I work in Houston, Texas, and I know of a few nurses practicing lactation
support without any lactation certification or credential.  I have found that
quite a few others (myself included) have started out without credentials,
but obtain them after the requisite amount of practical experience.  In the
city of Houston it is hard to find RN IBCLC's available to work in the
hospital setting, as many of them prefer private practice.  It is also fairly
universal that hospitals in Houston are not willing to hire non-RN lc's, and
would prefer to "grow their own" from within their own staff rather than hire
a non-RN for the job.  Some hospitals even require BSN as entry level for
lactation support.

My personal thought is that it is okay to hire a non-credentialled person to
do lactation support, but it would be desirable to have that person on track
to qualify for some credentials within a reasonable period of time after
hire.  One of my current co-workers is an RN, in the job for just over 3
years, will be sitting for the IBCLC exam this summer.

Marlene Wark, RN, IBCLC
Houston  Texas

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