This full-time day position offers the opportunity to serve as a Lactation Consultant (RN) in a fast-paced hospital setting. You will provide specialized nursing care to mother-infant dyads, assessing breastfeeding needs and lactation problems while incorporating family-centered principles and cost-effective care. This role includes prenatal instruction, in-hospital support during infant hospitalization, and post-discharge follow-up for both adolescent and adult patients.
Clinical Setting
You will work at The Woodlands Campus in a hospital environment. This position offers continuous learning opportunities and requires willingness to float and work across all areas of the campus.
Responsibilities
- Instruct mothers on all tasks necessary to initiate and maintain lactation during infant hospitalization, including prenatal instruction and post-discharge follow-up
- Assess maternal and infant needs, communicate findings, and collaborate with the health care team to develop and modify the plan of care
- Document observations, assessments, and recommendations in patient records
- Serve as an expert resource to departments and staff regarding hospital policies and procedures related to human milk collection, storage, transport, and feeding
- Obtain information on maternal medication use and evaluate compatibility with breastfeeding or expressed breast milk feeding; report findings to mother and medical team
- Demonstrate commitment to team, professionalism, and excellent interpersonal and communication skills
- Act as a liaison to patients, families, visitors, peers, and other health care team members
- Problem-solve, identify appropriate resources, adapt to changes, and manage conflict professionally
- Ensure ongoing communication with health care team members to enhance patient care, advocate for patients and families, and facilitate unit operations
- Acquire new knowledge and skills to improve individual, team, and organizational performance
- Serve as a resource to new employees and team members
- Participate in departmental and hospital performance improvement activities, committees, in-services, and task forces
- Provide active membership in hospital work teams and committees requiring Lactation Services participation
- Participate in review and update of lactation-related policies, procedures, and workflows
- Coordinate Lactation Consultant schedules and assignments; adjust to census and workload as needed
- Participate in orientation and mentoring of new staff in Lactation and Milk Bank areas
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in nursing, associate's degree, or technical diploma in nursing with acceptance or current enrollment in a BSN program and signed agreement; OR an associate's degree in a related field accepted by the Texas Board of Nursing for RN licensure; OR current enrollment in a nursing bridge program working toward an MSN with verified BSN-equivalency or signed agreement
- Minimum 9 months of nursing experience
- Active RN license from Texas Board of Nursing or Nurse License Compact
- CPR - Basic Life Support certification from the American Heart Association
Preferred Qualifications
- Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)
- IBCLC (International Board-Certified Lactation Consultant)
- Knowledge of physiologic and social sciences related to breastfeeding and lactation
- Ability to organize and time manage job tasks effectively
Additional Requirements
All successful candidates will be required to undergo respiratory fit testing in compliance with occupational health and safety standards.
