I got a call from a nurse in a large hospital this week. She asked me
to come and do a 6 hour ( note SIX) in-service for her staff including
midwives, maternity, NICU and nursery on breastfeeding after which they
could be issued a certificate that they are Certified Lactation
Consultants, which would be recognized by the Ministry of Health, of
course.
In this 6 hours, I would have to leave out anatomy and physiology
because " everyone knows that", but include problem solving,
breastfeeding in the NICU, how to use various devices such as pumps,
silicone nipples, SNS, cabbage. And all in just 6 hours!! Just add water
and stir!!
I tried to keep my cool, and attempted to explain what was behind our
certification, the hours of course requirement, the hours and hours of
clinical hands-on, the re-certification. She didn't get it. I told her
I would call back. When I recovered from my urge to laugh/cry, I phoned
her and had a great idea.
I told her that many IBCLC's in Israel were having trouble finding jobs
in hospitals because they are not nurses. I wondered if she could give
us a 6 hour course after which she could issue all of us certificates
that we are nurses. And that these certificates would be recognized by
the Ministry of Health. Silence on the other end of the line.
I think she got it!!
I told her that the only thing I could promise to give her staff in 6
hours was the realization of how little they know about the science of
lactation and the desire to learn more.
Her thinking is the result of several courses that have been given
recently which, after 30 hours of theory and no clinical, gave the
students certification and sent them out in the field calling themselves
Lactation Consultants, charging higher fees than those of us who have
been in the profession for years, and do I have to elaborate on the
plight of the poor moms who fell into the hands of these LC monsters as
we call them. Those who do get to real LC's eventually were in such
deep trouble.
How can you tell the difference between a real LC and an instant one? A
real LC, the longer she is in the profession, learns how much she still
has to learn, and a rookie LC thinks she knows everything there is to
know. Scarey, huh?
Oh well, that was my Saturday rant. Now I have to catch up on this
weeks Lactnet.
Happy holidays to all from Israel where Spring is in its full glory.
Esther Grunis, IBCLC
Lis Maternity Hospital
Tel Aviv, Israel
mailto:[log in to unmask]
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