Please do hang in there Patricia. I assume the hostility and passive
aggressive behavior is coming from the nurses (and probably the docs too),
and not from your fellow LCs. Many OB nurses who are not fully educated on
the specifics of breastfeeding management, believe it to be more difficult
than just handing a bottle to the mother, and certainly not so beneficial as
to require your presence in facilitating effective breastfeeding techniques.
Most know that breast milk is better for the infant, they just don't know
the specifics and may feel threatened at the prospect of a "non-nurse"
having more knowledge on the subject than they do. You are also likely to be
dealing with some guilt feelings on the part of the nurses. Possibly because
they bottle fed their own children, but also because the suggestions you
give are in conflict with what they have been doing. The implication being
that they may have been "doing it wrong" for all those mothers and babies
they cared for over the years. We talk so much about the "guilt" feelings of
mothers who bottle feed, but we neglect to address these similar guilt
feelings of nurses, which can have even broader ramifications.
I speak from experience. In my present job I am a L&D/PP/Nursery nurse. I am
also a lactation consultant, though not the hospitals "official" LC. They
use me as an LC (very difficult when I'm doing labors), and ALLOWED me to
rewrite some of the breastfeeding related policies, even let me do a
breastfeeding inservice for the staff; but management's recognition of me as
the department's LC is still not visible in the forseeable future. It's
taken nearly 1 1/2 years to gain enough respect from my co-workers that I
now get referrals (I have a private practice-the only way I could do what I
saw a need to do) and legitimate questions regarding breastfeeding issues;
not just jokes with the term "nipple nazi" interspersed. The number of
bottles given to breastfeeding babies is also significantly less than when I
first started. It's been a hard struggle, and by no means over, but it's
definitely worth it. As they get to know you, they'll see you as less
threatening. They may even start to believe you. The differences you make
with the breastfeeding moms will eventually give your work credence, so be
patient.
And, on that note, I beg the patience of the rest of you for putting up with
this long post.
Mary A. Banaszewski, RN, IBCLC
South Lake Tahoe, CA
----- Original Message -----
From: Patricia Ellis <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Monday, October 02, 2000 11:25 PM
Subject: Staff Support of LC's
I have been employed since May as one of three LC's at a hospital. I
expected to have to prove myself to some extent as the new kid, but I am
finding that outright hostility and lots of passive aggressive behavior
permeates the environment even now. I have tried to work better, harder,
faster, comply with complaints, and do the best job I can. I truly love my
work. However, I am feeling undermined and unappreciated. Without going
into more gory details, I would like to know whether other hospital LC's
encounter a "them against us" attitude, and how they have dealt with it.
The description of the typical American birth is my exact experience, so I
have my work cut out for me re breastfeeding. I really don't understand
where it is coming from or why this is happening, but it has been so since
day one.
Hanging in there, barely.
PJE [log in to unmask]
***********************************************
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
|
