I hope everyone had a good, restful week-end. I have just returned from 2 days in the lovely NC mountains where the fall leaves are beautiful. Joan Ellen had a question regarding hospitals hiring LC that are not RNs. Our hospitals in Charlotte hire LCs on the basis of her LC credential, IBCLC. In our lactation center only one of the four of us is an RN. That was not by design; it just happened to be that the lc hired either was or was not RN. She was hired due to her lc skill and credential. Our salary scale is also different from that of the staff nurse. We do not function as a part of nursing although we frequently interact with nursing. This arrangement works well as there is a very clear distinction between functions and little confusion as to who is doing what. I am always happy to discuss our hospital lactation center design and policy (warts and all) with interested lactnetters. email me if you wish. Happy fall to all, Pardee Hinson, MPH, IBCLC Charlotte, NC [log in to unmask]