Communication

When I was working at the hospital as an ICU nurse, “Dilbert” would have been my best friend. I was young, in my 20s and too smart for my own good. With the exception of one supervisor who would stand with us at the bedside when we were understaffed, I thought all hospital supervisors and administrators were stupid or misinformed (or both). What did they know about the real world and the frontlines of patient care? I’m not sure where I thought they worked for their first nursing job, but I was convinced none of them had ever started an IV or coded any patients other than a rubber training dummy. Maybe they dropped out of the sky into their desk chairs – or came prepackaged like an action figure.

Today I’m the executive “pointy-haired boss” the twenty somethings could be ranting and raving about while they text their BFF from the depths of their windowless cubicles. And if they’re thinking the same as I did back then, they may be justifying why they are giving less than 110% to their job.

While I might prefer to just zap them with an Epi-Kit, defibrillate them back to life or just holler “Off with Their Heads!” from the throne in my office, instead I work at staying relevant and being the model for an honest and respectable work ethic. You can’t lead from the back, but you can lead by example. I’ve tried to create a collaborative office and it’s paid off. I seek their advice, brainstorm issues with them, occasionally confess when I’m wrong and even listen to Coldplay. By ensuring that all the voices are heard and appreciated, I’ve made sure that everyone feels safe to voice their opinions and ideas. Some of the best ideas I’ve implemented have come, not from management, but from the frontlines.

If you sometimes feel like you’re not relating to your staff, your CLNC^® subcontractors or to your attorney-client’s assistants, ask yourself when’s the last time you included one of them in a discussion about a case, acknowledged a job well done or shared the latest Coldplay CD? Take a minute to give a minute – it’ll be worth it later and if it’s not, you can always shout, “Off with her head!” from the safety of your car afterwards.

Success Is Inside!

P.S. Comment and share creative ways to lead by example in your legal nurse consulting business or send a funny “Off with Their Heads” story.

I’m a big advocate of brainstorming and often some of the best ideas for Vickie Milazzo Institute come from brainstorming, both formal and informal. People at the Institute are always brainstorming in the hallway, in each other’s offices, at each others’ desks and even in the restrooms.

The ideas are sparking and the atmosphere is almost incendiary. When we come together and engage in a conversation we raise new questions and think of things at a level we would not have reached on our own. Collaboration is genius.

Likewise, some of my best ideas for Vickie Milazzo Institute come to me not in the midst of a passionate brainstorm, but when no one else is around and I’m writing.

I confess, I write best alone – just me, Beethoven, my favorite pen, a legal pad and a stack of sticky notes for company. Even Tom knows to stay out of my way when the pages start flying. Sometimes, I even tune out Beethoven.

I love writing because it not only releases the creative energy that fuels ideas for my business, but also feeds my creativity which in turn fuels my endurance allowing me to create longer and produce more. Plus, I’m always careful to capture any random thoughts, even those that seem unrelated so as to not lose them. (Note to self: get much bigger sticky notes!)

Sometimes that stray idea is pure gold. Other times it’s only a sieve through which to mine the gold. And sometimes it’s nothing more than fool’s gold – but what have you lost beside the keystrokes or a piece of paper? The idea may not even be ripe for the time, but by capturing it, you can hold it until the time is ripe. Nothing gets lost (unless your desk is really messy).

Even if you haven’t had any training in writing (nursing school taught us to chart, not to write novels), you can still write. Buy yourself a Journal or notepad. Clear a space, sit down and take a stab at writing an opinion or write about a recent trip, a funny attorney experience or your last day off. Even better, just write what’s on your mind.

You’ll be amazed how new ideas for your legal nurse consulting business will emerge even when you’re not consciously thinking about your legal nurse consulting business.

Here’s a tip. Put on your iPod and play the scores from Slumdog Millionaire or La Vie en Rose or Beethoven’s 5^th and write away, write now.

Success Is Inside!

People often compliment me and tell me what a great memory I have. While my memory’s respectable, what’s even better is my note-taking prowess. That’s my real secret. I am a voracious note taker in every business situation.

One executive at Vickie Milazzo Institute boils it down to, “The person with the best notes wins.” With that thought in mind, I not only always have a legal pad and pen handy, but also a stack of sticky notes, even in the most informal of meetings. They serve as my external memory, one that doesn’t get erased by sleep, an office crisis or a box of hot glazed donuts.

