Lactation Consultant I - Full Time- Shift

at  Kern County Hospital Authority

Kern Medical has been a community cornerstone since its founding in 1867. Today, we are an acute care teaching center with 222 beds, offering the only advanced trauma care between Fresno and Los Angeles. Kern Medical offers a range of primary, specialty, and multi-specialty services including high-risk pregnancy care, inpatient psychiatric services integrated with county mental health programs, and a growing network of outpatient clinics providing personalized patient-centered wellness care. Kern Medical cares for 15,500 inpatients and 125,000 clinic patients a year.

Career Opportunities within Kern Medical include many benefits such as:

• New Hire Premium: +6% of base rate of pay matched up to 6% if contributed to Deferred Compensation Plan.
• Shift Differentials: varies per classification.
• A Comprehensive Benefits Package: includes Holidays, Vacation, Medical, Dental, Vision and Life Insurance.

Position: Lactation Consultant I(IBCLC )

KNOWLEDGE OF:

• Care of breastfeeding dyads in the inpatient setting;
• Assists with development of educational plans for patients and staff; pertinent medications and lactation;
• Management of breastfeeding problems

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

• Employs an interdisciplinary approach to providing comprehensive lactation support; facilitates the coordination of all necessary services for patients and families. May consult with the Provider for further data collection to determine potential needs and coordination with other Lactation Consultants;
• Within the assigned service area of operation, contacts every woman who has delivered a newborn, offers telephonic evaluation and lactation support, generates a lactation care plan, and monitors follow up;
• Assists with 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 help identify parent’s educational and competency gaps related to breastfeeding.
• Assists in reviewing staff knowledge and helps identify competency-based educational needs as it relates to lactation and breastfeeding patients;
• Provides both formal and informal medical and nursing staff education services in a manner that is consistent, uniform, efficient and cost-effective. Assists in the evaluation of the effectiveness of the education and modification of the educational plans as needed;
• Maintains precise records, data, and statistics in order to ensure accurate reporting and documentation of quality assurance and improvement measures;
• May be required to attend Kern County Breastfeeding Coalition meetings;
• Assists with development and updating of lactation protocols in collaboration with the lactation team;
• Carry out other duties as assigned by the nursing supervisor after being deemed competent, which may include but are not limited to the following:
• Assists with patient observation and care; checks and records vital signs and pain levels; collects specimens; measures and records intake and output of food and fluids; and records results;
• Passes and observes food trays; assists or feeds patients;
• Assists patients with personal hygiene and grooming;
• Answers call signals; makes beds; cleans and cares for equipment;
• Adheres to isolation precautions/practices, medical asepsis and infection control; observes oxygen precautions;
• Transports patients as needed for admission, discharge, and procedures; transports specimens to the lab;
• Performs general clerical duties; operates a variety of office equipment.
• Assists with admitting, transferring and discharging patients by inputting data into the Electronic Medical Record, schedules appointments and follows up on authorizations;
• Answers telephones and provides basic information to patients and/or other interested parties;
• Coordinates the delivery of equipment and/or other services for patients following discharge.

ADDITIONAL DUTIES:

• Performs other job related duties as required.
  Assignments shall include only those duties and responsibilities for which competency has been validated.