Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

This is the second term of clinical experience for students completing the Lactation Consultant Certificate. The IBLCE Exam Blueprint is a guide for the curriculum utilized in this course. Students registering for this course will also need to register for LE 276, which is a distance-learning course.

Upon successful completion, students should be able to:

1. Utilize effective communication, counseling, and adult education skills in order to promote, protect, and support breastfeeding.
2. Perform a comprehensive maternal, child and feeding assessment related to lactation.
3. Apply critical thinking and problem solving-skills to evaluate potential or existing challenges and factors when dealing with more complex maternal and pediatric challenges.
4. Assist and support the mother to develop, implement and evaluate an appropriate and achievable breastfeeding plan using evidence-based information.
5. Abide by professional ethics and standards, practicing within the framework defined by the IBLCE Code of Professional Conduct for IBCLCs.

Course learning activities will include readings, clinical experience, group discussion, quizzes, reflective writing, case studies, student presentations, and observations.

On-site preceptor clinical evaluations
Multiple choice tests
Presentations and/or projects
Written assignments
Course activities and discussion

Themes
Evidence-based lactation practices
Concepts
Observation
Communication
Family-centered care
Adult education
Collaboration
Counseling
Clinical assessment
Problem-solving
Professional ethics
Issues
Processing students own personal or familial experience of breastfeeding
Sharing personal or familial experience of breastfeeding
Recognizing the importance of basing lactation practice on evidence-informed
information
Cultural Sensitivity
Skills

• Support the practices which promote breastfeeding and discourage practices which interfere with breastfeeding
• Identify signs of inadequate nutrition in a breastfed infant
• Evaluate how each breastfeeding dyad and situation is unique, and their affect on breastfeeding
• Evaluate potential or existing challenges and factors that may impact breastfeeding success
• Identify symptoms of ineffective milk transfer and inadequate intake of the child
• Conduct a clinical assessment- including history taking, physical exam and observation of breastfeeding
• Facilitate breastfeeding and/or the provision of human milk for the medically fragile and physically compromised child
• Assist and support the family to develop, implement and evaluate an appropriate, acceptable and achievable breastfeeding plan utilizing all the resources available
• Document care provided through completion of written or electronic medical records, and written assessments when required with the family’s permission
• Critique and evaluate indications, contraindications and use of techniques, appliances and devices which support breastfeeding or may be harmful to continued breastfeeding including alternative feeding methods
• Provide education and information at a level which the family can easily understand and evaluate their understanding of all information and education provided