Vickie's Gut Instincts Earn Her a Place in Small Business Success
In Small Business Success, a magazine published for the Small Business Administration, writer Karen M. Kroll interviewed Vickie Milazzo about how entrepreneurs can succeed, as Vickie did, by trusting their instincts.
The October 2005 article, "Going with Your Gut," opened with a brief synopsis of Vickie's success story. In 1982, she started her legal nurse consulting business because her instincts told her that attorneys trying medical-related cases needed the consulting services of RNs. "I defied conventional wisdom that said if something hadn't been done before, it's not worth doing," Vickie told Kroll. "I knew I could save attorneys a lot of time and money." Nurses know more about the medical record than any healthcare provider and are more cost-effective than MDs.
"Some [entrepreneurs], like Milazzo, listen to their instincts and successfully exploit opportunities others don't even notice," Kroll wrote. Vickie's 23 years of success – and the 20,000-plus RNs who have taken her programs – are a testimony to the accuracy of Vickie's instincts.
Following My Divorce I Started a New Chapter in My Life, a Chapter for ME
by Jeanne Enderle, APRN, FNP-BC, CLNC, Connecticut
When my marriage of 27 years ended, I had four teenagers to raise on a nurse's salary. I saw Vickie's ad, visited the LegalNurse.com website, and the more I read, the more exciting legal nurse consulting sounded.
I have a clinical practice in pediatrics. I love nursing and caring for people, and I don't feel burned out with nursing. But I decided this could be a new chapter in my life, something I wanted to do for me, personally.
I've always been a good detective. I like digging into the chart for every detail so I can understand what happened, how it happened and why it happened. And I've always been fascinated with the law and healthcare. I considered attending law school at one point. After taking Vickie Milazzo Institute's CLNC® Certification Program and seeing all the shapes justice can take, I realized that healing is a very important part of justice.
I do a lot of advocacy and volunteer work with survivors of clergy sexual abuse. Having heard hundreds of survivor stories and seeing how justice and healing fit together, I saw a role I could play as a CLNC® in preparing those individuals for deposition and trial by helping them find the words to describe their experience accurately. The words can only come from them, but as a nurse, I could pick up on subtle signs and know the questions to ask. In turn, I could translate the person's answers into specific damages for the attorney. Knowing I could use my CLNC® training to delve into this area of interest played a huge part in my decision to become a CLNC®.
On My First Case I Kept Hearing Vickie's Voice
My first case came in the form of a call from an attorney's office looking for a nurse to testify in a case about side rails. I hadn't worked in a hospital in over 20 years. I've been a nurse practitioner for 25 of my 30 years in nursing, and while I was sure I had information the attorney needed, I wouldn't be the right person to serve as a testifying expert about side rails.
Nevertheless, I called and said, "Send me the case. I need to review it." I communicated my fee and retainer policy to the paralegal, and said I would send a letter of agreement. "Ordinarily," I said, "I would speak to the attorney about this." Ordinarily? I had never done this before.
As I reviewed the records, I kept hearing Vickie say, "Make sure you address what the attorney really wants." What I wanted to talk about had nothing to do with side rails. Nevertheless, I told him, "I'll address the side rail issue, but that's the least of your worries."
The case involved a young woman who had finished chemotherapy and was in the hospital for a blood transfusion. She had very low hemoglobin and almost zero white count. She was on anticoagulants. I noticed she was admitted on Friday afternoon. They transfused her during the night, and early the next morning they found her on the floor, fully conscious, and they were mad that she had fallen.
The nurse noted: She realizes she made a mistake in getting out of bed by herself. What a self-serving note. The nurse had little to say about the injuries – just a bump on the head. I was sure the patient must have had bruising and other injuries.
The woman vomited, lost consciousness and died of a bleed to the brain severe enough to herniate the brain. Horrified, I looked at her medications. They had continued to give her narcotic pain medication all day, even after she hit her head. She was nauseated, so they gave her compazine. Basically, they masked every sign of increased intercranial pressure, except pupil dilation, which they only checked a couple of times.
90 Minutes Proved a CLNC® Is More Important Than an MD
When I walked the attorney through the case, he started mumbling under his breath. He clearly had no idea of the case's enormity. He later told me, "I learned more from you in 90 minutes than I learned from the neurologist who's our testifying expert from Yale."
