Lactation Consultant

A Lactation Consultant is a professional member of the healthcare team who works within the framework defined by the IBLCE Code of Professional Conduct and the Clinical Competencies for IBCLC Practice to provide expert breastfeeding and lactation care for breastfeeding families and facilitates the development of policies which protect, promote and support breastfeeding, working within the laws and regulations in their country, jurisdiction and workplace.

The Lactation Consultant takes the lead in developing, providing and promoting Lactation Management Services to expectant and new parents according to Sidra Medicine’s philosophy, policies, procedures and standards of practice, the UNICEF Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHL), Qatar National Health Strategy, and the International Board of Lactation Consultants in partnership with the mother and baby and their families, clinicians, and other stakeholders across the Organization.

The postholder is required to work in collaboration with other stakeholders across the Organization on the implementation of local and national policies relating to breastfeeding, human lactation, and link to local developments and teaching plans, and contributes to the organization’s BFHI accreditation.

The Lactation Consultant is professionally accountable to the Chief Nursing Officer and the International Board of Lactation Consultants. The incumbent works within the internationally defined scope of Practice and Code of Conduct.

Responsibilities

Clinical:

• The key principles of the Lactation Consultants role are providing evidence-based education about breast feeding and human lactation to families, health professionals, educators and the community through various means including counselling, teaching, client information fact sheets, curriculum development and multimedia campaigns.
• Takes the lead in the Organization in planning, setting, maintaining and evaluating agreed standards for infant feeding through implementation of UNICEF Baby Friendly Initiative, local and national guidelines.
• Provides expert assessment, support, treatment and evaluation of breastfeeding/lactating women in an appropriate setting.
• Supervises individualized infant feeding plans of care to ensure integration with the dyad’s breastfeeding goals and infant wellbeing.
• Develops, plans, documents, delivers, and evaluates care responsive to the needs of mother and baby in collaboration with other clinicians.
• Triage all ‘at risk’ and complex dyad needs and coordinates a collaborative multi-disciplinary approach to optimize care.
• Makes and disseminates a plan of care that promotes and supports informed choice.
• Prioritizes high and low risk women based on women centered assessment and plan of care.
• Provides individualized patient lactation care as per Qatar Council for Healthcare Practitioners Licensure Scope, the core standards of nursing and midwifery care and leads on clinical practice.
• Supports the Clinical Nurse Manager in the employee performance appraisal cycle objectively and assists with action plans arising from appraisals as necessary especially in supporting clinical breastfeeding/lactation management in practice.
• Escalates clinical care concerns to the Clinical Nurse Manager and collaborates and implements an action plan for implementation and evaluation.
• Applies a family centered partnership approach to the delivery of care and exchange of information t to ensure mutual understanding.

Managerial:

• Exhibits leadership qualities to protect the health, welfare and safety of the public by providing the internationally recognized measures of knowledge in lactation and breastfeeding care.
• Provides supervision and guidance to staff in collaboration with Clinical Educators and Clinical Nurse Specialists ensuring that all care is provided in accordance with Core Standards of Nursing and Midwifery Care and established policies and procedures. 
• Contributes to the coordination of the dyad’s activities and communications in the clinical area and escalates issues to meet patient/family/staff needs and resolve conflict.
• Collaborates with the Clinical Nurse Manager to implement/modify strategies to improve quality of care and services provided within each clinical unit, including cost efficiency savings, resource utilization, exercising care in ordering and use of equipment and materials.
• Role-models Patient Experience principles, provides service recovery and identifies continuous improvement opportunities as required.
• Identifies patient lactation care issues and/or ways to improve and positively impact on the quality of care and patient outcomes.
• Supports the Clinical Nurse Manager to ensure each unit has an effective comprehensive unit based safety programme aligned to the overall corporate programmes.
• Contributes to the achievement of cost efficiency savings in the unit and maintains an awareness of resource utilization, exercising care in the ordering and use of equipment and materials.
• Leads Performance Improvement activities in the unit towards the achievement of agreed key performance indicators as assigned. 
• Supports the selection, development and retention of all staff.
• Acts as a mentor to Nursing & Midwifery staff in the management of breastfeeding, identifying and handling challenges that may arise, assisting professional development and assessing competency level of staff in related lactation interventions and use of lactation tools and equipment.
• Proactively develops Lactation Services and participates in developing guidelines, policies, procedures and processes that will impact units at the clinical level and the organization.
• Promotes, develops and implements the steps of BFHI at all levels of the organization.

Professional:

• Demonstrates an advanced human lactation knowledge, skills and abilities in nonclinical and specialized clinical practice.
• Demonstrates an understanding of evidence-based Lactation Science methodology and its ability to positively impact patient outcomes.
• Advocates for the dyad’s and family’s feeding preferences while respecting the individual family’s breastfeeding goals using the most current based literature and evidence.
• Supports the Clinical Nurse Manager in ensuring breastfeeding and human lactation clinical care and processes are in line with the quality improvement program of the unit and the organization.
• Participates in Quality Improvement audits, surveys, data collection and documentation audits in the management of breastfeeding and human lactation within the unit, organization and nationally as required.
• Collaborates in any research opportunities that will advance the knowledge base and practice of lactation services.
• Shares current, evidence based information on breastfeeding and human lactation to all members of the multi-disciplinary team, and supports Educators in the delivery of training to staff as required.
• Provides documented evidence of own performance and maintenance of skills and required continuing education consistent with position and certification requirements.
• Integrates cultural, psychosocial, and nutritional aspects of breastfeeding and human lactation into everyday activities.
• Role model through conduct, attitudes, behaviors, communication, mutual respect, leadership, ethical decision making, critical thinking, problem-solving skills and self- development
• Advocates for optimal standards of care and clinical practice to promote protect and support human lactation and breastfeeding.
• Work within the internationally defined scope of Practice and Code of Conduct.
• Withdraws voluntarily from professional practice if the IBCLC has a physical or mental disability that could be detrimental to clients.
• Uses the acronyms “IBCLC” and “RLC” or the titles “International Board-Certified Lactation Consultant” and “Registered Lactation Consultant” only when certification is current and in the manner in which IBLCE authorizes their use.
• Adheres to Sidra’s standards as they appear in the Code of Conduct and Conflict of Interest policies
• Adheres to and promotes Sidra’s Values.

In view of the evolving needs and opportunities within Sidra, this position may be required to perform other duties as assigned and reporting relationships may vary.

Qualifications