Have you noticed that as a society we are becoming less skilled at listening? As a legal nurse consultant you can’t afford to be or risk becoming a poor listener.

When you’re talking with an attorney, they must be the center of your attention and you should appear smart and “all in” the conversation. Think about the last time you were talking to someone who was looking past you over your shoulder, checking her Blackberry or appeared to be day-dreaming. Remember how you felt? That’s exactly how the attorney-client will feel – unimportant – if you appear to not be “all in.” You also risk missing a key communication, such as an important issue on your medical-malpractice (or personal injury…) case or worse yet, a deadline. Just like taking notes during the CLNC^® Certification Program increased your exam score, taking notes when you are speaking to your attorney-client will dramatically improve the points you score with that attorney.

Whenever you are in your attorney-client’s office, pull out your Mont Blanc pen (or “be like Vic and buy a Bic”) and your notepad (legal size of course) and take notes as you discuss the case or a future assignment.

If you switch conversations to a different case, switch to a different page. You might be killing an extra leaf on a tree or slaying a forest, but it’s a lot simpler and ultimately more efficient to have only notes for one case per page. That way when you get to your office, you can just file your notes with the corresponding case without having to rewrite a single note.

The more you practice note-taking, the more natural it becomes and soon you can talk, maintain eye contact, smile and take notes all at the same time. The same people in my office who see me take notes all day, every day in every meeting or hallway conversation, are the same people who credit me with a great memory. The notes have become invisible and all they remember is that somehow, day after day, I remember everything we discussed.

Note-taking is a powerful business tool for Certified Legal Nurse Consultants. Start today.

Success Is Inside!

The original Impressionists were considered radicals in their day as they departed from what was considered the “old-school” of artists. Time after time, impressionist painters would submit their work to juried art shows but their paintings would be rejected in favor of lesser artists who painted in the “approved” style of the times.

In order to exhibit their own works, these revolutionary artists rejected the establishment and formed their own society of painters – the Société Anonyme Coopérative des Artistes Peintres, Sculpteurs, Graveurs (Cooperative and Anonymous Association of Painters, Sculptors, and Engravers). Their first show was met with a firestorm of criticism and the term “Impressionist” was given to their artistic style as a derogatory term. The artists chose to adopt this derogatory term “Impressionist” and proceeded to make art history.

The “Impressionist” school captured the scenes they were painting without the strictures placed upon painters by the “Realism” school that was dominant at the time. They focused, or unfocused, on a new way of painting light into scenes of everyday life, rejecting the minute details of realism. When you look at an Impressionist painting up close, there is no detail – there are only short thick strokes and unmixed colors. When you stand back from the painting you see, with a realism not present in the “Realist” paintings, the diffused sunlight on a haystack, people strolling down a boulevard or partying on a Sunday afternoon in a park. The works come alive from a distance.

When an attorney-client is presenting a case to a jury, too many details can bog it down, distracting the jury and leading them down rabbit trails. Your job as a CLNC^® consultant is to help the attorney present the picture with the broad strokes and bold colors needed to show the case in its best light. Sure the underlying details will need to be there to back up your opinions and the attorney-client’s case, but sometimes it’s best to present an Impressionist view of a case to an attorney-client and then to the jury before breaking it down to the details.

They say you never get a second chance to make a first impression. What sort of Impressionist impression are you making on your attorney-clients?

Success Is Inside!

Let’s look at what email signature files can do for your legal nurse consulting business. All of us use email, some of us use it sparingly, others incessantly and a few for actual business communication (you know – not “mom-spam”). In the good old days of snail mail, people sent letters using a decent grade of actual bond paper with a letterhead printed at the top – that was the signature file. Today in our increasingly paperless society, business emails are sent with a signature file at the end to promote the business and its services to every recipient.

An email signature, depending upon the email program you use, is a short file (either text or html) containing a few lines of text (and sometimes a logo) that is inserted below your name or other usual signature. Choose from the following components to create one or more signatures for your CLNC^® business:

• Your name, credentials and title.
• Your company name, address, telephone number and fax number.
• Your email address and website URL.
• A quick marketing note or company vision.
• A recent achievement, award or recognition.
• A special offer.

Many Certified Legal Nurse Consultants create multiple signatures that they can select from depending upon the subject and the recipient of their email communication.

