IBLCE does list on their website the Clinical Competencies, and Competency Statements, that describe what an IBCLC should be able to handle in a clinical setting. See http://www.iblce.org/competency%20statements.htm (and) http://www.iblce.org/clinical%20competencies.htm. There are ascending ways to look at the issue of IBCLC clinical competence. Square one: The IBLCE Clinical Competencies and Competency Statements describe what your basic IBCLC should be able to do, when s/he's on the job, anywhere in the world. Having a valid IBCLC certification assumes that you can handle these sorts of clinical situations. Square two is: Can we use anything *other than* certification to measure the IBCLC's competence? IBLCE does have several different Pathways to obtain certification ... some of which are designed to include supervised clinical work. But that is a before-the-exam mentoring system, not an after-the-exam process to evaluate competence. Different work places may have patched together different systems to make sure their IBCLCs are up to snuff -- but that would be an internal policy, springing from the individual institution. Square three is: What can we do if we think the IBCLC is *not* clinically competent? Ahh -- there's the rub. In those professions that have a license (in addition to, or in lieu of, certification), there is the option to have the license revoked. It can be revoked if the licensee practices outside the scope of practice for that license (podiatrist performs brillliant brain surgery) ... or if the licensee practices incompetently (podiatrist removes toe rather than bunion). BUT -- licenses are administered by boards with *small* jurisdiction. The board has authority to monitor (and yank) licenses within its jurisdiciton, but that may only cover a few counties or a state. Perhaps a country. IBCLCs are internationally-certified allied health care providers who are *not* universally, globally licensed. An IBCLC in the USA is supposed to practice according to the same standards as an IBCLC in Australia or South Africa or Peru or Thailand. The irony is that compensation (here in the USA) is often tied to licensure. HCPs who are getting paid for the work they do, by the insurance companies, need to have a license to be "recognized" by the payors. State-by-state licensure may be the only way IBCLCs can start to get paid (and respected for) their work. But we already see variations on the theme: some states are thinking about pulling IBCLCs in under the Nursing (as in RN) Board; others are thinking about the physical therapist/occupational therapist Boards. Some folks are investigating creation of whole new Boards, to license only lactation consultants. And licensing boards look for a profession to have a scope of practice... one reason ILCA has empanelled a Task Force to create a draft which we hope will become a Model Scope of Practice for the IBCLC, available to those groups of IBCLCs who are seeking licensure in their [smaller] areas. Liz Brooks, JD, IBCLC (ILCA Secy 2005-08) Wyndmoor, PA, USA >From: Ruth Vishniavsky RDH MS <[log in to unmask]> >To: [log in to unmask], [log in to unmask] >CC: Ruth Vishniavsky RDH MS <[log in to unmask]> >Subject: Clinical Education and Evaluation and of IBCLC's >Date: Tue, 17 Jul 2007 17:40:05 -0400 > >I find it interesting that IBCLC's have no standardized clinical education >or >evaluation requirements even though most LC's seem to work in direct >clinical >contact with clients. Has this ever been discussed? Many other health >professions have a clinical component to their certifying or licensing >procedures. Maybe Liz Brooks or others would like to comment. > >Ruth Vishniavsky, RDH, MS >[log in to unmask] _________________________________________________________________ http://im.live.com/messenger/im/home/?source=hmtextlinkjuly07 *********************************************** Archives: http://community.lsoft.com/archives/LACTNET.html Mail all commands to [log in to unmask] To temporarily stop your subscription: set lactnet nomail To start it again: set lactnet mail (or [log in to unmask]) To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet or ([log in to unmask]) To reach list owners: [log in to unmask]