Human Milk and Formula Technician

Job Description

Description

Become part of an inclusive organization with over 40,000 teammates, whose mission is to improve the health and well-being of the unique communities we serve.

Summary:

The Human Milk and Formula Technician  works in the Human Milk and Specialty Formula Room preparing infant feedings for the Children’s Hospital, primarily for patients in the Newborn Critical Care Center (NCCC) using specialized formulas, fortifiers, donor and maternal human milk.  This position serves as liaison between Pediatric Dietitians and Children’s Hospital Nursing.  This role transforms human milk and formula orders from the electronic medical record into appropriate recipes, prepares the final feeding product, dispenses feedings to nursing, and delivers formulas to units within the Children’s Hospital. 

Responsibilities:
1. Translates feeding orders in EPIC into established recipes. Troubleshoots and clarifies unclear orders with nursing, dietitians, and providers. Understands clinical concepts including medical terminology and how to accuracy interpret feeding orders.
2. Uses mathematical calculations to adjust ordered recipe volumes and grams or mLs of required fortification ingredients.
3. Fortifies infant formula and human milk with precision using sanitation and established procedures to prevent bodily fluid or pathogen contamination across maternal/donor human milk bottles.
4. Documents human milk type, milk received, feeding preparation, human milk dispensed/discarded, and formula preparation in the clinical flowsheet in EPIC.
5. Dispenses human milk, a bodily fluid, and formula following barcode scanning procedures.
6. Scans feedings, monitors inventory, facilitates maintaining par levels of Prolacta and donor milk. Maintains accurate inventory of frozen and thawed maternal human milk and donor milk with detailed labeled bottles and milk bins. Reviews inventory daily to ensure correctly filed bottles and feeding syringes.
7. Ensures appropriate temperature standards for milk storage in the refrigerators and freezers. Follows appropriate processes for human milk thawing. Monitors expiration dates and uses/discards formula/human milk products accordingly.
8. Updates and maintains patient feeding orders and recipe orders daily in patient notebooks.
9. Reports human milk handling or formula errors, good catches, workflow or safety problems, and provides recommendations to improve daily operations. Participates in continuing efforts to improve the efficiency, safety, and quality of the Human Milk and Specialty Formula Room.
10. Collaborates with Nursing during the admission, transfer, and discharge processes to ensure infant feeding products and human milk are delivered to the appropriate location to optimize patients’ nutrition.
11. Collaborates with Lactation Services to inventory and procure donor human milk from the Human Milk Bank.
12. Collaborates with Genetics Services in the recipe development and preparation of metabolic formulas for patients admitted to the Children’s Hospital.
13. Collaborates with NCCC dietitians in the recipe development and preparation of human milk/formula orders and feeding advancement/progressions.
14. Participates in training and onboarding new personnel.
15. Follows policies and procedures to ensure compliance with regulatory and infection control standards.
16. Demonstrates flexibility and professionalism at all times.
17. Works effectively in an environment with multiple, quickly changing priorities.

Other Information

Education Requirements:
● Associate's degree in Nutrition or related field or equivalent.
Licensure/Certification Requirements:
● None required.
Professional Experience Requirements:
● With an Associate's degree in Nutrition or a related field, no prior experience required.
● With an Associate's degree in an unrelated field, requires two (2)years of nutrition, food service, or quality-safety experience.
● With a high school diploma, requires four (4) years of nutrition, food services, or quality-safety experience.
Knowledge/Skills/and Abilities Requirements:
● Basic math skills; ability to accurately weigh ingredients using a gram scale; calculate, measure, and mix human milk and infant formula with fortifiers.
● Use of fingers, hands, and arms to measure, mix, and store prepared human milk and formula.
● Strong critical thinking skills and ability to learn new tasks in a fast-paced environment.
● Ability to communicate professionally and effectively over the phone and in-person.
● Ability to work independently, organize and appropriately prioritize work, and make decisions consistent with hospital policy and organizational culture.

Job Details

Legal Employer: STATE

Entity: UNC Medical Center

Organization Unit: Nutrition Room

Work Type: Full Time

Standard Hours Per Week: 40.00

Salary Range: $18.20 - $25.86 per hour (Hiring Range)

Pay offers are determined by experience and internal equity

Work Assignment Type: Onsite

Work Schedule: Night Job

Location of Job: US:NC:Chapel Hill

Exempt From Overtime: Exempt: No

This is a State position employed by UNC Health Care System with UNC Health benefits. If, however, you are presently an employee of another North Carolina agency and currently participate in TSERS or the ORP, you will be eligible to continue participating in those plans at UNC Health.

Qualified applicants will be considered without regard to their race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.

UNC Health makes reasonable accommodations for applicants' and employees' religious practices and beliefs, as well as applicants and employees with disabilities. All interested applicants are invited to apply for career opportunities. Please email [email protected] if you need a reasonable accommodation to search and/or to apply for a career opportunity.