A few examples follow. The first is commonly one full signature advertising your business and containing your title and contact information:

Susan J. Smith, RN, MSN, CLNC
President
713.555.1212

Smith & Associates Legal Nurse Consulting
Providing Quality Legal Nurse Consulting Services since 1994
1313 Mockingbird Lane, Suite B, Mockingbird Heights, CA 91210
SmithNAssociates.com
Phone: 713.555.1212
________________________________________________________

Another might be a shorter one that just contains the name and title so that you’re not overwhelming your recipients:

Susan J. Smith, RN, MSN, CLNC
President
713.555.1212
________________________________________________________

The next might be one stating that the communication is private, privileged or confidential.

Susan J. Smith, RN, MSN, CLNC
President
713.555.1212

CONFIDENTIALITY STATEMENT
This is a confidential and/or privileged communication. Any additional dissemination or copying of this electronic communication is strictly prohibited. If you received this communication in error, please notify us immediately at 713.555.1212 and permanently delete and/or destroy the original and any electronic or printed copies of this communication, including any attachments.
________________________________________________________

The last may be one containing a HIPAA statement (don’t use a signature file including a “confidentiality notice” or “protected under HIPAA” notice unless the message actually is confidential or protected under HIPAA). If you are sending Personal Healthcare Information (PHI) that may be covered under HIPAA, you’ll need to talk with your attorney-client about the policies for their office and how she wants you to proceed. For most plaintiff work after suit is filed, the information generally falls out from under the HIPAA HIPPO. For defense work if no suit has been filed, you’ll be working under the defense firm’s guidelines. At a bare minimum, you must send a test email first and verify that the recipient’s email address is correct. Then make sure to send any PHI as an encrypted attachment and that no specially protected PHI (i.e. HIV/AIDS, substance abuse treatment information or mental health information is included).

Example:

Susan J. Smith, RN, MSN, CLNC
President
713.555.1212

The materials in this email are private and may contain Protected Healthcare Information (PHI). If you are not the intended recipient, be advised that any unauthorized use, disclosure, copying, distribution, or the taking of any action in reliance on the contents of this information is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, please notify us immediately at 713.555.1212 and permanently delete and/or destroy the original and any electronic or printed copies of this communication, including any attachments.
________________________________________________________

Back in the bad old days when bandwidth was at a premium, it was netiquette to try and keep your signature short – that is between 4-6 lines of 80 characters or less and to use plain text instead of html. I still recommend this today (even though I break those rules). Plain text keeps its formatting and style no matter what kind of email reader your recipient is using and will also maintain that format when it’s forwarded – something html doesn’t always do.

Another bit of signature netiquette is to only use the full signature on the initial email. If you get a reply and your first communication remains in the body of the email – use only your short signature in any replies – not the full signature (especially if it’s long). Either use an extra-short (name, title, phone extension) or use no signature at all when communicating inside a network as an employee. And finally, if your email client allows you (like Outlook^®) the flexibility of switching signatures, set your default signature to “none.” Then it’s easy to select the one you want when you’re ready to send.

Keep on Techin’,

Tom

P.S. Comment to share your best email signature marketing strategy.

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.

If you’re reading Vickie’s Blog and my Tech Tips from the FeedBlitz email you receive, you’re only seeing part of the picture. Sure it’s easy to read from the email, but try this: click the title “Vickie’s Blog” under the FeedBlitz logo in the email.

You’ll then have access to not only the full blog post (and any photos) but you can also:

• Post your comments or thoughts about the blog (click Comments).
• See other comments for that blog post from your CLNC^® peers and other readers (click Comments).
• Have access to the searchable archive of all past blogs.
• Search for blogs by category (Ask Vickie, medical-malpractice cases, tech tips, etc.).
• Access the resources we link to from the various blogs.
• View the most recent photo slide show.

While you’re there, remember to add the site to your bookmarks or favorites and visit it often – there’s more to Vickie’s Blog than will fit in any email notification (and you get hours of fun reading!).

If you’re not getting an email alert each time Vickie or I do a new blog post, all you have to do is add your email address at the top of the page and click “Sign me up.” FeedBlitz will walk you through the process. It’s an easy way to keep up to date with Vickie’s Blog (just remember to click through the FeedBlitz email).

