Fire, a burning passion for reaching out, grasping what you really desire and then running with it, is a strength that has sustained my ever-expanding career as a Certified Legal Nurse Consultant^CM (CLNC^®). Before I became a CLNC^®, I knew there was so much more I could do with my nursing and life experiences and feel passionate about it.

I have worked with abuse victims and I am the type of person who not only has empathy, but who acts on that feeling. I do what I can to help the person. I have great respect and love for the elderly and have done a lot of research on the nursing home industry. Unfortunately, nursing home litigation is growing and many residents suffer from neglect and abuse. Wanting to find justice for these people fired me into action and led me to become a CLNC^®.

Early in my CLNC^® career, I developed a newsletter about nursing home neglect and abuse and sent it out as part of my marketing packet. Three days later I got a response from an attorney who was dedicated to helping residents and their families. Working with this attorney has been a great opportunity. Each meritorious case ignites the fire in me and drives me to do my very best.

When you find your inner passion, your fire, something that makes you keep going with enthusiasm and spirit, listen to it and let it be your driving force. Too many people work at their jobs every day with no real fire or satisfaction in what they produce. I do not have a job – I have a lifestyle that allows me to have my fire and be what I want to be, not what I have to be.

Fire is illuminating. When you find your fire, look around at the spectrum of life experiences that can be yours. You'll find an array of spectacular opportunities that are yours for the taking. I catch fire each time I tap into one of these opportunities to work my passion as a CLNC^®.

– Bonnie Tadrick, RN, CLNC

Endurance is the strength behind the growth of my CLNC^® practice. Vickie is right – "We are nurses and we can do anything!^®"

I feel like a distance runner. Sometimes I run like a cheetah, full speed ahead, passing any obstacles with every ounce of energy I have. I surprise myself with the drive inside. If I catch a glimpse of myself in a reflection as I whiz by, I smile and think, "That's the woman I have always wanted to be." I'm juggling cases, speaking with experts, creating and editing timelines, meeting deadlines, all at the same time while running full steam ahead. My endurance enables me to meet deadlines with my husband, children and family as well. I accomplish every goal I set for myself, and I look back and feel proud.

But after that cycle has taken its turn, my steam runs low, and my body and soul long for rejuvenation. I allow the endurance that kept me going at high speed to drift into a slow and steady pace. Of course, I still meet deadlines, answer calls and take special treats to my clients, but now I allow time for introspection and insight. At this slower pace of endurance, I let the patterns of my life slowly unfold following the path set out by my higher power. During this more laid-back period an inner core of endurance continues to drive all my actions and decisions.

I have learned that my endurance is my tool. I can take rejection better than any traveling salesman (much better!). I can create case reports like Vickie Milazzo (I wish, but I'm getting there!). I have developed skills I never knew I had because I recognize my inner strength.

While I'm charging full steam ahead, I cannot be upset with myself when my diet takes a back seat. Nor can I scold myself for not being super-productive when my pace slows like a drifting fall leaf. I have learned to understand my patterns. Since we do not live in a perfect world, I don't expect myself to do everything all the time.

As I gear up for another whirlwind of change and growth, I become excited about the dreams I've fulfilled, my hopes for tomorrow and my new-found limits. I am amazed that if I just hang in there and stay focused on my goals, they continue to materialize out of my endurance. If I am willing to endure periods of discomfort, exhaustion and pain, I will become more comfortable, more relaxed and virtually pain free. Endurance has strengthened me and continues to strengthen me. I am a CLNC^® and I can do anything!

– Rosale Lobo, RN, MSN, CLNC

Integrity, to me, means being truthful, honest and forthright even when what you have to say is not what the listener wants to hear. Fire means passion, vigor and life. These two strengths blend together for me. I am passionate about what I believe, both personally and professionally. I have always been known to say what I honestly feel and usually say it with fire.

The fire and integrity I hold today were not always this strong. In my younger, more immature years, there was a time when I would concede to another's will or desire. In the process of doing so, I lost myself and my core values. While my nursing career did not suffer, my personal life did.

Through it all, I always prided myself on being a woman whose word you could trust. My patients could always count on me. I believe that accountability enabled and empowered today's achievements. Today, I do not compromise my personal values or spiritual beliefs in order to "make someone happy." I do not accept a case because a client has convinced me to do so.

I never imagined I'd be a successful business woman. I must admit, had I not taken Vickie's CLNC^® Certification Program, I might not have forced myself to look deep inside and mature both personally and professionally. But because I did, my integrity has been renewed and burns brightly. I have always had a personality that's "on fire for life." With each case I review and each personal problem I tackle, my fire ignites. Integrity and fire renewed!

– Suzanne E. Arragg, RN, BSN, CDONA/LTC, CLNC

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