Fire and Integrity grab me with equal intensity. Both of these strengths have been instrumental in my success as a CLNC^®.

I have a fire, a passion, burning within my soul and spirit. My passion for my CLNC^® business has always been there to spark and renew my zeal. It pushes me and challenges me to do better, achieve more. This fire is the enthusiastic voice that talks to me, forever encouraging me and giving me creative ideas and strength. I so love what I do that the fire continues to be rekindled and the flames within keep growing. This amazing fire that never goes out is the heartbeat of my business. It is my source of energy, and that indeed is one of my greatest strengths. Without my energy, I would not be as successful as I am today.

Integrity is more than a buzzword for me. I believe that if integrity is evident in me and in my CLNC^® practice, I will continue to attract more business. I must exude integrity, because my clients understand that what they see is what they get. When I make a promise, I always follow through. I don't make promises I can't keep. If anything needs to be changed, I am up-front and honest about it. If I make a mistake, I own it. I let my clients know I am human. I wear my integrity like clothing, and this trait has helped me grow my CLNC^® business.

– Dale Barnes, RN, MSN, CLNC

My strength is Renewal. I live each day as a new day. I like to put humor into every day. Laughter enables me to carry on. My philosophy is, "If you can't have fun, it ain't worth it." Humor renews my spirit in everyday life.

Life's little bumps in the road can be quite stressful at times. I like to take them with humor to keep me positive and keep me going. Someone once said, "Laughter is the best medicine." I live by that maxim and take my medicine every day.

In my CLNC^® business, I laugh and apply humor whenever I can. I have a great relationship with attorneys and we can laugh together. I am serious when necessary, but when not, humor runs my day.

Take time out of your day to laugh. You will be renewed and invigorated each day of your life.

– Nikki J. Chuml, RNC, CCE, FMC, CLNC

Endurance is a strength I have called upon repeatedly throughout my life. Endurance was there during nursing school, while I was studying for exams, raising a family and working for a better life that lay ahead.

Endurance has sustained me when the situation seemed insurmountable and no solution to the problem seemed to be in sight. When life pulled me down, I always called on my higher power to give me the strength to persevere.

During my first year as a Certified Legal Nurse Consultant^CM (CLNC^®), endurance helped me to press on when I faced a rejection. Endurance has helped me weather storms and brought me a step closer to reaching my goals each time.

Endurance is a great friend to have at your side when the going gets tough. It will give you a glimpse of hope when no hope is found. The farther you go down the path, the greater the view will become as you come closer and closer to your dream. Endurance will lead you to greater places, greater people and a greater life.

– Gina Rogers, RN, BSN, CLNC

I experienced Renewal when I became a CLNC^®, but as you may have already found out, being a CLNC^® is just as demanding as clinical work. Whether I'm applying my analytical skills to a major case, writing a report to meet an attorney-client's requirements or developing a visionary marketing strategy, I am constantly challenged.

If I don't take time for renewal, crankiness, lethargy, fatigue and lack of interest can set in. I run the risk of becoming burned out with little fuel left for day-to-day living.

I have found that I have to renew myself in my own way. In between marketing calls, I renew myself by meditating, going for a run, visiting an old friend, phoning someone who always makes me laugh or planning my next vacation. Each of these techniques is much more than a Band-aid^®.

I remind myself of why I became a CLNC^® and what I hoped to get from this new career. I also remember that I belong to the National Alliance of Certified Legal Nurse Consultants (NACLNC^®) and that I have the power of this supportive community of CLNC^®s behind me. As a matter of fact, that power behind me is much greater than the obstacles ahead of me.

In the western world we tend to assume that we create our own destiny. I find that I can only craft my destiny with the freedom and generosity that renewal offers. For my career to flourish, I must be "freed up" from both the trials and the humdrum routines of life. Don't be afraid to free yourself and allow yourself to be made new again.

– Brian D. Johnson, RN, PhD, CLNC

Although I pride myself on my analytical abilities, Intuitive Vision has played the greatest role in one significant achievement – becoming a CLNC^®.

My path toward nursing wasn't exactly typical. Although I have always loved science, I was mostly interested in travel and adventure. As a high school senior, I left my home in Michigan and became a foreign exchange student in northern Sweden. I learned Swedish and immersed myself in the culture. When I returned to the U.S. 14 months later, I had difficulty re-acclimating. I knew intuitively I should spend more time in Europe.

I dropped out of college, joined the army as a German linguist and was assigned to Fort Carson, Colorado – so much for my intuition. Eventually, I was assigned to Europe, where I finished out my career and traveled extensively. At the end of my enlistment period, I was ready to settle down. At age 23 I enrolled in nursing school.

After graduation, intuition led me to a hospital in Michigan to begin my RN career. They had a well-known intensive care training program. I worked the night shift in the ICU/CCU. Over the next year, I learned much about "real-life" nursing. It was scary, exciting and sometimes overwhelming.

When my personal life led me to relocate to Colorado, I was thrilled. However, the move meant starting over with low seniority on the night shift, which had become difficult to endure. I intuitively chose an alternative field – home health nursing.

Once again, I started as a staff nurse, learning all there was to know. Eventually, I rose to clinical director of a five-branch, statewide home health agency. As with every job, I loved some aspects but found many "system" problems that conspired against effective nursing.

I made another intuitive decision. I left my comfortable, well-paying job and started a home care agency. I took a substantial pay cut, but controlling my own career was worth the risk. In two years, I had an agency that met regulatory requirements and allowed nurses to practice holistic nursing.

After another two years, I sold my company. I had become an expert in home care and used that expertise to consult with agencies throughout the state.

Eventually, my professional life stagnated with my consultant role. I investigated returning to the army reserves to get more experience and inject some excitement into my career. As I started filling out the paperwork, my intuitive vision told me this was not the right decision. The recruiter called several times, anxious to fill his quota of enlistees. I was so close to enlisting.

Then I received a brochure from Vickie Milazzo Institute. I immediately set aside the army reserve paperwork and thoroughly investigated legal nurse consulting. I had actually worked on a few cases through paralegals I knew, but I had never been paid. This was what I loved most – researching, writing and using my analytical skills – yet it had never occurred to me that I could earn a living at it. I was never happier to follow my intuitive vision.

Becoming a CLNC^® has changed my life. I sometimes look back on all the decisions I've made, and I marvel at how they have landed me in a career that's invigorating, professionally challenging and personally rewarding. While my analytical abilities assist in the technical aspects of this job, my intuitive decision-making is what led me to this most incredible place.

– Cynthia Lacker, RN, MS, CLNC

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