Dear Lactnetters, Long time lurker here. First time poster. I just have to add my two cents worth on being IBCLC. I sat for my boards 11 years ago after having been a LLL for 9 years. After recieving my certification I had and still have a private practice and then 7 years ago I began to work for a large teaching hospital here in Phx. Everyone assumed I was a nurse and I had a hard time convincing everyone I worked with I was not. 4.5 years ago I began nursing school to increase my knowledge base and just graduated in December. (Oh no! More boards in January!) Now what did I learn in nursing school? I learned about disease process and how to work with other HCP's and a lot about team management. What did I learn about breastfeeding? Believe it or not I taught bf to my OB class. Does being a nurse make me a better lactation consultant? I would have to say yes only because I was a lactation consultant first. Does being a nurse first make a person a better lactation consultant? I would have to say no because just like it would take me a lot of time and experience to become a good nurse it will take a new IBCLC the same time to become a good lactation consultant. And no I am not going to work as a nurse. No can believe it but I really went to nursing school to be a better lactation consultant. That is all I really want to do. I have had a lot of nurses ask me about becoming a lactation consultant and everyone wants a quick and easy way to do so. Just like it took me 4.5 years to go to nursing school, it takes a lot of time and effort to be IBCLC. Being a good OB nurse does not neccesarily make one a good LC. Vicki Pena IBCLC ( and hopefully RN)