Promotion in Maryland.
• Holds responsible position at the national/international level.
• Initiates designs and follows through interagency collaborative efforts.
• Initiates designs and facilitates needed support groups for a changing population.
• Chairs and/or participates in ongoing hospital/nursing committees.
• Keeps all records and statistics current for easy access.
• Complies activities of the LRC and documents same in an annual report.
• Applies cost benefit analysis to all operations.
• Initiates and follows through policy and/or procedure changes.
• Demonstrates awareness of operational budget needs through cost cutting or revenue generating efforts.
• Promotes collaboration/research through the sharing/use of statistics.
• Encourages nursing staff to become involved in clinical learning activities as they pertain to breastfeeding patients.
• Provides leadership direction and support for the professional development of staff in lactation education.
• Participates in unit educational programs such as orientation of new staff and introduction of new breastfeeding equipment.
• Participates in orientation of nursing students to the lactation profession.
• Organizes and delivers in-services to resident and attending physician staff.
• Attends unit conferences to report on lactation issues.
• Serves as a clinical consultant to nursing staff within his/her area of neonatal pediatric or perinatal expertise.
• Consistently addresses problem issues using direct assertive win-win methods.
• Initiates prepares and delivers needed continuing education/competency education for staff and residents.
• Is accountable for the outcomes cost-effectiveness and quality of care for patients within the breastfeeding program.
• Participates in the development and revision of a quality breastfeeding management program.
• Communicates with peer group on a collaborative process to monitor quality and effectiveness of care.
• Assures the quality and outcomes of the breastfeeding promotion that supports professional practice excellence of care and staff development at a program level.