Before we finished talking, he asked if I knew anything about nonstress tests. I said, "Yes, I do." Then he asked if I could find an OB expert. I could hear Vickie saying, Yes! "Yes, I can," I said. That was my second case.
I'm in Exactly the Right Place and That's Success
Being validated in this way is wonderful. My selling point to attorneys is that I can review a case far more economically than a physician can and that my review will be broad based and in greater depth because of my nursing perspective. In addition, I will streamline the case for the medical testifying expert.
Last year, at the NACLNC® Conference, I had just printed my business cards. I was agonizing over not having brochures or a portfolio. How would I ever succeed?
At this year's conference, I was in the room ten minutes and I knew I was in exactly the right place. The NACLNC® Conference is inspirational, like going to see old friends. My business is percolating because of the CLNC® training I received.
I follow cases in the newspaper, and when I know I have something to contribute, I call the attorneys involved. The first time I had sweaty hands, but I phoned the Institute and a CLNC® Mentor helped me prepare for the call. The case intrigued me. A woman had gone to an orthopedist for surgery, and he sexually assaulted her in the office. He also gave her antianxiety drugs, to which she became addicted. When I called the attorney, he said he had a doctor and nurses on staff. I told him what I had to offer was different. He listened and told me to send him my information. As the CLNC® Mentor said, "That's success."
Forming a Marketing Group with 11 CLNC®s Is One of My Best Marketing Strategies
Twelve of us who took Vickie's course decided to pool our resources for marketing purposes. We became the Connecticut Council for Legal Nurse Consultants. We're all independent, but we support and encourage each other. We also network together and share experts.
We advertised in the annual report for the Connecticut Bar Association's annual meeting and exhibited there. We also got an 800 number, assigning each of us one month to monitor calls. We're looking now at getting a website.
I Have Flexible Hours, I'm Valued, I'm Validated and I Love It
When I went to the Trial Lawyers Association, I made a point of walking up to a senior partner in a high-profile law firm. I was trembling, but I shook his hand and said, "I want to thank you for all you've done on behalf of survivors of clergy abuse who have the courage to take their cases forward." He looked at my name tag, and we started talking. Minutes later, his buddies were ready to go out for dinner and drinks, but we were still talking. Finally, he said, "Give me your card. I'll call you." Without the marketing advice from Vickie's CLNC® Certification Program, I never could have done that.
I can't say enough good things about being a CLNC®. My life has changed. I'm bringing my professional expertise into an arena of healing that takes great courage – clerical sexual abuse. I don't anticipate this being my specialty exclusively, but I speak and publish on the issue. I have flexible hours. I'm valued. I'm validated. And I love it.
Jeanne Enderle, APRN, FNP-BC, CLNC is president of Just Health Medical Legal Consulting Associates in Connecticut. She has spent the last 25 years of her 30-year career as a nurse practitioner.
Editor's Note: Thanks to Renee Coppi, RN, BSN, CLNC, Cheryl Young, RN, CLNC and Kimberly Templeton, RN, CLNC for sharing their thoughts about my editorial, "Flex Your Agility to Become a Successful CLNC®," published in Legal Nurse Consulting Ezine, Vol. 16, No. 23, dated November 11, 2005.
I just finished reading the incredible story about Vickie facing her fears in scuba diving. Tears were streaming down my face. Vickie’s story confirmed the wisdom of the scary change we are making in our own family. What an incredible opportunity for personal growth Vickie has given me.
– Renee Coppi, RN, BSN, CLNC, Georgia
I SO much enjoyed your article on agility. Thank you for sharing such a wonderful, personal story. You are always such an inspiration.
– Cheryl Young, RN, CLNC, Colorado
I seldom come across people who blow me away. When I do, they are strong, self-directed and self-reflective. They light the path for others and ask you to walk alongside them, never to follow. They constantly ask more of themselves: "How can I be a better person?" They are not afraid to challenge their fears, but find strength in doing so. Most importantly, they are selfless and take pride in helping anyone they can along the way. Vickie Milazzo is one of these people.
I went to Vickie's CLNC® 6-Day Certification Seminar in October 2004. It was more than I ever expected, as was Vickie. I am listening to her conference tapes again, and every word once again inspires me. I tell every nurse I can about Vickie's program and about the person she is. I look forward to purchasing and reading her upcoming book, Inside Every Woman. Thank you, Vickie, for inspiring me and setting such a fine example for all.
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