NEWS FLASH
Vickie Featured in Entrepreneur Magazine
In the January 2003 issue of Entrepreneur, Vickie Milazzo and Tom Ziemba were interviewed for an article titled, "Do You Take This Man?" In 1984 Vickie hired her husband Tom as her first employee.
The story features women entrepreneurs who have hired their spouses as employees. Vickie and Tom share some of the many benefits of working together, such as the 10 weeks of vacation they take each year, a fitting reward for the long hours they spend keeping the business on track. But there's a bigger benefit. Vickie states, "Because we are both involved in the business, I never feel that he doesn't understand my commitment to it."
CLNC® SUCCESS STORY
I'm Living the Good Life as a CLNC® and Mother
by Jennifer M. Fougerousse, RN, CLNC
Becoming a CLNC® changed my life. I can take my baby to play group, run errands, exercise, cook dinner – and work – all before my husband comes home. I can take a day off whenever I want and go on vacation without asking for time off. I'm living the good life!
Before becoming a CLNC®, I had 18 months of experience in pediatrics and three years working part-time in an outpatient surgery recovery room. When I heard about Vickie's fabulous course, I realized I could use all my nursing skills and experience, yet work at home and more than double my hourly wage. I enrolled in the CLNC® Home-Study Certification Program. Several nights a week, as soon as my daughter went to bed, I'd watch the tapes. The course is broken down into convenient sections, so I could easily plan my schedule.
Start with a Strong Understanding of What the Attorney Needs
Through the CLNC® Certification Program, Vickie gave me a strong basic understanding of the law and showed me how to use that knowledge along with my nursing expertise in analyzing medical-related cases. She teaches you to think like a lawyer – what they're looking for, what they need.
When I started my business, an attorney friend became my first client. Two-and-a-half years later he still keeps me busy. I worked for his law firm exclusively until I felt comfortable.
Then I started getting referrals and I went after them, using Vickie's strategies. I am persistent, following up quickly until I actually speak to the attorney-prospect. Attorneys appreciate my patience and persistence. They often say, "I get so busy. I'm so glad you kept calling."
Build Confidence with Certification and Support
Part of my confidence comes from the CLNC® Certification. The word "certified" carries a lot of weight and sets me apart from other legal nurse consultants. Sure, nurses can be legal nurse consultants without it, but I took that extra step. With my certification and Vickie's training, I can go further.
Confidence also comes from having an enthusiastic support group that wants nothing more than for me to succeed. Whenever I call the Institute, everyone is truly eager to hear about my successes. And I get free mentoring. That coaching and support gives me the confidence and skills to go out and get more business.
Market Your Way to the Good Life
Recently, I started an information newsletter – another of Vickie's marketing strategies. Three weeks after I mailed it, I got my first call. I've been so busy with my attorney-clients that this is an easy way to market without hitting the streets. I can put the information newsletter into attorneys' hands every three months to remind them I'm here. Later, when they need a legal nurse consultant, they remember that newsletter and call me.
Today I have two daughters, ages 3-1/2 and 10 months. My CLNC® practice has become increasingly busy so I hired a nanny. In the past seven months, I've canceled her only one day. I have never had a slow month.
I earn the same amount of money as I would have made working full-time at the hospital, but I only have to put in half the hours. I get to work as much or little as I want. And I have my beautiful girls coloring at my feet while I type a report.
My proudest accomplishments as a CLNC® are starting my business, watching it grow, and meeting my first-year goals with ease. I love it when people ask what I do for a living, and I can say, "I own my own business." I couldn't ask for a better life.
Jennifer M. Fougerousse, RN, CLNC owns Lighthouse Med-Law Consulting in Texas. She specializes in medical summary reviews and report writing for malpractice, auto insurance and personal injury defense firms.
BEST PRACTICES FOR PROMOTING LEGAL NURSE CONSULTING
10 CLNC® Pros Tell How to Brighten the Future of Our Profession
EDITOR'S NOTE: I asked the CLNC® Pros what one thing CLNC®s can do to create a positive future for the legal nurse consulting field? Here's how they responded. – Vickie L. Milazzo, RN, MSN, JD
Educate the World About Who We Are
Teach attorneys why CLNC®s are indispensable to their practices. Show them how CLNC®s can be an invaluable asset to their litigation team. Let them experience how we can save them time and money.
We also need to let the nursing profession know there's a world of CLNC®s. If we support each other, we can make a positive future available to those who choose to join our ranks. Education is the key.
– Dale Barnes, RN, MSN, CLNC
Avoid Paralegal Programs
The best thing CLNC®s can do is go through Vickie's program and receive proper training. There are programs that teach paralegal activities CLNC®s do not need to perform. As nurses, we have a huge knowledge base about the healthcare system. Start valuing our knowledge and ourselves. Attorneys need the medical-related insights only a CLNC® can provide when we help them work up their cases. Once we recognize our value to these attorneys, the sky is the limit.
– Gina I. Rogers, RN, BSN, NMCC, CLNC
Raise Your Standards – Continue to Learn
"Formal education will make you a living. Self-education will make you a fortune." – Author Unknown
CLNC®s who want to stay in business and positively impact legal nurse consulting must continue learning, raising their own personal and professional standards. This applies to business topics and information technology, as well as medical and nursing research, best practices, medications and healthcare procedures. Vickie has raised the bar by creating formal education for this specialty, and leading CLNC®s are committed to further raising that standard.
– Pam Hollsten, RN, BSN, DABFN, CLNC
Practice Unwavering Professionalism
Our professional approach to our clients and colleagues needs to be unwavering despite marketing challenges, deadlines, complex cases, competition, hectic schedules, or fears about success or failure.
