In a message dated 10/10/03 7:20:47 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:

> In this day and age there should be no question that if a hospital has
> breastfeeding mothers there should be lactation consultants employed.

Sorry, but I still disagree. Unless we're talking reallllly small hospital,
most administrators do not have time to learn that anything beyond the basics
standards of care results in better care, good PR, higher satisfaction, etc.
unless savvy directors bring that data to them. And they aren't likely to have
or get that data unless LCs help them. Also, administrators don't know the
scope of every different healthcare worker's practice. There aren't enough hours
in the week for any of them and many mid-managers/directors, who should be the
ones protecting or moving proposals forward, have been promoted without having
the management skills to do that. (And that is unlikely to improve in nursing
management, since many staff RN now make as much or more than managers
without the hassle of making sure the units are staffed 24/7.) Most managers and
administrators work 50-80 hour weeks, too.

I'm not an administrator and I'm not married to one. I don't even have any
close friends or relatives doing that job, but I've been working with a lot of
them in the last couple of years and it's been a real eye-opener. Most really
care but are juggling all kinds of patient services on less and less
reimbursement. If others don't give them what they need to justify the continuing
existence or implementation of whatever services is being considered for cuts or
"forget it for now," they can't know what they don't know or haven't been given.

Karen



Karen

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