Can you take one more opinion?  I have been IBCLC for 14 yrs.  I have worked
in a large teaching hospital for 8 yrs as an LC.  I graduated from nursing
school and passed my RNboards 1 year ago.  I went back to school because I
felt being a nurse would expand my knowledge base.  We have moms and babies
with all kinds of illnesses, syndromes, and anomalies, as well as normal
healthy moms and babies. I do not work as a nurse and have no desire to.  I
am a lactation consultant and that is what I want to do.  Did becoming a
nurse help me achieve my goal?  Absolutely!  I understand so much more now.
Does it make me a better LC?  Probably but I sure didn't learn anything about
breastfeeding in school.  I don't think being an RN has anything to do with
being an LC.  At our hospital we know have 6 LC's and the only requirement
that we have is that they are IBCLC.  That is the most important thing to us.
 Good LCs don't have to be RNs.
Vicki Pena RN IBCLC
Sunny (and I really mean that) PHX

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