We communicate professional excellence and educate our attorney-clients by:
Delivering what we promise.
Focusing on the client's needs and specific requests.
Maintaining our objectivity.
Producing quality work product.
Demonstrating excellent verbal and written communication skills.
Acting with integrity.
We also need to support other CLNC®s. Legal nurse consulting is becoming increasingly visible, and we must demonstrate our unity as a profession. Whether networking, locating an expert, or simply brainstorming on a case, we need to be helpful and positive with one another. The NACLNC® annual conference is a great example of how we achieve these objectives.
– Joan M. Gower, RN, CLNC
Build Your CLNC® Practice on a Foundation of Honesty and Trust
Remember when a simple handshake was considered a binding contract? We can create a positive future for ourselves and other CLNC®s by building our business on a foundation of honesty and trust.
We need to be sure the information we present stands up under the attorney's scrutiny and make certain we can deliver the service we promise. Our attorney-client relationships will prosper now and in the future.
– Patsy Howard, RN, CLNC
Surround Yourself with a Positive Network
We should surround ourselves with a positive network of CLNC® specialists and business experts. We should consistently use this network to create a professional, memorable work product for each and every client. These relationships, along with adherence to professional CLNC® and business standards, will result in a quality work product and enhanced recognition for our profession.
– Colleen Lindell, RN, MHSA, CNOR, CLNC
Support Other CLNC®s
Supporting each other through education, mentoring and professional development activities is the most important thing CLNC®s can do to enhance our field. As CLNC®s, we should make sure our ranks contain strong, well-prepared professionals trained to assist attorneys.
– Nancy Dion, RN, MSM, CLNC, CPHQ, CHCRM, LNHA
Insist on Top-Notch CLNC® Education
As CLNC®s, we must:
Be professional.
Project confidence and a positive image.
Infuse ourselves with pride in our abilities.
Become savvy in business and marketing.
The basis for all these important attributes is superb education provided by a reputable program. We can't achieve these "musts" by becoming paralegals. Programs that support our business success and focus on nurses as professional consultants to the legal profession are the key to our future.
– Sue Burnham, RNC, CLNC
Avoid Conflicts of Interest
Clearly evaluate and remove all potential conflicts. Maintain a strong ethical code to keep your credibility solid. And guess what? Those same firms you refuse to consult for due to a conflict of interest on one case, will continue to call and request your services on other cases.
Before you accept a case, ask specific questions to avoid any potential conflict of interest:
What firm represents the plaintiff?
What firm represents the defense?
Who are the defendants?
Who are the plaintiffs?
Is the firm looking for a behind-the-scenes CLNC®?
Is the firm looking for a nurse testifying expert?
Following this simple guideline will go a long way toward ensuring the successful future of our profession.
– Suzanne E. Arragg, RN, BSN, CDONA/LTC, CLNC
Make Excellence Your Watchword
Never stop striving for excellence. For legal nurse consulting to become an essential and permanent part of the legal community, we must fearlessly blaze new trails into the many frontiers opening to us. The CLNC® path challenges us to do things we sometimes think we can't do. However, in our pursuit of "doing," the jet stream of excellence propels us to new heights.
Excellence also means knowing within your core how to measure yourself, not against others but against your own unique standard. For example, without even thinking you can name five different fast food restaurants that serve hamburgers. Yet each one has something that distinguishes it from the others. What distinguishes you in the field of legal nurse consulting?
Finally, your pursuit of excellence must bring you more joy than pain. You cannot deliver to others what you do not possess yourself. If your career is stagnating for lack of joy, you may need a mentor to coach you through this period. Then when you have the wind again beneath your wings, remember to reach back and help someone else experience their "excellence breakthrough." Therein lies the future of legal nurse consulting.
– Gloria Blackmon, RNC, BSN, LNHA
Suzanne E. Arragg, RN, BSN, CDONA/LTC, CLNC is the owner of SEA Consultant Company in California. Her firm specializes in long term care cases.
Dale Barnes, RN, MSN, CLNC owns Barnes Medical Legal Services in California. Her expertise is in oncology, home healthcare and case management, administration, and geriatric psych.
Gloria A. Blackmon, RNC, BSN, LNHA is the CEO of Blackmon & Associates Medical-Legal Consulting in Kansas, specializing in long term care issues.
Susan J. Burnham, RNC, CLNC owns Burnham and Associates in Washington state. An independent CLNC® since 1996, she specializes in quality of care issues.
Nancy Dion, RN, MSM, CLNC, CPHQ, CHCRM, LNHA is a CLNC® based in Florida. Her 35 years of experience in nursing and consulting include clinical services, organizational redesign, quality improvement, risk management, and facility and agency executive team building and management.
Joan M. Gower, RN, CLNC is an independent CLNC® and owner of Florida Medical
Legal Consultants, Inc., specializing in children's issues, forensics and managed care.
Pam Hollsten, RN, BSN, DABFN, CLNC, an independent CLNC® in Virginia, owns Hollsten & Associates, specializing in medical malpractice.
Patsy Howard, RN, CLNC owns Metro Legal Nurse Consulting in Missouri. She is the in-house legal nurse consultant for Lathrop & Gage, a large medical and legal malpractice firm.
Colleen Lindell, RN, MHSA, CNOR, CLNC, is CEO of Med-Legal.net, Inc., a nurse-owned firm in Wisconsin that consults with attorneys and with healthcare consumers seeking research, expert case review and opinion.
Gina I. Rogers, RN, BSN, NMCC, CLNC is the founder of Medical Review Consulting, LLC in Kentucky. Her company consults with plaintiff and defense attorneys as well as insurance companies.
– Vickie L. Milazzo, RN, MSN, JD
