Articles by Guest_Blogger

During my 10+ years as a Certified Legal Nurse Consultant, I have been fortunate to have worked with a few of the most prestigious elder abuse attorney litigators in the U.S. Being a member of the trial team is an experience that for me epitomizes the world of legal nurse consulting. It is the high point of my CLNC^® business and I consider it to be a privilege. While I could share many remarkable stories, two experiences stand out.

The first experience was the second time I had been a part of a trial team. As a CLNC^® consultant, I worked the file inside and out, read thousands of pages of medical records, hundreds of pages of deposition transcripts and worked with the testifying experts in preparation for their trial testimony. Finally, we were in trial. I sat in the first row of the audience and, as my attorney-client instructed, passed notes to the bailiff who in turn gave them to my attorney-client. I watched plaintiff counsel put on their case. Finally, the plaintiff’s RN testifying expert was on the stand. Direct examination completed and cross examination had begun. I began to fervently write potential questions on my note pad and passed them along. Then the judge called for a break.

My attorney-client motioned for me to approach the defense table. He said, “Suzanne, take me through this line of questioning.” Point by point; I lead him through what I thought was a convincing defense clinical argument. Our goal was to “poke holes” in the plaintiff expert’s opinion. My attorney-client was so impressed with my argument, he turned to me and said, “Suzanne, you should be an attorney!” I was flattered and gasped all at the same time! I never thought I could use my nursing expertise to help a legal team! I have no desire to become an attorney, but I am sure thankful and excited to be a successful Certified Legal Nurse Consultant!

My second outstanding experience was as a testifying expert. I was asked to render my opinion regarding the nursing standard of care in a nursing home elder abuse case. The case surrounded a fall, fracture, skin tears and bruises. Many hours went into trial preparation. My opinions were laced into my defense-client’s opening presentation.

Finally, it was my turn to testify. The adrenaline was racing through my veins. Boy, was I pumped! Direct examination went well. Now it was plaintiff’s turn. Cross-examination proceeded fairly well. Counsel repeated questions previously asked and tried to change them in an attempt to trip me up. It wasn’t working. I could see he was becoming frustrated. The volume of his voice began to rise. All the while, I sat relaxed (so I’m told) in the witness chair.

Then came the line of questioning surrounding a dog bite that was sustained during routine pet visits. The resident had pet the dog, as he had so many times before, but this time the dog nipped him. The “bite” healed uneventfully. Because the attorney couldn’t rattle my cage, he blurted out the question, “What kind of dog was it, anyway?” I paused, but before an objection could be given, I responded, “That’s irrelevant.” The jury laughed, my attorney-client at the defense table smiled, and the plaintiff’s attorney was left speechless!

When I got the call that the jury had found for the defense, I was thrilled. My attorney-client was also thrilled with the verdict, and was especially thrilled with my testimony and appreciative of my input as a member of his trial team.

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

As I embarked on my new career as a Certified Legal Nurse Consultant, I received a case from an attorney and I wanted to do the best job ever. So I reviewed the records over and over until I knew those records like the back of my hand.

I met with my attorney-client to discuss my opinions on the case and as I was sitting in her office going over the events and the records that supported each opinion, I felt as though I was speaking in slow motion and so below her level of knowledge. All of a sudden she stood up behind her desk and yelled out, “What?” I stopped in my tracks and sat there with what I am sure was a blank stare. I didn’t know what I did wrong or what I had said to offend her. She continued, “What did you just say?” I repeated what I had said about what had happened to this patient in a moment of critical care. She again said, “What? Where did you find that information? Show me where it says that.” With trembling hands, I showed her and she ran out of the room. I sat there holding my breath. I was sure I had said something horribly wrong. Maybe I insulted her and didn’t realize it.

After some time, she returned to the room with two gentlemen. I thought to myself, okay, these must be the bouncers and I am being thrown out. The two men sat down next to me. I had the records in my lap and dropped them. I am sure I wasn’t even breathing. Was I blue yet?

The older male attorney started to explain to me that I had found the missing link. I had found the smoking gun. I had found… whatever other metaphors I can come up with. I had found information that was invaluable in the case. No one had found what I had found, not even the MD experts. Oh, and by the way, I could breathe again.

I had found the key to winning the case and we did ultimately succeed in winning. I felt so good.

