Hi,
I think that peer counselors are great too.
Two years ago, management downsized LCs at the hospital--we went from 4.6+ FTE's to now less that 3 (for 9000 deliveries with a large proportion of high-risk pregnancies). Totally ridiculous.
Our director of OB/GYN nursing actually got rid of her LC staff at her previous hospital in Southern California, and brought in peer counselors to see patients in house. Apparently after she left, LCs came back in because someone wrote a grant to have it paid for. I did ask her (the director) , "Why, if your plan was working so well, did anyone feel the need to make the effort to write a grant, never mind fund it?" No reply. No surprise, because there is absolutely no good, intelligent, meaningful answer to that question.
I would be wary of presenting a no/low cost option for an IBCLC. Management may not notice the difference, but the patients do.
Maureen Allen RN, BSN, IBCLC
Boston, MA
-----Original Message-----
From: Nikki Lee <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: Sat, 30 Jul 2005 11:29:38 EDT
Subject: HOspital staffing question
Dear Friends:
Peer counselors are great outreach for a facility, and most moms don't
need lactation consultants. There should be a few lactation consultants on
hand for special cases, where hands-on is required: medical illness or
condition
of mother or baby, intensive care, and if any breastfeeding aides or devices
are required.
For the rest, peers would be wonderful. Our local WIC used to have peer
counselors in the hospital in the 90s. Excellent situation.
Getting them into the facility took some work and organization between
hospital staff and the WIC staff; this is doable and actually wonderful as
there will be mothers who qualify for WIC in the hospital and continuity of
care
can actually occur!
warmly,
Nikki Lee RN, MS, Mother of 2, IBCLC, CCE
Maternal-Child Adjunct Faculty Union Institute and University
Film Reviews Editor, Journal of Human Lactation
www.breastfeedingalwaysbest.com
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