legal nurse consultants

My father, Sal Milazzo, is a veteran. The Army took a skinny 106-pound young man from New Orleans and an Italian mess hall cook fattened him up to 125 pounds. When Sal wasn’t peeling potatoes on KP, he learned to box (that’s the black-eye in the photo). The Army sent dad to Fort Sill, Oklahoma for winter training and then trained him to fight an enemy hidden in snow. Using Army logic they sent him to the Pacific to fight the Japanese in places like Angaur and Peleliu during World War II. Dad’s younger brother, Frank, is an Army veteran too. He fought in the Korean War (for some reason politely called a police action).

Both of Tom’s parents are also veterans. His mom’s parents couldn’t see the value in spending money they didn’t have on a college education for a “girl.” So his mom went into the Army, rose to the rank of corporal and returned home from Germany (where she met Tom’s dad), to fund her own education using the GI Bill. Tom’s dad’s two older brothers fought in Korea. One brother won the Silver Star and stayed in the Army long enough to fight later in Vietnam. Tom’s dad bucked family tradition by joining the Navy and also served in Germany, breaking codes during the Cold War (he still works those cryptogram puzzles in the newspaper).

It’s stating the obvious to say we wouldn’t be here today without our veterans.

On this Veteran’s Day, I’d like to thank all the veterans out there, everyone who has served our beloved country and those still on active or reserve duty, in service to our country. At every one of my CLNC^® Certification Programs, I meet legal nurse consultants who are either serving or who have served as nurses in the various services. I also meet many who have children who are currently in uniform.

Americans have always stood up when called on, in times of war and in times of peace. Our National Guard troops helped my hometown of New Orleans after Katrina and, along with our regular services, are often called away from their own families to help others during and after various crises, all over the country and all over the world. Our military serves so many roles beyond the obvious and do so faithfully, as an all-volunteer force, often under-funded and under-supported but always there when called on.

I wish we could have a united world free of war and conflict. But, since we never have, to say we wouldn’t be here without our veterans is an understatement. Thanks to all of you and especially to you Dad.

Success Is Inside!

Once a year I drag Tom to a health spa in the desert for a week (he calls it the “bunny ranch” because of the predominance of salads, veggies and other healthy “rabbit” food on the menu). The spa I like has a great medical department along with its other amenities (massage, yoga, hiking, etc.). I go to get a medical check-up, nutritional evaluations and a fitness assessment with the goal of reigniting my commitment to wellness.

We try to eat pretty cleanly. Lots of healthy soups and two different versions of a killer roasted chicken (one with butter and garlic and one without) are examples of what we eat at home. I have to eat clean for half of the year because the other half of the year, I’m on the road for business or for pleasure. Out in the wild, just like in the hospital, it’s hard to keep to a healthy diet – especially with so many tasty items on the menu (most of them either fried or served with sour cream). I’ve learned to develop will power but it’s still hard passing up the bad for the good.

Nutritional integrity is like our own integrity. I always tell Certified Legal Nurse Consultants that integrity means always doing the right thing even when nobody is looking. Sure, when Tom isn’t around I could sneak a piece of southern fried chicken, a bowl of Haagen-Daas dulce de leche or some other tasty, but unhealthy treat. (I could probably do it with him because I know he’d gladly share it with me!) But the point is, making a decision to eat healthy means deciding to do so more often than not.

But let’s go back to the bunny ranch for a minute. The spa proclaims to be dedicated to healthy eating. They ban alcohol (even healthy red wine) from the premises, give the protein, carb, calorie and fat content of every item at every meal, but to me, they “cop out” in three areas. First, while they have cold herbal teas available (it’s necessary to stay hydrated in the desert), they also have lots of artificial sweeteners at every drink station. Second, they serve a lot of breads, French toast and pancakes at breakfast, sandwich choices at lunch and rolls at dinner. Third, there are ice cream, chocolate chip cookies and other desserts (all lovingly described down to the last gram of fat) at every meal.

I expect this blog to get a lot of dissenting comments, but to me the bunny ranch is copping out. My personal belief (and research backs me up) is that sugar is bad for us and Americans eat too much of it. Instead of helping to move bunny ranch survivors off of sweet drinks, they’re just shifting them to an alternative form of sweetness. In other words, enabling them (Sure it’s okay to eat Splenda^® – it’s sort of natural.).

I like a good dessert as much as the next person. I also know that there are other choices for dessert than ice cream (even if low calorie) or cookies or low-fat cheese cake. One of the women at the pool told me, “I love the deserts here – they’re so small compared to home and you can try two or three different ones!” When she goes home, her sweets habit has been reinforced – not altered. Why not shift her paradigm to consider fresh fruit as a dessert alternative to something sugary? I’m not anti-dessert but I’d rather spend my calories on something tastier than sugar and train other people to make healthy choices.

