EDITOR'S NOTE: I asked the CLNC® Pros to share their strategies for having fun in their CLNC® practice. Having fun is an essential ingredient for CLNC® success and makes the CLNC® journey worth the commitment. Have fun with and learn from their responses.
What do you do to have fun with your CLNC® practice?
Just BEING a CLNC® is fun. I get a real kick out of working in my pajamas when I want to, working late into the night or at the crack of dawn. If I want to take a break and go off and do something fun in the middle of the day, I am free to do so. My freedom is fun!
I also have fun with marketing. Inventing new ways to get past the gatekeepers has become a game for me. Showing up at an attorney's office with my marketing material in hand gives me great pleasure. A few years ago the thought of doing that terrified me. Now, it's a challenge and a game to see how many attorneys will actually talk to me.
– Dale Barnes, RN, MSN, CLNC, California
When I meet a goal or complete a difficult case, I reward myself with things like flowers and manicures.
– Gina I. Rogers, RN, BSN, CLNC, Kentucky
My staff and I celebrate each other's birthdays by going out to lunch and relaxing for two hours. I also surprise my staff with little gifts of appreciation – coffee, bagels, cards or balloons. I receive satisfaction and joy by being able to do little "extras" for others.
– Suzanne E. Arragg, RN, BSN, CDONA/LTC, CLNC, California
I have fun with my CLNC® business by meeting new people and trying new things. There is always a new avenue to explore as a CLNC®. I'm not afraid to try anything and I enjoy getting other people involved. I read the newspaper for the medical-legal news and make phone calls to the relevant attorney or reporter. After a medical-legal issue aired on television, I called the TV station and just eight hours later I appeared on the news myself speaking on the issue.
– Nancy Olsen, RNC, BSN, CLNC, Georgia
Winning attorney-clients for my CLNC® business is fun. I never fear a cold call because it's okay if the attorney says no. Somehow my low-key demeanor attracts the attorney and provides me the most enjoyment.
– Margaret S. Wacker, RN, BS, MS, PhD, CLNC, Florida
Just working as a CLNC® is fun for me. The diversity, the investigative process, interacting with smart attorneys and preparing for testimony are fun. If this was any more fun, I don't know how I would handle it. Being a CLNC® is the most fun I've had in my life.
What do you need to do to have more fun as a CLNC®?
Take a daily walk to release stress and tension so I can think more clearly and be more productive.
Do not take to heart things that don't go exactly as I planned.
Realize we all make mistakes, and don't relive those mistakes over and over.
Take a "mental health" day to reenergize my mind, body and spirit.
Mentally be in the moment with my family and not think about the cases sitting in my office. Being mentally as well as physically present wherever I am is my most challenging task. The more I overcome this obstacle, the more I have fun at my CLNC® business and the better I am at being a mom and business owner.
– Gina I. Rogers, RN, BSN, CLNC, Kentucky
I need better scheduling techniques and more time dedicated to organizing, so I can continue to do the things I love, despite operating a very busy CLNC® practice.
– Sue Burnham, RNC, CLNC, Washington
What do you need to let go of or not do to have more fun in your CLNC® business?
I find it difficult to leave business behind totally and usually bring work with me when I travel. Learning to leave work at the office would be a giant step for me.
– Patsy Howard, RN, CLNC, Missouri
I am extremely regimented in planning my day. If something throws me off schedule, I am very hard on myself. I need to let go of that. If I admit to myself that I am human, and sometimes the goals I set might not be totally realistic, then I can have more fun. It is so much less stressful to remind myself that on occasion, it is okay to finish something the next day. Not, of course, to the point of procrastination, but there are only 24 hours in a day and some of those 24 hours are needed for sleep.
Sometimes I take myself AND the attorneys too seriously and my stress level surges. When I get overwhelmed with cases, I often forget to laugh and the humor center in my brain seems to get lost. Intensity gets in the way of fun. I need to take a break and chill out so I can remember all the fun things.
– Dale Barnes, RN, MSN, CLNC, California
I continue to work seven days a week because I control every aspect of my business. Delegating routine tasks to CLNC® subcontractors and support staff will enable me to reduce my work week to five, eight-hour days. This will allow me to have more time for myself and my loved ones and to have MORE FUN.
– Suzanne E. Arragg, RN, BSN, CDONA/LTC, CLNC, California
My business has grown over the last 4˝ years. It grew gradually for the first few years, then it "exploded" and became less fun. I had attained my goal of being a successful CLNC®. I did that as a consulting expert and as an expert witness. I enjoyed consulting more than testifying so I started to do less testifying and instead located experts for my attorney-clients. I needed to gain control of my business and to enjoy it and not have it control me. I had to reevaluate and restructure my CLNC® services, and once again I am having fun.
– Marie L. Wendle, RN, BS, CCRN, CLNC, Washington
I'd need a private jet to have more fun in my CLNC® business. I love adventure travel and this business has afforded me the opportunity to do lots of it, some business, but mostly pleasure.
– Nancy Olsen, RNC, BSN, CLNC, Georgia
Suzanne E. Arragg, RN, BSN, CDONA/LTC, CLNC, a CLNC® Mentor, is the owner of SEA & Associates Medical Legal Consulting, Inc. in California, specializing in long term care cases.
Dale Barnes, RN, MSN, CLNC has owned Barnes Medical Legal Services in California since 1999 and specializes in medical malpractice, bad faith insurance and general personal injury. Dale is a CLNC® Mentor for Vickie Milazzo Institute.
Susan J. Burnham, RNC, CLNC has owned Burnham and Associates in Washington State since 1996 and specializes in quality of care issues.
Nancy L. Dion, RN, MSM, CPHQ, CHCRM, LNHA, CLNC, has more than 35 years of experience as a healthcare professional. She is a Florida-based CLNC® with expertise in clinical services, risk management and management.
Patsy Howard, RN, CLNC is the owner of Metro Legal Nurse Consulting in Missouri. She has 23 years of nursing experience and specializes in medical malpractice litigation.
Nancy Olsen, RNC, BSN, CLNC is the CEO of Olsen & Associates, Inc., a medical-legal consulting network of physicians, nurses, private investigators and research staff in Georgia.
Gina I. Rogers, RN, BSN, CLNC is the founder of Medical Review Consulting, LLC in Kentucky. She serves as a CLNC® Mentor and guest faculty member for the Institute.
Margaret S. Wacker, RN, BS, MS, PhD, CLNC is the president of Wacker and Associates Legal Nurse Consulting in Florida. She specializes in pain management and mental health and is an experienced educator.
Marie L. Wendle, RN, BS, CCRN, CLNC is the president of Medical Legal Nurse Consultants of Washington. She specializes in medical malpractice and personal injury cases, attends IMEs for her attorney-clients and serves as an expert witness on standards of nursing care.
