Cheryl asks,
<< As I have asked before, how else am I supposed to get started? I cannot
work
in the capacity I do without the CLC credential, and am looked down upon by
the profession I want to join by using the CLC credential. Tell me what you
want me to do. You pushed some buttons here. >>
This is frustrating for all concerned, certainly for those of us that believe
that the IBCLC is the basic credential. Certainly if your employer requires
initials after your name that prove that you went through an educational
program of some sort in order for you to work -- that may indicate a lack of
understanding on the part of your employer. I guess my question would be, if
you took a 5 or 6 day lactation management program that does NOT confer a
credential following their program (and several come to mind), you would not
be employable even though you have essentially the same educational base?
No one (I would hope) is "looking down" at someone who has a CLC or CLE or
CLS or CBE or....a variety of other initials. As I said in my previous post
-- I don't know what a CLC is, or where a person got the CLC. It could be
from a one day wonder course -- it could be from a 5 day program -- it could
be from an extensive year long program -- I simply don't know, and neither
does anyone else without questioning you. Yes, there are people that don't
understand what an IBCLC is without explaining it, but the IBCLC credential
is considered among people who DO know what it is as the "gold standard." As
we know, anyone can call themselves a lactation consultant. For that matter,
anyone could call themselves a certified lactation consultant -- who is
around to check up on them? Or question them? If I'm not sure of someone
who claims to have the IBCLC credential, I just have to ask IBLCE if that
person is truly an IBCLC, or has recertified or whatever.
But this doesn't answer your question -- which just demonstrates the
confusion that exists with the myriad initials out there. What I would like
for everyone to do -- since you asked, Cheryl, is to sit for the board exam
as soon as they are qualified to do so!
I would love for educational programs to stop awarding certifications of
program completion.
I would love it if everyone would acknowledge ILCA's 1993 statement that the
IBLCE is the only recognized lactation credential.
And, if I were queen of the universe (instead of just queen of vegemite &
cabbage), I would have a universal "title" that everyone who has completed a
lactation management course could use until they could sit for the board exam
-- something like "prepared breastfeeding counselor" or "lactation consultant
intern" (implying that you are working on obtaining your consultancy hours,
but you aren't quite 'there' yet), or Breastfeeding Educator, or
Breastfeeding Specialist -- or something that indicates that there is one
more step still to be taken.
Yup -- IF I were queen of the universe...all babies would be breastfed and no
one would have any problems, and we could all go open bookstores.
Jan Barger, RN, MA, IBCLC -- who finds that this discussion is also one of
HER hot buttons!
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