I now consult with two other attorneys in that firm and also consult for two of their other offices. But on that day, I felt like I could conquer the world. This experience gave me the confidence I needed to keep going. And here I am ten years later still going strong.

Nikki J. Chuml, RNC, FMC, PRN, CLNC

My experience in hospital nursing was filled with mixed emotions. The frustration level was one that I have never experienced anywhere else. But I kept being a nurse, and I kept going to work. Nursing jobs paid the bills but did not contribute to my soul.

When I saw Vickie Milazzo’s ad for the CLNC^® Certification Program, I wondered if this was a nursing career that I could be passionate about. I saw the ad several more times after that. Each time I felt a tremendous pull. The woman in the ad looked like no nurse in my facility. Vickie personified a victorious nurse dedicated to her profession, unlike other ads where the model-like woman leaps through the air with her hair blowing in the wind.

Little did I know I was implementing a business plan by showing the ad to my husband and proclaiming, “What an investment this would be for our future. We need to choose the VIP CLNC^® Business System and take advantage of all the available resources.”

My fear of flying could not hold me back. Several months later, I looked out of the airplane window after take-off. Dark thunderheads hung over the mountain tops. Lightning flashed sending streaks of light all around the plane. Down below, hundreds of colorful hot air balloons lit up Balloon Fiesta Park waiting for their early morning launch. My overwhelmed senses were full of expectations yet to come and I was calmed by the knowledge that I was so lucky to be the lead character in this new adventure.

That was the calm before the storm. WOW, is how I describe the CLNC^® 6-day Certification Seminar. I was amazed by Vickie and the course content. Then the 2-Day NACLNC^® Apprenticeship followed. I was brain-dead by the time it was over. I assumed the hardest and most challenging part was behind me. I went home and began implementing everything I had learned right away.

I went on my first marketing campaign in my hometown. I had seven promotional packets. Each one contained a personalized introduction letter to the attorney, a brochure, a business card and a professional profile. I marketed to all seven offices, but it took every ounce of courage I had. My husband went with me to the first office. I’m sure “amateur” was written all over me. I decided taking my husband wasn’t a good idea. The next office I went to was torturous. I stood there knowing I had to go in, but wishing I didn’t have to. My palms were wet and my mouth was dry. My husband reassured me from the sidewalk and I took a deep breath and went in. I met four attorneys that day. Each time I felt out of my element and left the office thinking, “There has to be another way.” I felt as wanted as a telemarketer.

I did the “busy thing” for awhile after that. We built an office and I set that up. I reviewed the advanced resources in my VIP CLNC^® Business System. Then I went to the NACLNC^® Conference in March. I talked with Certified Legal Nurse Consultants about their strategies for overcoming fears. Nothing clicked for me. I did discover other strategies to beef up my promotional packet and implemented them as soon as I got home. I went on several more marketing campaigns, but I could not overcome the fear of meeting attorneys. I went to their offices hoping I wouldn’t see any. I could relate to the office staff and break ice with them, but not the attorney. How was I going to get business with this mindset? The fear of meeting attorneys was bordering on a phobia.

The turning point came when a legal secretary called my office after receiving my promotional package and left a message for me to call. As usual, I contacted Vickie Milazzo Institute for mentoring. I listened carefully to the CLNC^® Mentor and followed up with the appropriate phone calls and sent a follow-up letter. Three weeks later, the legal secretary called to set up my first appointment with the attorney. I was thrilled, but it was short-lived as fear began to well up inside of me, again. I contacted Vickie Milazzo Institute for mentoring yet again. I was probably over-prepared for this meeting, but it was important to get it right. I would have to do this in spite of the fear.

I had no idea what to expect, but I was well prepared in every way right down to the power suit. I arrived at the office early to find out the attorney would be late. “That’s okay,” I thought, “I can wait.” There were a couple of gentlemen also waiting. We made small talk until the attorney arrived. After she arrived, she took one of the gentlemen in her office for about twenty minutes. He left and then the legal secretary ushered me and the other gentleman into a small conference room.

“What is this?” I thought. I was led to believe it would be the attorney and I, only. Everyone was introduced. It was very formal.

The attorney said, “This is Mrs. Schmitt. She is an expert and she is going to tell us how to proceed. Go ahead, Mr. Jones (not his real name), tell her your story.”