Before I come off like a total food-Nazi, this recent experience got me thinking about how easy it is for legal nurse consultants to cop out on your attorney-clients. Do you ever find yourself tempering your opinions of the medical or nursing care because you don’t want to give your attorney-client an opinion he doesn’t want to hear? Are you trying to “go along to get along?” Have you ever agreed with an attorney’s position just because you were afraid to take a stand? Have you said, “I’ll have to research that and get back with you” when you already know they’re wrong?

If you have, you’re not offering the full critical value that the attorney-client is paying you for. As a Certified Legal Nurse Consultant, you bring a wealth of experience and ability to a case and you have to be willing to take a stand and offer your own thoughts – not a reflection of someone else’s thoughts. One of my employees is called “the other voice.” She’s not afraid to take a stand, even when she’s wrong. As big of a pain in the butt as she can be, I know she’s thought through the issues pretty thoroughly and is offering her true opinion. I’d rather have her than any number of “yes-men” or “yes-women” around me.

You may need to be a bit diplomatic but in the long run, you’ll be appreciated for giving your full critical value. The truth may not always set you free and it may not always be appreciated, but you have to be willing to do what’s right – even if someone is looking.

See you at the bunny ranch and until then, stay off the sugar!

Success Is Inside!

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.

Certified Legal Nurse Consultants have long known that the pharmaceutical and medical device industries have a vested interest in not only making sure that their products get wide distribution on the market, but also that they gain favorable press coverage in the healthcare and mainstream media. The extent of the “full court press” they make to gain such coverage takes on different extremes. Everything from parties, trips, gifts and research sponsorships are used to help influence writers. Another popular but hidden measure is the use of ghostwriters. They are often hired by the pharmaceutical or device industries themselves to write the articles, which are then submitted under the signature of an “impartial” doctor. Sometimes the so-called “ghost” may simply have ties, such as a sponsorship from the related industry or manufacturer, but other times the ghost may actually be part of the industry being written about. Just to name a few, many of you will remember the controversy surrounding disclosures of this practice related to Fen-Phen, Vioxx^® and Premarin^®.

According to The New York Times, many major medical journals are taking baby-steps in the right direction to identify and hopefully stop this practice, while others are not yet committed to the process. The Public Library of Science in its PLoS Medicine journal has called for a “zero-tolerance” ban on such ghostwriting and has suggested various remedies, including sanctions in situations where the ghostwriting is not disclosed.

Given the fact that many medical and other healthcare providers rely on these journals for unbiased information to make decisions regarding the use of different drugs, devices and treatments or even when creating standards of care, policies and procedures, etc., the information should be free of slant, spin or other bias. But apparently this isn’t true or at least doesn’t happen as often as we would hope.

The author of an article should be the person or persons who wrote or contributed the majority of the article, not the person who signs their name to it or submits it to a medical journal or other publication. At the very least the ghosts should be disclosed in the article’s acknowledgments, contributions or references.

Unfortunately, it appears that the major medical journals have not completely adopted nor have they enforced this policy. I am also not aware of any research being done to determine whether the professional nursing journals have adopted a similar policy. Until an impartial organization looks into this, or at least until the nursing journals adopt a policy of transparency, we’ll have to assume that nursing journals have the same potential level of bias or influence as do the medical journals.

What should be done? First the journals (scientific, medical or nursing) should put into effect a sanction policy for those situations in which a ghostwriter, sponsorship or other potential for bias is later disclosed or discovered. The second is for those same journals to adopt a transparency policy which then should disclose such bias as soon as it is discovered.

It’s imperative that healthcare professionals and ultimately the consumer are able to fully trust professional journals. Until ghostwriting is “ghostbusted,” we’re not in a position to place that trust. Until that day, Certified Legal Nurse Consultants should continue to question and challenge the validity of research studies where indicated.

Success Is Inside!

Okay, I’ve got to admit something. You’ve heard me brag about my dual 20″ monitors on my desk. Here’s the confession. I’ve gotten to the point where I cannot work without two monitors staring me in the face. In my office, I keep my email open on one monitor (the right) so I can do the ADD thing as soon as something important that requires me to drop what I’m doing and immediately attend to someone else’s problem, drops into my email box. I do turn off the sound so the pinging doesn’t drive me totally bonkers.