Keep on Techin’,

Tom

It’s Spring Break time again and peace has been restored to my neighborhood. I live in what could almost be described as a pastoral setting. Although I live in Houston, the fourth largest city in the U.S., I actually live in a city within the city of Houston. It’s a small neighborhood with its own fire and police departments. On Saturday mornings, you can watch the hunky firemen wash and wax the fire trucks. We’ve got a couple of little league and soccer fields and when the weather’s nice the morning air is filled with the sounds of sprinklers and the evenings are filled with the sounds of children having fun and engaging in organized chaos.

Except for one small thing, it’s like living in a Norman Rockwell painting. Right in the middle of these fields of fun is an elementary school. Each day on my morning commute I have the misfortune to pass through a school zone full of frenzied, caffeine-deprived soccer moms jockeying for position to drop their little ones off at the perfect spot.

This sounds like no big deal until you experience it first hand. Suddenly a quiet street turns into a heavy-metal combination of a demolition derby, death race, Indy 500 and bumper-car-ride full of median-strip-hopping SUVs the size of small airliners. Dropping off children is a competitive sport worthy of its own reality show.

I almost believe they can smell fear or hesitation from the inside of the Suburban. Be a second or two slow off the stop sign, and three cars have glided through the 4-way stop at the intersection (one from behind you). They’ll make kamikaze turns in front of you to drift-slide into a parallel parking spot like a Japanese racer. It’s like a pool of armored piranhas.

They come at you from all directions – U-turning, 3-point-turning (in about 16 points due to the overly large turning radius), stopping and waiting with the turn signal on for a parking spot that won’t be available until that driver gets off her cell phone, walks her son to the school, has a conference and cookie with the teacher, walks back, adjusts her makeup in the rearview mirror and checks every radio station in Houston for her favorite song before heading off to Starbucks^® for a Skinny Latte before yoga class.

The relentlessness of this race-for-the-door makes me a little crazy. At the center of this sturm und drang stand the gatekeepers who patiently wave the cars in, one after the other, to drop off the kiddos. These are the wizards of the walk and they have the power to banish an unruly mom for a second lap around the “fruit” loop before discharging the precious cargo. Even the person who two seconds ago was threatening to pull your intestines out through your teeth suddenly experiences extreme bursts of politeness and becomes as docile as a lamb when faced with the power of the gatekeepers.

What’s the takeaway for Certified Legal Nurse Consultants? Don’t run over the gatekeeper in your dash to the attorney’s office. Don’t be intimidated either. Gatekeepers control access but they have rules to do their job and as long as you obey the rules, or don’t bend them too far, you can get access. Be nice to them. Hard to believe as it may be, gatekeepers are people too. Pay them a compliment (”Gee, your hair is a nice shade of blue today – it complements your housecoat.”), bring them some of their favorite food (roasted wildebeest or brownies) and remember their birthdays (right before Lincoln’s). Be nice to the gatekeeper and they’ll be nice to you.

When all else fails, just call the attorney’s office and say “Hey Doris, this is your name here. Can you put me through to attorney’s first name here? She’s expecting my call.”

Good luck. Stay off the streets and up on the street lights where it’s safe.

Success Is Inside!

I know that many of you readers come here, read what you want, make use of the information you want and go about your day without ever leaving a comment. One of the main benefits of a blog is the ability to start a conversation directly with Vickie and the other legal nurse consulting readers.

So, if you have been a silent reader of this blog and want to know the benefits of leaving comments, let me give you some tips on why you should be doing it.

1. You’re Alerting Vickie to Who You Are.

If you regularly leave comments on this blog, Vickie will start to recognize your name. Don’t forget the other regular contributors and hundreds of Certified Legal Nurse Consultants who read it daily. They will start to recognize you also.

If you leave some really interesting comments, Vickie may even ask you to “guest blog” some day.

2. You’re Building a Strong Legal Nurse Consulting Community.

A CLNC^® community is built around CLNC^® consultants and their views. Leaving comments is a way of showing that you care and want to share your opinion with others, including Vickie. The comments can be a suggestion, feedback, appreciation or even constructive criticism. Just be sure they aren’t spammy or abusive.

So, even if you are just stopping by, make that little effort and write a comment, even if it’s just a line.

3. You’re Getting What You Want.

You should leave a comment because that’s how Vickie judges what her legal nurse consultants want. Also this is how you can get your questions answered rapidly.

