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Clinical ExperienceProspective IBCLCs must demonstrate extensive clinical experience in assisting breastfeeding mothers and children. The Clinical Competencies for IBCLC Practice is a comprehensive list of the clinical skills in which IBCLCs are expected to be proficient. The amount of clinical experience you are required to document varies depending upon the amount and type of college or university education you have. IBLCE defines the clinical experience requirement through a series of pathways which allow people from a variety of backgrounds to seek IBCLC certification. The following chart describes the educational background requirements of each pathway.
Most IBCLCs come from a nursing background, but a nursing degree is not required. Use the following list of post-secondary education descriptions as a guide to determine the amount of clinical experience you need. Unless a specific subject matter or degree is indicated in the list below, your college or university education may be in any field. Bachelor’s Degree or HigherCandidates with at least a bachelor’s degree (in any field) may use Pathway A and must demonstrate a minimum of 2500 hours of experience in breastfeeding counseling. This is the pathway most commonly used by registered nurses, registered dieticians, midwives, and other professionals with a passion for helping breastfeeding mothers and children. If you have a graduate degree in nursing, nutrition, midwifery or another field that included training in the clinical management of breastfeeding, you may count the clinical practice experience obtained during your graduate studies. The only exceptions to the requirements of Pathway A are for individuals with a degree in one of the following subjects: Associate’s DegreeIf you have an associate’s degree—the subject matter of the degree does not matter—you must demonstrate 4000 hours of clinical experience in lactation management. This pathway—Pathway B—is the pathway of choice for nurses and experienced mother support counselors who have completed two to three years of college or university education but do not have a bachelor’s degree. Degree in Human LactationPersons with a bachelor’s degree or higher in human lactation must submit a copy of their diploma from an accredited college or university. During the course of study for this degree, you must have accumulated at least 900 hours of clinical experience in lactation management that was supervised by the program’s teachers. There are a limited number of accredited institutions that offer programs which qualify graduates for Pathway C. Contact us for a list of available programs. Doctor of Medicine or OsteopathyMedical practitioners must submit a copy of their diploma or transcript and demonstrate 900 hours of clinical experience assisting breastfeeding mothers and children. Pathway D is open only to doctors of medicine and osteopathy. No College or University DegreeThe amount of clinical experience required, and therefore your pathway, will depend upon how much college or university education you have achieved. If you have accumulated a number of college or university credits, you may quality under Pathway A or B. If you have little or no post-secondary education, you will need to meet the requirements of Pathway E. Candidates in this category may also choose to use Pathway F. The following chart shows the number of semester hours you must have to qualify for each clinical experience requirement.
Pathway FCandidates with limited or no post-secondary education, those with limited opportunities for obtaining clinical experience in lactation and individuals desiring the structure of an organized lactation education plan will benefit from the mentored direct supervision central to Pathway F. These mentorship programs require direct supervision by an experienced IBCLC and the training plan must be approved by IBLCE before the clinical training begins. For more information, consult the Pathway F Guide. For more information about the clinical experience requirement, click on the following links. Documenting Clinical Experience Hours
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