I thought I would stay out of this one, but recent posts brought something to mind that I feel is pertinent. When I was in nursing school in 1982, in an introductory class, the instructor was lamenting the fact that nursing has "let go" of many of its roles. She stated that in the past, the roles now covered by OT's, PT's, nutritionists, and social workers were part of nursing. In time they "branched off" and are now independent entities. Certainly the LC field had its start both within and outside the nursing profession. Thinking back on this teacher's comments, I have hope that in time our profession will be seen as a separate entity just as OT's etc are now. Perhaps we are too close to the "birth" of lactation consulting to appreciate that this will come in time. Of course, that doesn't help those who are currently trying to become recognized. We certainly need to keep emphasizing in every way we can that we ARE an independent profession, but perhaps this historical perspective will offer some hope for our future. Incidentally, in our hospital, even though they have looked for RN/IBCLC's, we are considered different from staff nurses in what we are required to show competency. We (like all staff) need current CPR, including infant, but we are not required to pass neonatal resusitation like all OB nurses are. We do not have to pass the nursing skills competencies that are done each year. If we add another person to our department, the most likely candidate would be a non-RN LC who is interning with us to prepare for the exam. Even though the rest of us are also RN's, we will fight for her acceptance if the occasion arises. Winnie Mading IBCLC (and a few other things) *********************************************** The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(TM) mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to: http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html