I felt my eyes bug out. My inner voice said, “Wait! I didn’t practice this! No time for a mentor request.”

The man started talking, but I could not understand him. His lips were moving and I could hear his voice, but I was so paralyzed with fear that I wondered what I looked like to him or, horror of horrors, what did I look like to the attorney?! I thought, “I better snap out of it because the attorney is going to expect something intelligent from me!”

Thank God this drama was only going on inside my head and not in the room. In a split second, I realized that sitting in front of me was a patient, Mr. Jones. My nursing instincts kicked in. I forgot about the power suit I was wearing and immediately began to assess his physical condition and his words became crystal clear. “The other guy dropped the air conditioner causing me to fall and hurt my back and knee,” he continued.

The 30 services that Certified Legal Nurse Consultants offer with a risk-free guarantee faded away as I asked, “How many days after the surgery did you notice the redness and swelling?”

My sample work products became forgotten when I told the attorney, “The infection that your client acquired after surgery was not the result of mismanaged care because they did a culture and treated it in a timely manner.”

The attorney asked numerous questions: “How can you tell if it was the hospital’s fault? What can you tell from the medical records?” The attorney mysteriously became a patient as well. She wanted to know what I knew. I answered all her questions demonstrating how I, the Certified Legal Nurse Consultant, could help with her medical-related cases. I stated that in my opinion there was no medical malpractice in this case and that she should only pursue the personal injury claim. I explained vocational and functional capacity evaluations that could strengthen her case. As the conversation went on she was amazed at the information I provided. She was a criminal defense attorney and had people ask her about taking medical malpractice cases. She said she had five potential medical malpractice cases and set up an appointment with me for the next case.

That experience changed me. I had heard other success stories that sounded too good to be true; a CLNC^® consultant goes into an attorney’s office and walks out with armloads of cases. But this attorney was truly sincere.

I now remember that I’m a nurse when I market to attorneys, which is what I should have been doing all along. I am not a salesperson, I am proud to be a nurse. Now, when I go into attorneys’ offices, I hope I meet them and ask if they are in so I can meet them. I look forward to educating them about how I can cost effectively consult on their medical-related cases. The expertise of registered nurses is as important to attorneys as it is to patients. Thanks to Vickie Milazzo and the CLNC^® Mentors, this expertise is available to every attorney through all of us Certified Legal Nurse Consultants. It is our job to educate attorneys in every creative way we can.

Guest Blogger Profile

Diana Schmitt, RN, BSN, CLNC has 24 years experience in the health care industry and is the owner of Diana Schmitt & Associates Certified Legal Nurse Consultants. Her firm specializes in merit review, expert witness location, and medical literature research for medical malpractice cases.

For the first two months, nothing was happening. What was I doing wrong?

My husband said, “Give it a chance, Melanie. Let me help.”

He began calling the attorneys I had sent postcards to, and he got results. He booked me for presentations at law firms where I discovered that face-to-face interaction is my strong suit. Once an attorney agrees to a presentation, and I show what I can do, closing the sale is a given.

My first big client, however, came by way of a referral from my insurance agent. My agent’s neighbor is an attorney who referred his medical malpractice and personal injury cases to another attorney. That’s when I found out how useful it is to know people who know people who know people. He passed my name along, and I got a call.

“What can you do for us?” the attorney asked.

Boy, did I answer that question. Amazingly, their firm hadn’t used legal nurse consultants. Their paralegal was pulling her hair out, unable to provide what they needed.

In closing I asked, “When may I come to your office and show you what I can do?”

The Work Started Flowing and We Replaced My Husband’s Salary

I handle all of that attorney-client’s cases, including medical malpractice, personal injury and workers’ comp. This single attorney-client can keep me busy full time, but my goal is to grow big enough to hire CLNC^® subcontractors. We’re almost there. We have four attorney-clients now – and the work keeps flowing.

I say “we” now because my husband left his job and came to work for me full time as an office manager. That was one of the smartest moves I made. A disabled veteran, he’s able to take care of our children and still help with our marketing. He also answers the phone, which means an attorney gets a live voice, not an answering machine.

Being responsive is one important reason our business has grown so fast. We make $5,000-$6,000 per month and have already replaced my husband’s salary.