The left (really center) monitor is my workspace. This is where I do the important things (write my Tuesday Tech Tips, surf the Internet and occasionally some real work). I’m constantly mousing back and forth between the two monitors. If I’m editing documents, I’ll keep one document open on one monitor and drag another to the other. I even accidentally discovered that in Outlook you can right click the calendar or email icons at the bottom left and open either in a new window! That way when I’m putting a deadline from an email into my calendar or preparing another list of my availability dates to send to President Obama, I don’t have to depend on my bad memory, I just look back and forth.

Legal nurse consultants, if you haven’t tried duals you’re missing out. These are even more fun than using tabbed browsing in Firefox to look at multiple websites. The possibilities are endless. I haven’t tried spreading a spreadsheet across the two… maybe later. Think about working on your reports for your attorney-clients. You can have the scanned medical records on one screen and your report on the other while doing research in the background.

“Tom,” you might be wondering, “you’re a lowly laptop user – how did you plug two monitors into a laptop?” Well the answer is simple. I’ve got my dock, and my dock has two different outputs on the back for monitors – a standard VGA output (old school) for the monitor I put on top of the dock’s built-in stand and a DVI output (modern). Probably the designers figured people would have one type of monitor input (VGA or DVI) so they were building-in choice. By buying a second monitor with the DVI output, I was able to plug in a second monitor!

Newer docks are already on the DVI bandwagon and often come with two DVI outputs as well as the one good old VGA output. Check carefully before you buy. After you get your dock, you simply match your monitors to the output and away you go!

If you don’t yet own a dock (or port-replicator in geek-speak) you can still run duals on your laptop. You simply plug a second monitor into your laptop’s output (VGA or DVI) then boot up the laptop keeping the screen open. Once it’s booted, right-click anywhere on the screen (desktop in geek-speak). Click Properties, click Settings and tell it to Extend my Windows Desktop onto this monitor or specify both monitors as Attached depending upon what you see. If you plug a keyboard and mouse into the laptop, you don’t have to keep it up close and can even mount it on a laptop stand to raise the screen to eye level.

Now it gets cool. You can drag the monitor icons on the Settings screen left or right. This allows you to place your second screen to the left or right of your main and then roll your mouse off the left or right (depending upon where you place your monitor) of your screen and right onto the second monitor. Your cursor can fly through the thin air between two monitors!

Desktop owners, don’t start crying in your beer (or Perrier) yet. You may be able to do the same trick since most newer desktop computers support dual monitors right out of the box. You could be ready and not even know it. Look on the back of your computer (don’t sneeze from the dust). If you can find more than one VGA or DVI outputs on the video card that sticks out from the back of your computer, then you’re ready to go. Buy a second monitor with inputs that match your free output, plug it in and follow the steps above to activate it.

If you only have one output (VGA or DVI) you can haul your computer to the local geek store and they can drop in a second video card or replace your current one with a card that has dual monitor support for under $100. If you really want to create monitor envy in your friends, instead of replacing your old single card – add the second dual port card. Then, if you have the wall space, you can have three monitors! You’ll triple your work output.

There is one other option for the spacially challenged. At home, I don’t have the desk space for duals, instead I had to compromise and install just one freakin’ huge 26″ wide-screen monitor. YEAH, BABY! It’s like sitting in the first row of a movie theater and I love it. It’s big enough that I can open two slightly narrower versions of the dual windows I use at work without feeling (too) compromised by the smaller space and it keeps me from getting claustrophobic. If you don’t have enough desk space for duals, take my advice and do the next best thing, “Go wide, young CLNC^® consultant!”

Time to tech-out here, so think about the duals. I’ve got to warn you – they’re addictive. Now, when I’m on a plane, train or automobile and I’m working from my laptop’s single (but wide) screen I can just about scream from frustration when I can’t work in the dual manner and style to which I have become accustomed.

Keep on techin’,

Tom

P.S. Comment and share your experiences with dual or more! monitors.

On February 4th I gave an assignment for all Certified Legal Nurse Consultants attending the 2009 NACLNC^® Conference to go see the movie Slumdog Millionaire and to identify Jamal’s maverick entrepreneurial moves. For those of you who couldn’t join us in San Antonio, read the brief overview of my conference opening below.

I will start by confessing that the only reason I saw the movie was because of the acclaim it was receiving. Frankly, I didn’t have the high hopes for Slumdog Millionaire that the critics had. It was directed by Danny Boyle and the last movie of his – Trainspotting – I walked out of.

Set in Mumbai, India, Slumdog Millionaire unravels the main character Jamal, who lives in a slum and against all odds, escapes by evolving into a true entrepreneurial maverick. The movie opened with a torture scene and just when I was packing up my popcorn to leave, suddenly the scene switches to Jamal, as a little kid, diving into a filthy toilet, and before I knew it, I’m sitting back down, laughing so hard I’m falling out of my seat.

