RE: Future Histotechs pay

From:Marsha Price

 Jill,
I agree with Vinnie also. It is long over due for Histotechs to be required to have a degree of some sort. Our jobs are much more involved than just cutting and staining routine H&E's. We are required to be able to perform high complexity tests such as IHC and ISH. I think it is time for education to take place for the HT registry. However, even with the education requirements, I do not think we will be paid what we should be paid.

I hate that I am even considering going to nursing school just so I can survive and put kids through college. The main reason I did not go to nursing school 10 years ago is because I knew I would hate that kind of work. I chose histology because I was so intrigued by it and absolutely love the job.

I am not being greedy, nor do I feel that I have not been respected by my peers and co-workers. I have worked with some great Pathologists that taught me alot and always treated me with respect and gratitude because of the quality work I put out. However, I do not feel it is being greedy because we histotechs want to be able to survive by making enough money to do so

Marsha Price
-----Original Message-----
From: Jill Songer 
Date: Mon, 27 Aug 2001 08:48:19 -0400
To: Vinnie Della Speranza , Charles.Embrey@carle.com,mprice26@juno.com, histonet@pathology.swmed.edu
Subject: RE: Future Histotechs pay


> Hear, Hear, Vinnie!! I totally agree with you!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> At 04:32 PM 8/24/2001 -0400, Vinnie Della Speranza wrote:
> >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
> >________________________________________________________________
> >GET INTERNET ACCESS FROM JUNO!
> >Juno offers FREE or PREMIUM Internet access for less!
> >Join Juno today!  For your FREE software, visit:
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> 
> 
> **************************************************************************
> Jill Songer HT (ASCP)
> Supervisor, Anatomic Pathology
> Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital
> Virginia Tech
> 
> 
> 

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