Dear everyone,

I had an interesting experience yesterday that continues to pry on my mind. I
have been in private practice and just recently accepted a part time position
with a large hospital in our area to be their LC.  To set this story up, you
must know that I am not a nurse, but have a Master's degree in Human
Development with a specialization in lactation and am IBCLC.  In the group of
people who interviewed me for the position, there was one person ( a nurse)
who was not comfortable with the position going to a non-nurse.  She was
over-ridden and the position was offered to me.

Yesterday I spent a couple of hours with this nurse.  She was showing me around
her area of the hospital and introducing me to various procedures, re:
scheduling, etc.  While in the nursing office the lady in charge asked me if I
could give her a few moments, since she had not yet received my paper work, so
she could get me on the computer.  While she asking me various questions she
needed to know if I had a CPR card.  I said no, but if I needed it, would be
more than willing to do what had to be done.  The nurse said, loud and clear,
that there was no need for me to have it.  After some more discussion going
back and forth between the two of them, the nurse said simply, "None of the
other *non-professionals* like the ward clerks, etc. have it so why should
Yaffa need it".  The other lady looked at her and said, "Well, she is a
professional".

The issue has not been resolved and in all honesty, whether or not they require
me to have CPR training or not does not, at all, matter to me.  What matters
greatly and has caused me some pain is that this nurse (who I have been given
to understand can be troublsome to all the staff)  with whose patients I will
be dealing on a day to day basis, does not consider me a professional.  What a
shame to have to go into a lovely new job situation with this cloud hanging
over my head.

Forgive me for venting -- I can't seem to get it off of my mind.  I hope that
by sharing this with all of you, my good friends, that I can move on and do and
enjoy my new job.

Thanks for listening!

All the best,

Yaffa


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        Yaffa Stark, MA, IBCLC    Los Angeles, Calif., USA
        "We must identify and reduce barriers which keep women
       from beginning or continuing to breastfeed their infants."
       C. Everett Koop, M.D., ScD. Former Surgeon General
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