I hesitate to use the word 'client' because it implies a degree of freedom
of choice not always present in transactions between providers of health
services and the users of said services.  The word 'patient' is problematic
because of the implied dependency and inequality of power between the
parties.  So, insert whatever word you feel most comfortable with and
consider the nature of your relationship with people who use your expertise
on a one-to-one level.

Firing someone is only possible if they work for you.  That was my point
with my post about firing a patient.  If you perceive that the mothers who
seek help from lactation consultants are somehow the employees of the LC,
then your understanding of the relationship between you and them is quite
different from mine.

Also, firing someone implies that you have more power than they do, and you
are exercising it.  Sometimes I think people 'fire' their health care
providers because that is the only way they can demonstrate that the bottom
line is, they hire us.  It doesn't happen where communication is good
between provider and user.  It is not necessary to assign blame for the
communication failure, it is only necessary to acknowledge that it has
failed.

Kathy Leeper's example of a mother who, even while awaiting the outcome of a
lawsuit against Kathy for something involving one child, was seeking care
from Kathy for another child, is bizarre.  I am sure I would have been
utterly unable to provide good care for the child, knowing that the mother
distrusted my judgment so much that she was suing me for something else, and
I am equally sure that I would have found the situation highly distressing.
And baffling.  Unless we both lived in an isolated community without anyone
else within shouting distance, AND the care required was immediate
life-saving help, I am sure I too would have declined to see the child, and
referred them elsewhere.   Suing a professional is going a big step beyond
simply firing them.  It is incomprehensible to that professional that the
person bringing suit would still expect their services - either I am good
enough for you, or I am not, but how can I be both, at the same time?

I hope I have made it clear that I acknowledge that there are situations in
which the only right thing to do is stop providing care for someone and send
them to someone else, but that we can't call it 'firing' them.

Rachel Myr
Kristiansand, Norway

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

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