I completely agree with Chuck's assessment  about nurses education. Two year degree nurses generally do not earn the kinds of salaries quoted. BUT one point has been overlooked by all.
Nurses are LICENSED to practice. This means that they are regarded as professionals and are held accountable for their performance and actions as they impact on the patient. When you drive poorly or recklessly, you risk losing your drivers license. If a nurse is negligent or behaves unprofessionally, he'she can have that license suspended or revoked, much like a physician. Histotechs are not licensed and indeed, the pathologist is the one held legally and fiancially responsible if a patient specimen is compromised. You can be the worst histotech in the world and probably work somewhere. Until this discipline is prepared to stand up and be accountable, there is little point in making the comparisons to licensed disciplines. Histotechnology has a long history of failing to embrace the need to higher education (there are periodic heated debates on this list about what it takes to be a professional and whining about having to meet higher criteria in order to become certified). When our discipline stops hiding behind the pathologist's lab coat and becomes licensed, you may see the kind of advancements enjoyed by other disciplines. Anyone care to guess what it costs to affiliate with the national nurses organization? Individuals have complained loudly about paying $40 per year to join NSH which includes receiving an internationally recognized journal. Ask Charles to tell you the fee to belong to the AAPA.



Vinnie Della Speranza
Manager for Anatomic Pathology Services
Medical University of South Carolina
165 Ashley Avenue  Suite 309
Charleston, SC 29425
Ph: 843-792-6353
fax: 843-792-8974

>>> "Charles.Embrey"  08/24/01 02:35PM >>>
Sorry Marsha,  Most RNs (registered nurses) have a Bachelor of Science
degree in nursing as a minimum.  Many go on to finish their Masters.  Those
nurses with only an associate degree normally work as an LPN or Certified
Nurses Aid.  I think histo salaries will rise as they have recently but it
will be more in tune with the shortages in the field than with education
requirements.  Even with my BS degree I would make roughly the same as a
non-degreed HT with the same experience.  My salary only went up when I
entered the Pathologists' assistant field.

Charles R. Embrey Jr., PA(AAPA), HT(ASCP)
Histology Supervisor
Carle Clinic
Urbana, IL


-----Original Message-----
From: marsha r price [mailto:mprice26@juno.com] 
Sent: Friday, August 24, 2001 10:19 AM
To: histonet@pathology.swmed.edu 
Subject: Future Histotechs pay


Dear histonetters,
I was just curious if when the requirement that takes effect in 2005 that
Histotechs have to have a minimum of an Associates in Science, if our pay
was going to go up to match, lets say that of RN's (Nurses). That is what
kind of degree that nurses have is an associates in Science.

Here is a little comparison. I have a friend that is a nurse that works
for an agency and works 3/ 12 hour shifts a week. She makes $35 an hour
and $45 an hour if she works on the weekends. She receives $37 a day per
diem (she works approx 1 hour away from home).

I was offered a job in the same town as a histotech to work 3 days a week
at $18 an hour, no per diem or any other incentives. 

Is our job considered less technical or less important than an RN's?
There is from what I have been hearing an extreme shortage of histotechs,
correct me if I am wrong. Maybe hospitals and labs should offer more
incentives like higher pay, let histotechs work the 10 or 12 hour shifts
etc. to attract more histotechs like the agencys are doing with the RN's.

 I have always loved histology and that is why I chose this over being a
nurse, however, after taliking to my nurse friend, I am considering a
career change, mainly because of the pay.


Let me know what you histotechs think about this.

Just Curious Marsha
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