The explanation for this second credential from IBLCE seems to me to be  very 
vague. Who identified a need and what exactly is the need for IBLCE to  
create a second exam? This is not a second credential, it is about the 5th or  6th 
that would be floating around the lactation community. All of these  
"credentials" have created a situation and mess similar to what the nursing  profession 
has gotten itself into - multiple credentials, confusion as to what  type of 
care is delivered, and splintering the profession. All of these  credentials 
have made it very difficult to write language for licensing the  IBCLC. When we 
started to write that language in Massachusetts it became very  burdensome to 
sort through what these credentials actually meant. Hospitals and  consumers 
are already confused enough as it is. The medical profession is   working hard 
to limit what advanced practice nurses can do, they created the  physician 
assistant credential to limit nursing autonomy. Do we want this to  happen to us 
because we cannot figure out what to do with ourselves?
 
We still haven't gotten the IBCLC credential into the mainstream of health  
care, let alone adding yet another credential. I do not think it is up  to 
IBLCE to define and steer the lactation profession into troubled waters.  We need 
the IBCLC credential marketed better and strengthened with a  defined college 
level education as an entry requirement, reimbursement  codes for lactation 
services, and autonomy in the profession (not a watered  down hand maiden 
mentality). 
 
I remain very concerned over a lack of transparency within IBLCE and am  
uneasy over our future.
 
Marsha Walker, RN, IBCLC
Weston, MA

             ***********************************************

To temporarily stop your subscription: set lactnet nomail
To start it again: set lactnet mail (or digest)
To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet
All commands go to [log in to unmask]

The LACTNET email list is powered by LISTSERV (R).
There is only one LISTSERV. To learn more, visit:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html