I Like Educating Attorneys – Once They Know You, They Need You

The most amazing thing happens when I give a presentation at a law firm: attorneys pay attention. I wow them with the CLNC^® services I can provide to help them win cases and they treat me as a professional. I use their feedback to refine my presentation for the next time I deliver it.

After attorneys learn what a CLNC^® consultant can do for them, they see the value. Later, when I actually work with them, they begin to rely on me in more and more areas, on more and more cases. Just recently, our biggest attorney-client emailed us to say we had become their best friends and they cannot function without us.

One thing I learned from Vickie is to hold my ground on nonmeritorious cases. That principle is working for me. After I review a case, my client will ask, “Melanie, what’s your recommendation? What do I do with this?”

If the case has merit, fine. I lay it out. But I sometimes have to say, “I understand that something bad happened, and your client is upset about it, but I don’t see merit here.” In the long run, the attorney saves money by not pursuing cases he can’t win.

My attorney-clients listen to me and respect my judgment. That makes me feel that my nursing experience and knowledge are making a difference.

While taking my CLNC^® training, I came up with the slogan we use in our marketing: We make you look best. My attorney-clients love it.

I Enjoy What I Do Every Day

Being a nurse is important to me, and my CLNC^® business makes me happy in many ways I never expected. I enjoy my attorney-client relationships. I enjoy feeling that I’m still helping people, even though it isn’t at the bedside.

On every case, I learn something new, which I can then use on future cases. That’s exciting. While I’m teaching my attorney-clients about medical records and the healthcare side of a situation, they’re handling the legal side and I’m learning from them, too. Together, we make a brilliant team. I help identify issues that will help them look good in the courtroom and win the cases that deserve to be won.

I also enjoy knowing that my children are not spending time at daycare. I used to feel guilty about leaving them, but now they’re getting the best care at home with their father. My CLNC^® business has positively impacted our entire family.

After serving his country in Iraq, my husband came home with limitations that make it hard for him to work outside the home. I created a job for him, and he’s a valuable asset to my CLNC^® business. No one could do a better job running the office, and I love working with him. This could never have happened if I’d stayed full time at the hospital. I’m proud that ours is a family business, that we can grow it together.

Recently, I’ve begun traveling for my attorney-clients, which is another exciting aspect of what I do. On one case, the attorney requested that I meet with his client who needed to be assessed for a life care plan. When I asked the attorney if he wanted me to find someone local to assess his client in order to save on travel cost, he insisted that I go myself because of the quality of my work. I was flattered. My office-manager husband made all the travel arrangements for me to fly in early one morning and come back the same day. This was a wonderful experience! I had never had a frequent flyer card before now. I feel professional!

We Keep Marketing Smart to Attract New Attorney-Clients Like Vickie Taught Us

One day we drove past a billboard for a law firm that specializes in personal injury cases. I told my husband, “We should call on them.” He called and booked me for a presentation.

That’s the sort of marketing that gets big results at low cost. This month we’ll be mailing out and following up on a hundred postcards, which is also low cost.

We offer a discount on the first case. Attorneys are like anybody else when it comes to saving money, they expect to get value for their dollars. The discount encourages them to take a chance, and it costs us nothing until a prospect actually hires us. We do a great job, the client is impressed and hires us again at our full rate. Marketing can be effective without draining your bank account – Vickie taught me that too.

Vickie Made It All Possible

I feel very lucky to have been trained by Vickie Milazzo. She’s amazing. When I came home from the CLNC^® 6-Day Certification Seminar, I told my husband, “She’s a tiny lady but powerful. She looks at you like you’re the only person on the planet. The world around her stops and she listens to you, giving you her time and all her attention.”

It has been a year now since my CLNC^® Certification. A very happy year. I think back to those first two months, when I doubted myself, and I have to laugh. My life has changed in so many wonderful ways since I became a Certified Legal Nurse Consultant.

Guest Blogger Profile

Melanie V. Paquette, RN, BSN, CLNC is co-founder with her husband of Paquette Legal-Medical Consulting Services LLC based in Texas. She has more than 13 years of clinical experience in emergency care, intensive care, level 1 trauma, cardiology, interventional radiology, neurology and has hospital and insurance experience as a case manager.

