This topic raises many, many questions and controversies!
What is a consultant? An individual, who after many years in
a given profession, has acquired enough experience and skill to
 warrant the to the title "consultant". A new grad, or one
who has taken a "super course" in a few weeks has not the
experience to be a consultant, in my opinion.  Maybe the title is wrong.
Maybe the criteria for taking the exam is to low...30 CEU,s in the
past 3 years! that's 1 1/2 day long conferences per year! While
recognizing that there is a tremendous need for knowledgeable
people to teach and guide, we shoul not try to "fill the
void" which exists by tolerating minimal standards. The
profession of nursing did this and it has created tremendous problems.
Nursing has at least 2 maybe 3 entry levels and several other
practitioners.  One hardly knows who does what! It does not foster
cohesion, either.
Another problem lies in narrow practice of some when the whole
field is so broad... for example the NICU nurse who has little
experience with the older baby...or the WIC counsellor who does not enter
the hospital.  How do we all enter at the same point???
I marvel that so much has been accomplished in the 10 years the LC's have
been around.  My comments are not critical of what has happened, but
intended to focus on some important issues which are before
us as we shape our profession.
I shudder when I hear people say they are taking the exam so
they will have "those letters"...I think there is
some thing more to this and I feel we can set even]
higher standards.
F1
.....................................
Anne Andrianos, MSN, IBCLC
4340 Young Road, Syracuse, NY 13215
(315) 492-6437
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