**HEALTH TECHNICIAN**

**GS-640-7**

**PX2057**

# **INTRODUCTION** 

This position serves as a Health Technician and assists in delivering
medical nutrition therapy that encourages and enhances breastfeeding
behaviors and support for patients and families in the hospital and
those serviced through the Phoenix Service Unit and Phoenix Indian
Medical Center community.

# **MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES**

Performs daily rounds of patients and/or families breastfeeding and
monitors patients and/or families being breastfed while hospitalized at
PIMC on assigned days.

Assesses support needs of patients and families breastfeeding.

Reinforces breastfeeding behaviors that are age specific to the needs of
the mother and baby.

Utilizes breastfeeding support skills to identify potential problems in
the breastfeeding cycle and encourages changes that will achieve safe
and successful outcomes.

Provides education to the PSU/PIMC community regarding the potential
reduction of diabetes risk when breastfeeding is performed for at least
8 weeks or longer.

Counsels patients and their families within the PSU/PIMC community as
needed to support their breastfeeding goals. Contacts may take place in
a variety of places including, but not limited to the hospital, clinic,
community, telephone, and home.

Provides patients and their families with adequate information and
resource direction to achieve and maintain their desired level of
breastfeeding. This includes but is not limited to breastfeeding
expectations in the first 8 weeks; typical breastfeeding behavior for
specific infant/toddler ages; resources in the community; WIC referrals;
and sources of additional breastfeeding support.

Carries and responds to 24-hour breastfeeding telephone hotline on
assigned days.

Refers patients to appropriate departments (such as pediatrics, OB, OB
Triage, ER, etc.) when their needs extend beyond the scope of
breastfeeding support.

Coordinates care and follow-up of patients with other breastfeeding
support staff, health care team members, and other agency/tribal
breastfeeding support/health care staff members. Follow-up includes
early post-partum contact. Contact mediums include telephone, e-mail,
home-visit, clinic, and community.

Works collaboratively with PIMC Nutrition and Dietetics Department,
Clinical section, to identify and intervene with breastfeeding mothers
and their families.

Documents patient contacts in the medical record and Breastfeeding
Registry. Documentation includes data necessary to track incidence and
duration of breastfeeding.

Performs chart audits and networks with community agencies to complete
data accumulation as needed.

Assists with development of guidelines that support breastfeeding within
the PIMC organization.

Attends meeting and patient care conferences as assigned.

Provides group breastfeeding education for patients and community
members as assigned.

Works varying shifts covering the breastfeeding support needs of the
PIMC community.

Performs other duties as assigned.

## **FACTOR 1 - Knowledge Required by the Position Level 1-6**

Knowledge of foods, nutrition, medical nutrition therapy, and cultural
preferences of Native Americans utilizing PIMC that allows for
sufficient assessment of assigned patient dietary needs.

Knowledge of clinically based breastfeeding standards of care.

Knowledge of age specific breastfeeding behaviors of both the mother and
baby.

Knowledge of cultural issues regarding infant feeding choice.

Skill in assessing functions necessary for successful breastfeeding
including when it is not advisable.

Skill in appropriately providing intervention to support successful
breastfeeding and positive outcome for the family.

Ability to promote/encourage breastfeeding and provide information
regarding its benefits.

Ability to effectively provide breastfeeding support options including
the provision of adequate information and resource direction to achieve
and maintain desired levels of breastfeeding.

# **FACTOR 2 - Supervisory Control level 2-2**

The supervisor or designated staff member provides continuing or
individual assignments by indicating generally what is to be done,
quantity and quality expected, deadlines, and priorities. New and more
difficult assignments require additional guidance from the supervisor.
The health technician carries out recurring assignments independently,
referring problems of an unfamiliar or complex nature to the supervisor.

Work is reviewed for compliance with established procedures through
activity reports and spot check of medical records. The more difficult
assignments are given closer review for technical accuracy.