After working in a large clinic for 22 years, I retired. I was 48, my life was changing, my workplace was changing and I qualified for early retirement, so I took it. My family was growing up, and I began to wonder, “What am I going to do now?” Then I found Vickie Milazzo Institute’s LegalNurse.com website and became intrigued. I knew I had the experience as a nurse to become a Certified Legal Nurse Consultant – I decided to take the CLNC^® 6-Day Certification Seminar. Vickie’s CLNC^® Certification Program is the key to my CLNC^® success.

Becoming a Certified Legal Nurse Consultant has such a positive impact on my life. It spells freedom – more financial freedom, being able to work from home doing what I love to do any time I want, but also being able to walk away from it at 3:30 in the afternoon. I’m free to walk downstairs to find my husband in his office – he also works from home. (Separate offices work best for us during the day because of business phone calls and other distractions.) We are then free to choose what we want to do with the rest of our day.

When asked by other nurses if a career in legal nurse consulting can be successful, I repeat what Vickie told me, “Absolutely, if you’re passionate about it.”

Market, market, market, even when you’re busy. Anywhere I market my CLNC^® practice, I show up with independence and confidence, just like Vickie taught me. I walk in the door and say, “Here I am. I can help you.”

My CLNC^® business really took off when I located a group of attorneys and camped out on their door step. Today those attorneys are some of my best clients. One of the attorneys recently told me, “The reason I hired you is because I was tired of stepping over you when I came through the door in the morning.” We laugh about it now, but my persistence paid off.

In Vickie’s CLNC^® 6-Day Certification Program, she encourages her students to send out a newsletter to attorney-prospects and clients. My newsletter helps me connect with attorneys and I can count on receiving numerous phone calls each time I send one.

My CLNC^® consulting work is always interesting. Many RNs think legal nurse consultants consult only on medical malpractice or personal injury cases. Some of my favorite cases are the ones that I wouldn’t think I’d be involved in, like a murder trial or a legal malpractice case involving a will.

The case outcomes can also be very exciting. My first big attorney-client asked me to review a medical malpractice case for merit. I found a gross deviation in the standards of care and located an expert for the attorney. That case went to mediation and settled for a larger amount than anyone expected.

While that litigation was in progress, my attorney-client asked me to begin work on another case. A doctor had previously reviewed the case’s medical records, but when the attorney asked for my help, I discovered numerous things the doctor had overlooked. Then, right before the case went to trial, the attorney asked me to accompany him to court. When the defense expert denied the validity of a particular radiology report, I whispered to my attorney-client, “Trust me on this – show him this report.” The second report invalidated the medical expert for the defense and upended their case. My nursing experience and Vickie’s CLNC^® Certification Program were the biggest factors in winning the case.

A large part of my CLNC^® consulting success is due to Vickie’s enthusiasm and her encouraging words, such as We Are Nurses and We Can Do Anything!^®

Vickie’s CLNC^® Mentoring Program is another part of my CLNC^® consulting success. I enjoy working through the problems I encounter with the CLNC^® Mentors and contact them any time I’m stymied. It’s reassuring to brainstorm with these CLNC^® Pros.

What makes my CLNC^® business successful? By thinking outside the box, using my nursing skills and remembering Vickie’s CLNC^® training, I successfully evaluate cases and help my attorney-clients gain the best outcomes. I’m so excited about my CLNC^® career. I’m living my dream of being a successful CLNC^® consultant, having a great time and being rewarded financially for the work I do!

Bobbi Black, RN, CLNC is an independent CLNC^® consultant in Iowa with 30 years’ clinical nursing experience. She is owner and principal of A Legal Resource Service since 2001 and offers consulting services to both plaintiff and defense law firms.

P.S. Read more CLNC^® Success Stories and send your CLNC^® Success Story to feedback@LegalNurse.com.

P.P.S. Comment if you would like to congratulate Bobbi on her CLNC^® success.

My most memorable case occurred when I testified for the very first time. I had been a Certified Legal Nurse Consultant for about a year. The case was a will contest. The client was the daughter of an elderly woman who had passed away in a skilled facility. About 72 hours prior to her death, the son (the client’s brother) had the will altered so that he would inherit most of the estate. The changes to the will were made by an attorney. The son then took the will to the facility and had his mother sign it with a notary (a friend of his) present and another witness (his sister-in-law). The estate was worth around $1,000,000.00.

My attorney-client hired me to review the medical records to search for evidence that the deceased was under undue influence when she signed the second will (based on the records and that 72-hour window). I reviewed the records and prepared my report. I found the mother was confused, too weak to hold a pen by herself, under the influence of strong sedating medications and hypoxic.

