My background is in special education ( before children ) and health
education, public health and LLL.  I work with RN/IBCLCs and there is a
different approach to how we work with moms. They are more direct and hands
on. I tend to teach first, and then guide the mom through what she is
supposed to do but allow her to do it herself mostly, unless she just can't
get it right. I often get dad to be the second set  of hands. I tell them
that since I 'm not going home with them, they have to learn to do it by
themselves.  Students observing  with us often comment on the differnt
styles. Not that one is better, just different. I have found though that I
have much more experience and education in program development, assessments
and evaluations, grant writing, budgets, educational material development,
student mentoring and teaching, liability and safety issues, etc. I also have
much more education and experience with pumps, and specialized feeding
devices. And LactNet, LLLI and related brestfeeding journals has provided
with me with information, research sources and resources that a typical RN
would not have access to. This provides a great deal of "backbone" to a
program. The local hospital (that I don't work at) requires a RN and not an
IBCLC to be their "lactation specialist".  The only advantage I see to that
is the RN can be pulled to staffing as a RN. But I don't see any skills
needed as an IBCLC that is exclusively RN skills.

Barb Whitehead, BS, IBCLC
Eastern NC

             ***********************************************
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