# **FACTOR 3 - Guidelines level 3-2**

Written procedural and nutritional reference material are avail able,
such as manuals, physician\'s dietary prescriptions, or orders,
information pamphlets, operational procedures. Guidelines to be followed
will be clinically based recommendations from peer-reviewed sources
including texts such as [Breastfeeding the Newborn: Clinical Strategies
for Nurses]{.underline}, by Marie Biancuzzo; [Medications and Mothers\'
Milk]{.underline}, by Thomas Hale; [The Breastfeeding Answer
Book]{.underline}, La Leche League International. Additionally, the
Southwest Diet Manual, 1999 is used as reference for providing medical
nutrition therapy for patients.

The incumbent uses judgment in determining which guides to follow, and
how strictly they must be adhered to or whether minor deviations can be
allowed. Situations involving significant deviations and more complex
nutrition therapies are referred to the supervisor or designated staff
member.

# **FACTOR 4 -- Complexity level 4-2**

The technician assesses patient and family needs to achieve their
desired level of breastfeeding success. Assessment will include but is
not limited to identification of:

-   Readiness to learn

-   Degree of understanding to assure safe and successful outcome

-   Cultural, medical, educational, employment and social issues
    impacting breastfeeding practice

-   Potential barriers

-   Practices needed for safe and successful outcome (such as effective
    latch, feeding frequency needs in the early neonatal time period,
    feeding pattern changes)

The technician determines the need for further intervention by other
health care team members or breastfeeding support staff. The technician
applies methodologies consistent with the PIMC Nutrition/Dietetics
Department\'s Nutrition Screening and Assessment Program

The technician communicates patient progress to appropriate health care
team members, documents contacts, organizes follow-up and coordinates
care with other breastfeeding support staff.

The technician considers Southwest Diet Manual, 1999 for guidelines,
cultural and patient preference, and education needs. The technician is
primarily responsible for OB, breastfeeding and breastfed patients on
regular, pediatric or basic diabetic diets, but must be able to
determine the need for further intervention by a dietitian or other
health care professional.

## **FACTOR 5 - Scope and Effect Level 5-2**

The technician provides support for patients and their families who are
breastfeeding, considering breastfeeding and those who are breastfed.

The technician also provides medical nutritional therapy primarily for
hospitalized patients receiving basic or general diabetic diets who are
on the OB floor or breastfeeding or breastfed.

The ability of the technician to effectively provide families with:

-   adequate information to make an informed infant feeding choice;

-   coordination and referral of care related to breastfeeding practice;
    and

-   information and support that promotes maximization of their feeding
    choice goals

enhances breastfeeding behaviors and support for patients and families
in the hospital and those serviced through the Phoenix Service Unit and
Phoenix Indian Medical Center community. Breastfeeding has been
identified as a key factor for presenting potential reduction of
diabetes risk.

# **FACTOR 6 - Personal Contacts level 6-2**

Contacts are with patients, theirs families, health care team members,
community/tribal members and community agencies.

## **FACTOR 7 - Purpose of Contacts level 7-2**

Contacts with patients and their families are needed to provide
education and support for breastfeeding and nutrition care. Contacts
with other members of the PIMC community and related
agencies/communities are necessary to provide continuity of care and
coordination of service. Contacts are generally cooperative.

# **FACTOR 8 - Physical Demands level 8-1**

The work is primarily sedentary to review charts, complete forms,
complete follow-up, and meet with other staff members or patients and
their families. However, there is periodic walking; standing; bending;
carrying of light items. No special physical demands are required to
perform the work. Periodic standing may be to assist patients, such as
hospitalized moms latching and feeding newborn babies.

## **FACTOR 9 - Work Environment level 9-2**

The work is performed in a variety of environments including hospital
and community and involves regular and recurring risks or discomforts,
which require special safety precautions. These environments involve
risk of exposure to infectious diseases, equipment noise, and community
hazards.

**OTHER SIGNIFICANT FACTORS**

Completion of Breastfeeding Course (such as Certified Breastfeeding
Counselor, Certified Lactation Educator, or Certified Lactation
Counselor) offered by an accredited college or university.