POSITION SUMMARY:

The Birth Sister provides non-medical, emotional and evidence-based informational support and assistance to the childbearing woman, family and clinical care providers involved in the woman's prenatal, birth and postpartum care.

Position: Birth Sister I

Department: Birth Sisters Program

Schedule: Part Time

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES / DUTIES:

• Assists women and their families in preparing and carrying-out a birth plan.
• Provides prenatal emotional support, information and connection to needed services within the clinic and home environments.
• Stays at the laboring woman's side throughout the labor and birth.
• Provides emotional support and suggests physical comfort measures (massages, showers, hot/cold packs, birth ball, etc) during labor and birth.
• Facilitates communication between the woman, her family and the clinical care providers prenatally, during labor and in the post-partum period.
• Provides postpartum support services within the clinic, hospital and home environments to help ease the transition of the new mother, as well as the rest of the family, by providing individualized support and encouragement, information and connection to needed services
• Must achieve Basic Birth Sister Training Program certification before commencement of initial training program and maintain standards of this certification for the duration of employment in this position.
• Conforms to hospital standards of performance and conduct, including those pertaining to patient rights, so that the best possible customer service and patient care may be provided.
• Adheres to hospital cultural beliefs as the basis for decision making and to facilitate the hospital's goals and mission
• Follows established hospital infection control and safety procedures.
• Perform other duties as needed.

JOB REQUIREMENTS

EDUCATION:

High School Diploma or equivalent life experience.

CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS REQUIRED:

Must achieve Basic Birth Sister Training Program certification before commencement of initial training program and maintain standards of this certification for the duration of employment in this position.

EXPERIENCE:

Prior education/training by qualified program in childbirth education and support services preferred but not required.

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS:

• Will have the ability to speak and read English. Bilingual or multi-lingual skills (beyond that of English) appropriate to the patient population served may be required.
• Must be available to complete training program offered by the Birth Sisters Program
• Must have cultural sensitivity and comfort with a wide range of social, racial and ethnic populations.
• Excellent interpersonal skills to instill confidence and to advocate for patients and their family.
• Knowledge and experience in the neighborhoods of Boston preferred

Equal Opportunity Employer/Disabled/Veterans