I have been reading posts on the RN/non RN LC isuue for that seems like
forever!
My personal experience is as follows. I completed Nursing school in Chicago
in the late 50's, about the time LLL got its start in the same city. I went
to work as a Nursery Nurse in the same area. At that time, we were told by
our patients that they were told by the league not to listen to any
breastfeeding advice they heard in the hospital. We in turn would tell them
that the league was militant and forced you to nurse your baby until the baby
entered 1st grade. This was a time when bottle fed babies were usually weaned
by their 1st birthday. The hospital  care the Mom's and babies received was
light years away from the present. We did things like bathe babies
immediately upon admission, the only use for a thermometer was to check the
anus for patency. We also did not feed Vag delivered babies for 12 hours, C/S
for 24 hours who by the way were kept in an Isolette with oxygen for 12
hours. It is a wonder any of our kids passed 1st grade!.
    I had a pro BF head nurse who was a rarity in those days who stimulated
my interest in BF.I have always been, many years before I became an LC a BF
teacher and advocate. Most of my career was spent as a nurse manager so I was
able to teach and influence my staff. My graduate degree is in couseling for
the same reason.
    The reason an RN and a Nutritionist LC receive a greater salary in most
institutions is that most  hospitals are  recultant to make a separate job
decsription for a limited number of people. Many hospital LC work under job
descriptions of instructor, clinical dietician, manager, patient educator.
The salary range always depends on the job classification. This is wrong and
should be changed but the change will not come overnight. Look how far we
have come since those early days I described ! LLL and medical personal are
working together to promote and teach Mom's, and each other. It will take us
a while, lets not quibble about money because that is really not why we are
all in this profession. take baby steps and we will all go forward.
            Pat Riley RNC,MS, IBCLC Memphis TN.

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