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Sharon Gough's Lactation Nurse: A Case Study

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Sharon Gough is an international board certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) who works for Prince William Hospital (PWH) located in Manassas, VA. Sharon became aware of becoming an IBCLC while working as a childbirth educator at PWH. She received her education from Georgetown University. Once she became certified, she was successful at getting Prince William Hospital to approve a lactation program. In order to become an IBCLC, all candidates must meet the minimum requirements of completing education in specified health science subjects, human lactation and breastfeeding and complete clinical practice in providing care to breastfeeding families.

Sharon works with women of all ages that gives birth to an infant. So far the ages has ranged from 12 being the youngest to 52 the oldest, newborns and older babies on the pediatric floor.
Her typical day begins with retrieving a patient roster to review mother and baby …show more content…

IBLCE.org, International Lactation Consultant Association (ILCA), U.S. Lactation Consultant Association (USLCA), and the Journal of Human Lactation.
Sharon initially found it difficult to teach nurses about the normalcy of breastfeeding and why infants do not need formula in the first few days of life. Sharon often struggles with convincing women that their body made colostrum during pregnancy and that it is enough to feed their baby. Changing old ways and convincing mothers that breastfeeding is the perfect food for their babies is sometimes challenging. However, Sharon continues to do what she does because she knows that breastfeeding is the best for babies and if she doesn’t do her job, who else will?
Sharon works approximately 36 hours a week to include nights, weekends, and holidays. She does not take any work home from the hospital but she does work for a consultant company that provides in house breastfeeding

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