4. You’re Adding Traffic to Your Site.

When you leave a comment, your name will link to your website. People click your link to see what other interesting stuff you write about. Obvious but true. You might get some CLNC^® subcontracting out of it.

5. You’re Connecting with Nurses and Potential Clients That also Read This Blog.

It’s well known that Vickie is the nation’s most recognized expert on legal nurse consulting. Doesn’t it make sense that some attorneys may subscribe also? An attorney searching for information on a particular subject in Google can easily stumble on one of these blog posts. Then they will see your insightful comments, determine you are an expert and give you a call.

I actually had one new client find me through a blog comment. I ended up billing this contact more than $100,000 over the next year. The people who read the same blog post as I did, but didn’t leave a comment that day, didn’t get the business.

Blogging is not only about the author saying her piece, it is also about going out and joining the conversation where it is happening. It’s about reaching out to people and exposing yourself to new ideas.

There is no greater way to brand yourself as a legal nurse consulting expert than to leave insightful and regular comments on a blog like this one…you may even get some new business out of it.

So, let’s start today…everyone leave a comment and introduce yourself to all the other blog readers.

Guest Blogger Profile

Brian Horn is an Internet marketing consultant who specializes in search engine marketing, site optimization, social media marketing, link building and web data analytics. Brian has consulted with Vickie Milazzo Institute for over three years.

Brian also speaks at seminars and conferences throughout the U.S. and Canada on how to use the Internet to improve business.

Let’s face it. Connectivity is king. The more we complain about getting away from things, the more we need to be connected whenever we get away. BlackBerries^® and iPhones^® have made being on the road a little more bearable. But we do need more than just email when we’re out of the office. Sure, those lucky legal nurse consultants who are iPhone users can surf the web, watch YouTube and listen to music, but for the legal nurse consulting “crackberry” users out there – we need the Internet and we need it fast!

What’s a business owner to do? Until recently, laptop owners were forced to limit ourselves to email and if we needed to communicate via a document, we had to boot up and head to Starbucks^®, camp out in the hotel lobby or line up for signal leakage outside the walls of the airline lounges. We’d go anywhere to find a free (or unsecured) wireless network, to get and stay connected. Even worse, in hotels we’re forced to pay high prices for unstable wired or wireless connections. So, what choice do we have? Not much more than to get up and shout, “I’m mad as can be and I’m not gonna take it anymore!”

Well now you don’t have to feel like roadkill on the information superhighway. Today can be your independence day as a CLNC consultant! Head on down to the nearest Verizon wireless store and buy a PC5750 wireless PC card or, to your AT&T store and buy a Sierra Wireless AirCard 881. These slick little Type II cards slide into a PCMCIA slot on your computer (USB models are available and work with MAC and PC) and, once activated, connect you to the Internet at a genuine broadband access rate of speed.

I’ve had a Verizon card for over a year now and it’s worked just about everywhere. I’ve checked email while on the van transfer from the airport, while on the runway (before they shut the cabin door) and even in traffic in the Big Apple (I wasn’t driving). It will free you from the vagaries of hotel wireless. And, best of all, in just about any area where you can get a cell signal, you can get on the Internet.

I recently test-drove the AT&T card and found its connectivity was less than perfect, but they’ve apparently upgraded their 3G network.

One caveat though, is that you have to watch your data transfer. Like many of the broadband providers will soon be doing, both AT&T and Verizon mobile networks have placed a cap on how much data you can transfer (stuff you can download) before you run into an overage charge. Verizon alone offers a low-end service of 50MB of transfer for $40/month and both AT&T and Verizon offer a mega-user service of 5GB of transfer (1,200 songs or 10 hours of video) for $60/month. Both services used to be unlimited but, no longer. Apparently they didn’t realize that people thought unlimited really meant unlimited. My guess is they’ll have to let you access an online meter so you can track how much data transfer you have left before going into overage charges.

Find out which provider has the better coverage in the areas you’ll be likely to use and then set yourself free! The cards can be pricey (there’s a rebate) and service isn’t cheap for a new Certified Legal Nurse Consultant, but if you’re a seasoned road warrior, one of these PC cards may be for you. Try playing one off against the other – remember what I say in my contracts lecture – “Everything is negotiable except your fee.”

There’s a bonus. If it works well at home, and you’re a one-computer CLNC^® business, you may even consider ditching your home broadband service.

Keep on techin’,

Tom