Julie;
Good luck with the exam and your plans to set up a department.  I know every location is different and we have to be careful not to seem to be doing any "price fixing".  When I finally got to work as an LC (where I  had been a staff RN on OB for over 9 years already and IBCLC for ten years).  I was then considered a "nurse specialist in Women's Health".  I was told I needed to sttain RN III status ASAP.  (RN I was new grads or those with less than 6 monthsexperience.  RNII was most staff nurses.  RNIII was a higher level.  There wasn't an RN IV, but "nurse specialist" was like that level.  The other LC who started the department with me was hired in at the specialist level as she had already worked in an existing LC department at another hospital.  Later, they did hire some non-RN IBCLCs, but I don't know how their salary compared.  Hope that helps.  You certainly are functioning st  higher level of responsibility.  Staff RNs can always seek out other input and ideas from fellow staff nurses and chsrge nurses, but you will be basically functioning "on your own" as far as having someone to immediately "bounce" ideas and concerns off.
How many births a year does your hospital do?  Unless it's a relatively small number, it looks like you are taking on a huge task.  Be sure you do have the ability to have some time to yourself or you will certainly burn out very quickly.  I remember one LC who was in a similar position who couldn't even take a vacation!  I would recommend that one of your first goalks would be to bring staff knowledge up to a level where they can handle the more "routine" questions when you are not there.  I recommend you establish guideloines on when you are to be called inoff scheduoe.  You certainly don't want to have to come in to do basic teaching or help just because the staff is too busy to do it themselves.

Winnie

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