Registered Nurse (RN) - Lactation RN
Texas Children's Hospital
Houston, TX

Registered Nurse (RN) - Lactation Unit

We are searching for a Lactation Consultant (RN) -- someone who works well in a fast-paced hospital setting and provide nursing care to patients by assessing, planning, educating, implementing, and evaluating age-appropriate care in a manner that incorporates family-centered principles and cost-effective care. This applicant will provide support and instruction to mother/infant dyads with breastfeeding needs/lactation problems in a manner developmentally appropriate for adolescents and adults as necessary. Think you've got what it takes? * has a lactation and/or breastfeeding certification (or has initiated the steps to start the coursework) * excellent communication, collaboration, and teamwork skill sets * willingness to float/ work all areas of main campus (this position offers continuous learning) Minimum 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 the purposes of obtaining and maintaining an RN license required or must be currently enrolled in a nursing bridge program working toward an MSN with a verified BSN-equivalency or a signed agreement. * 1 year experience in nursing (minimum) * RN License by Texas Board of Nursing or Nurse License Compact * CPR - Basic Life Support from the American Heart Association Preferred Qualifications * Directly related work assisting with Lactation * IBCLC - International Board-Certified Lactation Consultant Expectations * Knowledgeable of physiologic and social sciences to breastfeeding and lactation * Ability to organize and time manage job tasks effectively * Provides lactation instruction and support Responsibilities: * Instructs mothers (adolescents and adults) on all tasks necessary to initiate and maintain lactation during the infant's hospitalization; may include prenatal instruction and post-discharge follow-up. * Communicates the information obtained from maternal and infant observation and evaluation, collaborates with health care team for development and ongoing modification of plan of care. * Documents observations, assessments, and recommendations made during consultation in patient record. * Serves as an expert resource to departments and staff throughout the facility to ensure knowledge of, and adherence to, hospital policies and procedures related to human milk collection, storage, transport and feeding. * Obtains information on maternal medication use and evaluates its compatibility or prohibitive status related to breastfeeding or expressed breast milk feeding. * Reports findings to mother and medical team through departmental documentation guidelines. * Demonstrates commitment to team, excellent professionalism, interpersonal, communication, and customer service skills. * Represents department and self as a liaison to patients/families, visitors, peers and other health care team members. * Displays good judgment when interacting with others and demonstrates positive and effective interpersonal skills. * Demonstrates the ability to problem solve, identify appropriate resources, adapt to ongoing changes and handle conflict management with a professional and supportive attitude * Ensures and participates in ongoing communication with other health care team members in order to enhance the patient's plan of care, advocate for the patient/family and facilitate unit operations. * Demonstrates willingness and ability to acquire new knowledge, demonstrate new skills needed to improve individual, team, and organizational performance. * Acts as a resource to new employees and other members of the team to ensure the delivery of quality patient care. * Participates in departmental and hospital performance improvement activities (committees, in-services, task forces); offers written or verbal recommendations and participates in development of team goals on a yearly basis. * Provides active membership in hospital work teams/committees that require Lactation Services participation. * Participates in the review/update of lactation related policies, procedures and workflows and provides feedback to departmental leadership. * Works collaboratively to coordinate Lactation Consultant schedule and assignments; adjusts to census and workload as needed. * Participates in orientation and mentoring of new staff to Lactation and Milk Bank areas. "As part of our commitment to maintaining a safe and healthy workplace, all successful candidates will be required to undergo respiratory fit testing in compliance with occupational health and safety standards. "