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UMass Memorial Replacing Nurse Lactation Consultants With Non-Nurses

UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester is moving to replace nurse lactation consultants with non-nurses.

Hospital officials say the lay-offs will save money, but nurses say the new lactation consultants lack the same skill sets.

Julia Naya is one of the nurses who's losing her job tomorrow: "I don't know how someone can come in and do the assessments and have the same kind of nursing skills if they're not a registered nurse," she told WBUR.

UMass Memorial says the move frees them up to offer more personalized breastfeeding care and classes.

In other recent nursing-related labor news, Healthcare Finance News reports a two-day picket of Baystate Health facilities.

This program aired on November 30, 2011. The audio for this program is not available.

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Carey Goldberg Editor, CommonHealth
Carey Goldberg is the editor of WBUR's CommonHealth section.

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