Subject: | |
From: | |
Reply To: | |
Date: | Sat, 28 Oct 2006 12:21:04 -0400 |
Content-Type: | text/plain |
Parts/Attachments: |
|
|
I sat for the exam to re-certify this year. I found it subjective and very
basic. I keep current on new research and information and expected at least
some of the newer research over the past 10 years to be on the exam. I had
to remind myself that it is an entry-level exam.
That being said, I am not happy with the direction IBLCE is taking our
profession. I 100% agree with Karleen Gribble post. There are many La
Leche Leaders, WIC peer counselors and lay counselors without formal
education or a credential in healthcare who are extremely knowledgeable and
talented in lactation and who have a passion for helping mothers. I would
like to see a reasonable pathway for these to become eligible for the exam
of IBCLC, NOT a second credential. I would like to see Pathway F brought
back as a prerequisite. I would also like to see supervised clinical time
for all candidates in areas where there are other IBCLCs to precept
candidates. Having supervised clinical time should be a goal that as a
profession we are moving toward being part of every pathway instead of
efforts to make a second credential or having to already have a healthcare
credential in order to sit the IBCLC exam.
I’m also not happy with the new Scope of Practice
http://www.iblce.org/documents/IBCLC_Scope_of_Practice_9-2006.pdf and its
wording. This Scope of Practice reduces the IBCLC to the level of a lay
counselor. If this is all we can do with our expertise, experience and
education in lactation, why should we even want to become an IBCLC or renew
our certification? The mothers that come to me are the mothers facing far
greater challenges in breastfeeding than the average mother. These mothers
need a clinician who can help her with a care path to overcome her unique
challenges and be successful at breastfeeding. I am not going to sit on my
hands, give a little verbal advice, then stick out my hand for payment of
services and send the mom off on her “not so merry way” without the help in
my heart I know I could have given her because in order to give her that
much needed help I would have to violate my profession’s Scope of Practice.
Whoever wrote this Scope of Practice is badly out of touch with what we as
IBCLC do that helps mothers be successful at breastfeeding.
I have been patience with our young profession and the obstacles a young
profession must overcome to gain recognition and reimbursement of services,
but my patience is running thin as I see the direction IBLCE is taking us.
My hope for a strong well-established allied healthcare profession, which
is recognized as the Gold Standard in lactation help, is now becoming
dimmer instead of brighter.
Regards,
Pat Lindsey, IBCLC
www.patlc.com
***********************************************
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
|
|
|