Hello,

I was a hospital based LC for almost 10 years before I went to nursing school. (IBCLC in 1988). I had a marketing background, LLL Leader, and ran breast pump rental station but no formal degree when I was hired in a suburban Chicago hospital in 1993. Many forward thinking hospitals do not require that an LC be an RN. Other LCs are RDs, PT, OT, SLP, and other disciplines. I started the lactation program at Mount Sinai Hospital in Chicago without an RN in 1998 and was welcomed with open arms for my expertise and plan for starting and growing the program. I worked in other suburban Chicago hospitals without an RN. That being said....I found that going to nursing school opened my eyes to a lot of things I thought I knew, but didn't. I have benefitted from my RN but am not sure I really needed it.  Don't give up. Network, learn, share, develop  your contact list and market yourself. Good luck.

MK


Mary Kay Smith, RN, IBCLC, FILCA
Lactation Consultant
Henry Ford Hospital
Detroit MI
313-916-8363 office
146-4333 in house pager
313-990-4333 long range pager

"Babies are born to breastfeed"

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