Hello and Happy Holidays to all of you on Lactnet!  I have been reading
Lactnet for 2 years now and I thank all of you for teaching me so very much.
In reading all of the posts regarding credentials, experience and those one
week lactation management courses I had to respond. I have been a nurse in
Maternal child health since 1982. I graduated college with a BSN  from a
prestigious university. I was proud of my accomplishments and knew I had what
it would take to be a good nurse.  However I didn't know how little I knew
until I started working and felt sooooooo green.  Luckily for me I had
wonderful mentors and I picked their brains and watched how they practiced. I
had the desire to learn and the motivation to be the best I could be. I would
accept nothing less from myself. Over time I felt truly comfortable and
knowledgeable in Labor and delivery. As I grew I went for additional courses
and certifications. The exams we take either for liscensure or certifications
are baseline, entry level into practice. Our learning and level of expertise
grows with experience. Unfortunately, none of us is expert at the beginning of
our practice. Hopefully we can recognize when we are in above our heads and
refer at that point  to someone more knowledgeable. Yes when I started
practicing as a LC( in the hospital) I was one of those who realized how
little I knew just as when I started practicing as an RN. The only difference
was I felt there were more resources at my fingertips then . As a new LC I
felt more on my own until I started to network in the community with private
LCs and with other hospital LCs . The sharing of knowledge and protocols is so
very important. I then discovered Lactnet which was a godsend to my learning
curve.Those of you who have been in this profession for a longer time have
mentored the newer LCs here on Lactnet in a very valuable way.
My point, in this long discourse, is that we are very fluid in our learning
and practice. When I left L&D in 1996 I was a seasoned Labor nurse who had
seen alot and felt a certain level of expertise in that field. That came with
experience and self motivation to seek out learning experiences and mentors.
We all need to mentor and share our knowlege with other practitioners because
we are all at different levels. Unfortunately there are many who take the 1
week "wonder course" and then stop studying or reading new research . That is
a problem.

Jane Ciaramella RNC, IBCLC