My attorney-client decided that his case depended on my assessment of the mother and her mental state during the time of the second will signing based on my findings in the medical records. I was called to testify. I was nervous so I rehearsed the night before.

There was a jury present to hear the case. The opposing attorney, of course, tried to tear me apart but I looked at the jury and relayed facts from my report in terms they could understand. He could not trip me up no matter how hard he tried. I testified that when the mother signed the second will, she had low oxygen saturations in the 70s and 80s with use of supplemental oxygen (the patient was a DNR by her choice). The impact of hypoxia on the brain, the effects of large doses of morphine and Ativan IV in regards to sensorium, the fact she had to be fed as she could not hold a fork or spoon and probably not a pen on her own, and the nursing and rehab staff repeatedly charted the patient was confused and disoriented painted a picture of her mental state. I also pointed out the doctor who testified earlier that the client was alert and oriented was not the doctor who had seen her last based on the signatures in the chart. Furthermore no physician had assessed her during the 24 hours prior to her signing the second will. Thus, the testifying physician, although he was the PCP, would not have had first hand knowledge of her mental status at the time in question as did the nursing staff and rehab staff who actually assessed her during the time frame in question.

The final question that the opposing attorney asked was, “How much does Mr. M. pay you for your services?” I answered his question and he then said, snickering with a smug look on his face, “That is a little steep, don’t you think, for a nurse?” I started to reply and he cut me off. I looked up at the judge and asked calmly if I could answer the question. The judge told me to go ahead. I proceeded to tell the attorney that I had 24 years of nursing experience and had taken care of hundreds of dying patients. I explained what a CLNC^® consultant does and how I received my training, and I offered to give the opposing attorney my contact information. The jury was smiling at me. I then left the court room.

Later that evening I received a phone call from my attorney. He said, “You were fantastic, we won. The jury said your testimony sealed the case in our favor. By the way, on my way out, I patted Rob (the opposing attorney) on the shoulder and told him that is why I pay your consulting fee. He wasn’t laughing anymore, but fuming mad.” The daughter received her half of the estate as directed in the original will and the court determined the mother was not competent and was under undue influence when she signed the second will thus it was null and void. I have since worked for the opposing attorney.

P.S. Please comment and share your most memorable CLNC^® case.

Guest Blogger Profile

Stephanie D. Stanley, RN, CLNC owns SDS Legal Nurse Consulting Services, LLC in Virginia. Stephanie consults with attorneys on a variety of medical-related cases.

I could tell my story a million times because it’s so exciting to have finally achieved all of my professional goals.

I’m 47 now, and I’ve felt like I shortchanged myself my entire life and hadn’t reached my full potential. I wanted to achieve a certain status and financial level, and I never got that from nursing. I graduated summa cum laude with two degrees and it was always frustrating to have so much education, so little respect and such minimal compensation. I was sick of it.

For years I’d seen Vickie’s smiling picture in the ads for her CLNC^® Certification Program. I saw her program as the perfect combination of my two interests; law and medicine. When I realized how comprehensive her training was, I ordered everything she offered. It was my belief that if one nurse could do this, I could! And if I was going to invest in myself, I was going all the way. I was setting myself up for success. I ordered the VIP CLNC^® Business System.

As a side benefit I even lost 25 pounds when I started my CLNC^® business. It was effortless and I think it was because I’m so happy. Every day is spent doing exactly what I want to be doing. I finally feel like I’m getting the professional respect I’ve sought my entire life. I’m not only being treated like an equal, I’m being treated as a tremendous asset. The attorneys need me and they respect my intelligence. They pump me up constantly. Gone are the days of the “toxic” hospital environment.

Between the attorneys and Vickie Milazzo Institute, I am ecstatic! Vickie gives you all the tools you need, and the Institute holds your hand every step of the way. When something great happens, they’re there to cheer you on, as if they are family. That’s unheard of, especially in nursing. As a Certified Legal Nurse Consultant, I finally feel like I’ve arrived.

I Billed $16,000 in My Fourth Month

The day I came back from the CLNC^® 6-Day Certification Seminar, I went half time at the hospital. I was determined to invest time in my CLNC^® business. I couldn’t work full time and start my business or someone would be shortchanged, and it wasn’t going to be my child.

