Doula

How would you like to work in a place where your contributions and ideas are valued? A place where you can serve with compassion, pursue excellence and honor every voice? At Wellstar, our mission is simple, yet powerful: to enhance the health and well-being of every person we serve. We are proud to have become a shining example of what's possible when the brightest professionals dedicate themselves to making a difference in the healthcare industry, and in people's lives.

Work Shift

Various (United States of America)

We are seeking an experienced, certified Full Spectrum/Labor Doula to provide in-person services. Candidates must reside in the LaGrange area, be willing to travel throughout the designated service area, and have demonstrated labor and birth experience.

Job Summary:

Wellstar recognizes the role of doulas for the improvement of health outcomes before, during and after pregnancy, and the reduction of racial/ethnic differences in rates of infant death and adverse perinatal outcomes. Wellstar seeks to increase the availability of doulas in areas most affected by infant and maternal mortality and to increase the number of women with a high risk of poor birth outcomes receiving doula services.
The Women's Health Full Spectrum Doula provides physical comfort techniques, emotional reassurance, comfort and encouragement, breastfeeding support, and evidenced-based informational support as part of the patient's essential care team to expectant patients and their families during pregnancy, labor, and in the postpartum period provided both virtually and in-person and based upon cultural preferences. The doula will provide services to women during the periods of pregnancy, birth, and at least three months postpartum.
The Women's Health Full Spectrum Doula also provides direct patient education to expectant women and their families within the communities Wellstar serves. As such, they assume a variety of roles such as subject matter expert, teacher, patient coach, researcher, and consultant. The Women's Health Full Spectrum Doula is responsible for directly leading educational courses offered at a wide variety of patient centered times and locations including day, evening, and weekend options.
The Women's Health Full Spectrum Doula reports to the Director of Women's Health and is responsible for the learning and development needs for those they have been designated to support. As a member of the Women's Health Service Line, it is expected that the individual upholds and supports Wellstar in achieving its mission and goals, fosters communication and collaborative practice between disciplines and serves as a positive role model to promote professional practice. This work is done in partnership with system and facility resources to ensure alignment and sustainability. The scope of the responsibility for the position includes both system and community activities.

Core Responsibilities and Essential Functions:

Patient Support and Advocacy Ascertains the patients knowledge about and goals for labor/delivery and provides individualized care to patients based upon their needs. Proactively plans for the pre and postnatal care of patients across the care continuum through patient support and education. Provide attention to physical comfort through techniques such as touch, massage, and assistance with breathing. Offer emotional reassurance, comfort, and encouragement. Offer guidance and support with the initiation of breastfeeding. Demonstrates knowledge and sensitivity to cultural differences and diversity, understanding the familys special cultural needs and planning care of the family accordingly. Provide evidence-based information to the patient about whats happening during labor and the immediate postpartum period, including an explanation of procedures. Communications with patient when labor is progressing and encourage the patient to go to their hospital location. Provide evidence-based information to facilitate an informed decision-making process. Assist with communication between the patient and hospital staff. Advocate for families, patients, infants, and children in the workplace, community and within the health care system. Leader of Learning Develop and deliver educational programming that addresses the identified learning needs for program participants, utilization of in-person and online platforms, and delivery of evidence-based education. Instruction of women and their families at multiple Wellstar locations including birthing hospitals and health parks. Inform design, development, implementation, evaluation of learning and educational activities or programs for the Womens Health Service Line. Provide relationship-based patient centered care that is consistent with population specific characteristics (e.g., age, gender, etc.) in a manner that adapts service delivery to reflect an understanding of cultural diversity. Provide facility based maternity tours to orient families with care options at birthing hospitals. Collaborates within the Womens Health Service Line to ensure learning activities are equitable and inclusive for all registrants and patients when appropriate. Evidence Based Practice and Research Participates in data collection, poses relevant clinical questions to advanced evidence-based practice. Consults appropriate experts and uses appropriate resources and evidence to address practice questions. Utilizes evidence to guide the development and provision of womens education programs with regards to content, methods, and evaluation.
Utilize current research findings to provide a strong evidence base for practice and obtain continuing education to enhance skills and obtain/maintain certification. Partners with subject matter experts, to ensure educational initiatives support current policies and expected practices based on evidence. Utilizes local and system quality data to drive educational programs. Resources and Support Provide follow-up with patients and their families/support systems regarding satisfaction and implement a plan in collaboration with the leader for timely and appropriate resolution of concerns.
Makes appropriate referrals to other health care professionals and community resources. Upholds all health care system/organizational policies and procedures and clinical competencies put forth by this job description including regulatory and accreditation requirements and standards ensuring by way of example, such goals as TJC Patient Safety Goals and WellStar Health Systems safety absolutes. Ensure the maintenance of relevant competencies as the subject matter expert and as a professional educator, to maintain credibility and relevance to the work. Ongoing communication with department coordinators to determine program needs in relation to Womens Health Education programs.

Required Minimum Education:

• Bachelors Public Health-Preferred or Bachelors Health Promotion-Preferred or Bachelors Education-Preferred or Bachelors Health Education-Preferred or Bachelors Nursing-Preferred or Bachelors Social Work-Preferred

Required Minimum License(s) and Certification(s):
All certifications are required upon hire unless otherwise stated.

• Cert Labor Support Doula
• Basic Life Support within 30 Days
• Cert Childbirth Educator-Preferred within 1 Year

Additional License(s) and Certification(s):



Required Minimum Experience:

Minimum 2 years Two or more years of experience within a health or behavioral health type setting. Experience working with persons and populations with diverse backgrounds; proficiency in health education and health promotion theory and practice; high quality written and oral interpersonal communication skills; competence in public speaking and presenting and experience providing perinatal education or perinatal family support. Preferred or

Required Minimum Skills:

Ability to read, write and speak the English language, optimize the use of technology to support learning and holds basic computer skills; strong interpersonal, collaborative skills along with customer service skills required; ability to function in an autonomous manner. Possess excellent time management skills; possess a strong understanding of adult learning theories and can utilize multi-methods to implement education. Medium

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