Kristen says:
<<I am a member of ILCA and I would be very pleased to pay extra dues to
develop licensure for IBCLCs, I think that is the most important issue
facing IBCLCs right now.>>
I am a licensed RN. I took my boards in the state of Illinois to become
licensed in 1967. I passed my boards. I became licensed. Since then I have
paid money every two years to maintain my licensure. I have done nothing else.
Nada. Nothing. I don't have to prove that I am competent, that I am
working, that I have ever attended a conference, read a journal or anything else.
I am an IBCLC. I took my boards in 1987. I passed those boards. I became
certified. Since then I have paid money every five years to maintain my
certification. I have also either accrued 75 CERPs every 5 years OR resat the
exam. I have actually resat the exam in 1997 and 2002, and will take it again
in 2007. I have had to prove to someone somewhere that I am at least
competent enough to pass the exam again OR I have gotten continuing education in
lactation.
Now -- as far as I am concerned, for my state anyway, and I think for many
other states, licensure means making sure you pay your money. I have to do a
heck of a lot more to maintain my certification.
The problem is that I see is that ANYONE can certify anyone in anything.
Including me. I can, as I've said before, offer a "course" (which could be 2
hours) in basket weaving and voila, certify the attendee as a "certified
basket weaver."
Nurse Midwives are CERTIFIED as midwives, not licensed. Family Nurse
Practitioners are CERTIFIED as nurse practitioners, not licensed. While it is true
that they are licensed as nurses, they are CERTIFIED in their ongoing
profession.
I would like someone to explain to me just why they think a LICENSE to
practice will improve things for the lactation consultant. Do you think a
hospital will be more likely to hire a Licensed Lactation Consultant (LLC) over a
IBCLC?
Somehow I doubt it. It's not the license that is the issue. It's the RN --
and for all the reasons that have been cited before. She can be pulled to
do other work in the hospital and the non-RN can't.
Has nothing to do with competency as a lactation consultant -- certification
or licensure -- it has everything to do with the fact that most hospitals
hire lactation consultants as window dressing for their OB department.
Jan Barger, RN, MA, IBCLC, Wheaton IL
_www.lactationeducationconsultants.com_
(http://www.lactationeducationconsultants.com/)
"I would rather live my life as if there is a God, and die to find out there
isn't, than live my life as though there isn't, and die to find out there
is." - Pascal
***********************************************
To temporarily stop your subscription: set lactnet nomail
To start it again: set lactnet mail (or digest)
To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet
All commands go to [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(R)
mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html
|