Soon I was billing so many hours as a CLNC^® consultant – $16,000 in my fourth month alone! – that I could no longer work at the hospital.

I recently returned from a legal conference in Nevada. It was my sixth conference this year. I came home with seven new attorney-clients and 11 cases. In addition, I currently have several cases in progress and work with attorneys in 19 states. I’m scheduled for three more conferences in the next few months and have been asked to present at a legal seminar. I’m on track to achieve six figures!

With each new case, I learn more about managing a successful CLNC^® practice. In one early case, I was talking to the attorney and he mentioned that he already had his team in place and didn’t need anyone else. Nevertheless, the attorney went on to describe a case over the phone. I gave him some questions to ask his expert and the defendant. When I followed up to see how it went he said he had forgotten to ask some of the questions. He responded with, “Why don’t I send you some of the records to see what you think. Just put me on the clock.” What he sent was 18 pages. For a couple of weeks, I couldn’t think of a single thing I hadn’t already told him. But he’d said to put him on the clock, and I was determined to find something! Finally, I decided to put what I had already told him in chronology format to see if anything else popped out at me. Sure enough, I discovered a tampering issue. The attorney was so busy, he didn’t comment – but more than a month later he called and said, “That tampering issue you found blew this case wide open. All of a sudden we have additional discovery. Thank you so much!”

The VIP CLNC^® Business System Is the Nordstrom of Legal Nurse Consulting

If you have a choice of going to the best four-year college to prepare for your career, would you take a correspondence course instead? No, you’d choose the best, and that’s what Vickie provides. I absolutely recommend the VIP CLNC^® Business System. The added cost of the VIP CLNC^® Business System, when you divide it out over five years, comes down to pennies basically, but you’re investing in yourself by getting it all. As a VIP you also feel more successful while you’re in the program.

The unlimited mentoring with the CLNC^® Mentors is phenomenal. I tend to hold onto a problem too long – I want to solve it myself and then I panic because I need the answer right this second. The CLNC^® Mentors get right back to me. They support me all the way. They “have my back.” They want me to succeed.

Vickie gives you all the tools. She’s dotted every “i” and crossed every “t.” She could not do it better than she has. She’s right up there with Nordstrom. I went to college with one of the Nordstroms, and that’s who Vickie is. Someone could take what she has done with this business and use it as a business model at Harvard. Nothing is missing. She has everything down, from branding your business to supporting you while you learn and not dropping the ball afterwards. I’ve reached my professional goal as a CLNC^® consultant.

I hold phone consults on the white sand beaches of Pensacola while watching my son surf. Two days ago, I noticed the bay water in my “backyard” to be perfect glass. I took a break from my cases and went knee boarding with my 11-year-old and his friends. Twelve dolphins joined us and it was one of the best days ever.

Becoming a CLNC^® consultant has offered me the flexibility to catch the joys of life. Not only am I finally making the money I deserve; I have the freedom I have always dreamed of. The amazing thing is…it hasn’t even been a year since I took the Certified Legal Nurse Consultant course! I love my life!

Winner of the 2009 CLNC^® Success Story Contest Becky Mungai, RN, BA, CLNC, is a full-time Certified Legal Nurse Consultant and owner of Mungai & Associates. She has 23 years of nursing experience and specializes in consulting on birth injury and pediatric emergency/trauma cases for attorneys nationwide.

P.S. Read more CLNC^® Success Stories and send your CLNC^® Success Story to feedback@LegalNurse.com.

P.P.S. Click here to read Becky’s complete CLNC^® Success Story.

I doubt any of us, as CLNC^® consultants, ever forget our first case. Mine is most memorable for several different reasons. I learned so much, some of it the hard way. I had earned my CLNC^® Certification a few months earlier and used Vickie’s advice regarding marketing myself by mailing out my resume with my qualifications and a cover letter, then followed up with a phone call. One attorney had a case on his desk, which had been referred to him by another attorney. The case involved a potential client who lived out of state. The attorney drove approximately six hours one way to interview the potential client and his wife. He felt there was probable merit to the case but he needed someone to review the records. He had filed the proper notices to all the possible defendants of a medical malpractice lawsuit.

I was so excited the day the records arrived at my home. There was a large amount of records as the potential plaintiff had a five-week hospital stay with numerous complications. So I began the screening process.

