Laura Burnett wrote:

> As an RN and IBCLC I have more responsibilities in the hospital than an
IBCLC
> who is not an RN.  I am prepared to do comprehensive and complete nursing
> assessments, take physician's orders for tests, procedures, referrals,
etc.
> I have responsibilities by my license that requires neonatal
resuscitation,
> medication administration, patient education, etc.  Hospital are required
to
> follow JCOHA standards which has very specific guidelines along with the
> state board of nurse examiners and the nurse practice act that goes beyond
> the IBCLC competencies and certification.  So pay should be comparable to
the
> service the person can provide in the setting they are in.  If the person
> that is multi-credentialed can offer more by her credentials, then the
> hospital should compensate individual appropriately.

Although I do not work as a LC in  hospital, as an "outsider" (private
practice LC) who may one day work as an LC in a hospital,  this raises an
interesting thought.   It seems logical  that a broader set of credentials
which  offers a wider variety of services to your hospital deems you worth
higher pay.  However, according to this logic, you also deserve a higher
salary as a RN IBCLC than an RN who is *not* an IBCLC.

I know there are those who feel strongly about some of these issues, and I
won't even get into the discussion about how the mixing of the roles may or
may not compromise  the LC's work, but, these issues aside, if you do get
paid more than a non nurse IBCLC, but the same, not higher pay than an RN,
that says lots about the our profession's value  in the health care system.

Yael Wyshogrod IBCLC
Rechovot, Israel

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