In a message dated 97-12-28 17:29:29 EST, BFDoula writes:

<< I have just been offered a wonderful job as an LC at a local hospital.
 Have any of you had experience of wearing the hospital and private practice
hats at the same time? Can it work or is there too much conflict?
 Ruth Solomon >>

Dear Ruth,

A lot will depend on the number of hours you are working at the hospital.
IMHO, it is often too much to try and do both, and it can be perceived as a
conflict if you are routing (even unintentionally) hospital patients to your
private practice.  If you want to continue in the private practice, be VERY
UPFRONT with the hospital administration right off the bat about your private
practice, and simply ask them how to proceed so as to prevent even any
appearance of a conflict.  once you have that piece in place (for example, you
are the only one in your area renting pumps and this is the only place the
hospital patients come to get pumps anyway), you can work the rest of it out.
The other problem is, how much will you be available to work your private
practice?  And will you burn out too quickly???

Jan