The potential plaintiff, Mr. Smith, had recently been diagnosed with Hodgkin’s disease and had a mediport placed for chemotherapy treatments. However, the symptoms of a pre-existing esophageal diverticulum had become so pronounced that he decided to have an elective excision of the diverticulum with a myotomy before starting chemo treatments. Mr. Smith had an extensive medical history including a previous heart attack with placement of a stent, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, three back surgeries and diabetes.

Mr. Smith experienced several complications after the first surgery, one of which made it necessary for placement of a chest tube, which was done at the bedside by the surgeon. Mrs. Smith alleged she had not been called at home for permission so proper consent was not given for the procedure and it caused Mr. Smith excruciating pain, which resulted in a second heart attack and a transfer to ICU.

The dots just weren’t connecting. Something wasn’t right. Mr. Smith had a second heart attack which was confirmed by the medical records, but how could I prove what happened to him? How could pain from the chest tube insertion, etc., cause the second heart attack? He already had a stent resulting from the first MI, combined with the high cholesterol and diabetes.

So here I go, back to my Core Curriculum for Legal Nurse Consulting^® textbook. It almost jumped out at me, as if a light bulb had suddenly come on in my head! In Module 3, “Theories of Liability and Defenses Used in Medical-Related Cases,” it discusses the four legal elements, which must be satisfied to prove negligence: duty, breach of duty, damages and causation. The definition for causation pretty much says it all: “A reasonable connection between the acts of negligence and the alleged damages.” I felt the other three elements of duty, breach of duty, and damages were satisfied, but not the element of causation. So I read further. Under, “Factors to consider when evaluating causation,” it lists as one of the factors, “Past medical history and pre-existing conditions.” And I continued to read and in Module 5, “How to Screen Medical-Related Cases Effectively and Efficiently,” Vickie discusses defensible cases which plaintiff attorneys frequently reject because of pre-existing conditions.

So here I am feeling pretty good about myself. I am ready to type my letter to the attorney advising him that in my opinion, his case does not have merit. I used one of the samples provided in the Core Curriculum to ensure my opinion sounded professional. I relayed to the attorney that I felt Mrs. Smith had some legitimate complaints regarding Mr. Smith’s hospital stay and that while it was sad he had experienced numerous complications, it was my opinion that the element of causation could not adequately be satisfied due to Mr. Smith’s past medical history and pre-existing conditions and then I went on to list all the pre-existing conditions.

The attorney very politely informed me that he wanted me to list the deviations from the standards of care and then he would make the decision whether the case had merit.

In a much later phone conversation, the attorney stated, “Ms. Holmes you were right in the first place.” Well, needless to say, this made me feel pretty good.

There are many things I learned from my first case. One of the most important things is to communicate thoroughly upfront with your attorney-client. Don’t assume anything. If in doubt, ask questions. I think there are many attorneys, especially attorneys in small firms who have not worked with a CLNC^® consultant before and really do not know how much help we can be to them.

I have twenty-two years of nursing experience and am confident regarding my nursing skills and judgment, but I am still building confidence as a Certified Legal Nurse Consultant. Owning a legal nurse consulting business is entirely different from what I have been accustomed to doing for a paycheck. This case did boost my confidence. My first conclusion was correct and the attorney finally agreed. If we are not honest with our attorney-clients about our findings, we both will come out losers in the end.

I believe everything we need to be a successful CLNC^® consultant is included in the Core Curriculum for Legal Nurse Consulting^® textbook and the lectures that go along with it. Vickie’s CLNC^® Mentoring Program is invaluable. Each time I have used the mentoring program, my questions were answered in a very timely manner, sometimes within a couple of hours. I live in a small town and I feel isolated at times. With the mentoring program, no matter what the question is, support is readily available.

We have to make the decision to take the plunge. For me, I thought about it for approximately four years. And you know what, it’s scary. But I believe with Vickie’s help and persistence it’s possible to be a successful CLNC^® consultant.

P.S. Please comment and share your most memorable CLNC^® case.

Guest Blogger Profile

Peggy Holmes RN, ONC, CLNC owns and operates Holmes Legal Nurse Consulting in Arkansas. She has 22 years of nursing experience and currently works part time in The Women’s Center at the local hospital. She consults on medical related cases and specializes in orthopedics, pediatric and med-surg cases.