Nurses are medical health professionals. A nurse may choose to work as a generalist, assisting doctors and working with patients where needed. A nurse may also choose to work as a specialist. Some nurses choose to specialize as lactation consultants. As such, they help new mothers learn proper breastfeeding techniques.
Educational Requirements
Most nursing lactation consultant programs require candidates for admission to be registered nurses (RNs). To become an RN the student nurse must earn an associate or bachelor's degree in the subject. During this time student nurses study subjects such as biology, chemistry and human anatomy. They also spend a term working full time in a hospital caring for patients. Once they graduate they must pass state licensing exams. After RNs have graduated they can apply for a lactation consultancy program. Most programs require candidates to study specialized classes and complete a certain number of hours of on-the-job training. After the candidates have completed this training, they can apply to take the certification exam.
Duties
Nurse lactation consultants work with women who have recently given birth. The lactation consultant demonstrates the many facets of breastfeeding. Such aspects include proper positioning of the newborn, ways to make sure the baby is securely latched to the breast as well as ways to ensure proper milk supply. The lactation consultant also works with the mother if she has problems nursing. A lactation consultant may help her figure out how to increase her milk supply, help her convince a baby to nurse and assist the mom in confronting nursing challenges that may exist after she has given birth to multiples.
Pay Scale
According to the Salary.com, the average annual salary for a lactation consultant is roughly $68,000 per year, as of 2010. A lactation consultant's salary may vary depending on where she works. Lactation consultants may choose to work on staff in the maternity ward of a hospital and thus earn a standard nursing salary. A lactation consultant may also choose to take on private clients in her free time and earn an hourly salary, or she may open her own business and work as an independent contractor. All of these choices will affect her average annual salary.
Working Conditions
Hospital nurses typically take shifts that vary from eight to 12 hours. A hospital nurse may choose to work during the day or night. Some hospitals require all nurses on their maternity wards to be certified lactation consultants as a condition of employment. Other hospitals may designate one or two nurses to work with patients in this area. A lactation consultant can expect to work one on one with clients as well as teach classes on the subject to larger groups.
Advantages and Disadvantages
Lactation consultants get to work directly with newborn babies and nursing mothers. A lactation consultant can help mothers discover the best way to overcome breastfeeding problems and make sure that their babies receive optimum nutrition. However, a job as a lactation consultant may mean working with mothers who are facing postpartum depression. It can also be stressful as lactation consultants may need to cope with fussy babies for long periods of time.
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