Lactation Consultant

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Join Cleveland Clinic’s Fairview Hospital where research and surgery are advanced, technology is leading-edge, patient care is world-class, and caregivers are family. Fairview Hospital has been recognized as one of the top hospitals in Cleveland and Ohio. Here, you will work with and learn from some of our best caregivers, receive endless support and appreciation, and build a rewarding career with one of the most respected healthcare organizations in the world. 

Cleveland Clinic Children’s Breastfeeding Medicine Clinic provides comprehensive breastfeeding care and support to families, helping them achieve their personal breastfeeding goals across a variety of care settings. The team works closely with postpartum and newborn intensive care areas to provide expert lactation support to patients and families who may be experiencing breastfeeding challenges or seeking additional guidance. Currently, this role is based at Fairview Hospital. Experienced IBCLCs may also have the opportunity to work at the Fairview Wellness Center, providing one-on-one breastfeeding consultations with couples and facilitating breastfeeding support groups.

Lactation consultants have opportunities to expand their knowledge and expertise while supporting lactating patients and breastfeeding infants in a variety of settings, including inpatient/bedside care, NICU, outpatient lactation services, and staff education within maternity services.

A caregiver in this role works evening shifts 3:00 p.m. - 11:30 p.m.

A caregiver who excels in this role will:

• Provide direct lactation care and instruction to breastfeeding mothers and infants.
• Perform initial and on-going assessments of the mother/baby dyad’s lactation goals and issues.
• Develop evidence-based feeding plans that address the mother and infant's feeding issues.
• Design and implement patient education, staff development, consultation, counseling, research and community involvement, in a variety of clinical settings.
• Support community outreach, education programs and activities.
• Maintain knowledge of current lactation theories and research.

Minimum qualifications for the ideal future caregiver include:

• Meet educational/licensing requirements for the International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners (IBLCE)
• Ability to provide Inter-disciplinary collaboration and form plan of care
• Basic Life Support (BLS) through American Heart Association (AHA) or American Red Cross
• Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP) certification within six months of hire
• Certified Lactation Counselor (CLC) certification or equivalent upon hire, with successful completion of IBCLC certification within 24 months of hire

Preferred qualifications for the ideal future caregiver include:

• Registered Nurse (RN)
• One year of hospital or community-based nursing experience working with breastfeeding mothers and infants
• Will consider candidates with two years of nursing experience in a non-related field or two years of verified lay-experience (paid or voluntary) working with breastfeeding mothers and infants in a hospital-sponsored or community setting under the supervision of an International Board-Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) or minimum two years of experience as certified health and wellness educator/instructor
• Experience developing and delivering staff education related to breastfeeding management and lactation care
• Experience in perinatal nursing, obstetrics, pediatrics, neonatal intensive care nursing or related field
• Experience counseling breastfeeding families inpatient, ambulatory and/or community settings

Physical Requirements:

•  Light Work - Exerting up to 20 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 10 pounds of force frequently, and/or a negligible amount of force constantly (Constantly: activity or condition exists 2/3 or more of the time) to move objects.
• Even though the weight lifted may be only a negligible amount, a job should be rated Light Work: (1) when it requires walking or standing to a significant degree; or (2) when it requires sitting most of the time but entails pushing and/or pulling of arm or leg controls; and/or (3) when the job requires working at a production rate pace entailing the constant pushing and/or pulling of materials even though the weight of those materials is negligible.
• Note: The constant stress and strain of maintaining a production rate pace, especially in an industrial setting, can be and is physically demanding of a worker even though the amount of force exerted is negligible.

Personal Protective Equipment:

• Follows standard precautions using personal protective equipment as required.

The policy of Cleveland Clinic Health System and its system hospitals (Cleveland Clinic Health System) is to provide equal opportunity to all of our caregivers and applicants for employment in our drug free environment. All offers of employment are followed by testing for controlled substances.

Cleveland Clinic Health System administers an influenza prevention program. You will be required to comply with this program, which will include obtaining an influenza vaccination on an annual basis or obtaining an approved exemption.

Decisions concerning employment, transfers and promotions are made upon the basis of the best qualified candidate without regard to color, race, religion, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, ancestry, status as a disabled or Vietnam era veteran or any other characteristic protected by law. Information provided on this application may be shared with any Cleveland Clinic Health System facility. 

If applying for a Florida position, please see the following website for more information on the background screening requirements required by the Agency of Health Care Administration: https://info.flclearinghouse.com/

Please review the Equal Employment Opportunity poster. 

Cleveland Clinic is pleased to be an equal employment opportunity employer.