What made it funny is – it isn’t even a toilet. It’s a squat hole with a 4-foot drop into a pit – filled with you know what.

Locked in the outhouse for this squat hole, Jamal’s first maverick move is when he plunges himself through the squat hole and literally, into the sh*t. Covered head-to-toe with excrement he uses that to his advantage to push his way through a crowd and ask a famous Indian movie star for his autograph.

And some of you are afraid to walk up to an attorney in your best suit and ask for a case.

Then, after losing his mother at age 5, he and his brother survive by scavenging dumps for scrap materials to sell.

You already know that some of the best marketing strategies are free. But when’s the last time you made a maverick move and scavenged your old attorney-clients for new cases?

Soon the brothers are abducted by a gangster who steals children off the street with the plan of maiming them and sending them back out to beg. Jamal doesn’t mind begging – but he’s not about to settle for being maimed, so he and his brother find a maverick way to escape.

Let me ask you, are you settling and accepting something in your CLNC^® business that you shouldn’t?

We next see Jamal stealing shoes at the Taj Mahal to resell in the market.

Overhearing the guides taking tourists around the Taj, Jamal, in another maverick move, promotes himself to self-professed and self-educated tour guide, filling the tourists with facts he makes up as he goes along.

When’s the last time you tackled something that you’re not an expert on? That’s maverick.

As an uneducated young adult, he works as a “tea wallah” delivering refreshments to employees in a call center. A job he uses in true maverick manner to locate his missing brother and, against all odds, to catapult himself onto the Indian version of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.”

On the show, the host secretly tells him the answer to a question but he doesn’t trust it. He goes with his gut and this uneducated slumdog chooses a different answer instead – and wins. That’s a true maverick.

When is the last time you ignored someone’s “expert” advice and came out the winner?

Now I’m not advocating you start running scams on your attorney-clients or make uneducated guesses about your cases. We will leave that to your competitors.

What struck me about the movie was the spirit, the life force and the maverick qualities embodied by Jamal. His entire life he faces terrible adversity and yet you don’t see that stopping him.

One door closes in his face and he forces another one open, each time using his life experiences to succeed.

Let me ask you: What would your CLNC^® business be like if you never gave up?

Now I know this is just a movie. But what if you allowed yourself to have Jamal’s maverick entrepreneurial spirit?

Like life, Slumdog Millionaire is not all feel-good. Parts of it are painfully harsh. But in the end, it’s the story of a little boy who teaches you the greatest tools of the entrepreneur – maverick persistence, hope and optimism.

Jamal never gave up hope, never gave up trying and never gave up on himself.

Two of the child-actors in the movie were actually from the slum and ended up, against impossible odds, walking the Red Carpet, spending a day at Disneyland and receiving a hero’s welcome when they returned to Mumbai. If opportunities are there for the slumdog Jamals of the world, why not for you?

This story reminds me that life is meant to be good.

Who wants to be a millionaire?

What’s stopping you?

Go out.

Get started today.

My motto is: We are nurses and we can do anything!

Success Is Inside!

P.S. Thanks again to all for a great Conference. Comment to share your best maverick entrepreneurial techniques you learned from Slumdog Millionaire.

Saturday night I attended the 2009 Pink Tie Gala, and was honored with the Hope Award for Ambassadorship as a corporate sponsor for the 2008 Komen Houston Race for the Cure^®.

Judge Ed Emmett, Vickie Milazzo, Marjorie Landry

Over 27 years certifying legal nurse consultants and operating a woman-owned business, I’ve been graced with many honors and awards. This one is very personal and special to me because of my Mom.

My Mom, Marise

Many of the women I mentor won’t “go for it” because of their fears. One thing that helps me go for it is perspective. My mom, Marise, gave me that. She came from Tickfaw, a small town in Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana, and she always dreamed of traveling. She read books that took her to the Eiffel Tower, Big Ben, the Sistine Chapel and she planned on visiting all of them. Then she met Sal, my dad, and they married and lived in the big city – New Orleans.

My Mom and Dad, Marise and Sal

During those early, struggling years she still dreamed but often said, “When we have enough money, we’ll travel.” But then she had three children, and she said, “When the kids are grown and out of the house, then we’ll travel.”

My Family – I’m the shy one sitting on Mom’s lap

Finally, the kids were out of the house – and my mom died – at age 48 from breast cancer. Her travel dreams never came true.

Are you waiting to live your dreams? And if yes, what are you waiting for? When you get enough money? When you lose enough weight? When your business is perfect? When your spouse is perfect? Don’t wait. My mom’s death taught me that the time is now. When I’m afraid to take a risk, which is quite often, I honor my mom by asking myself, “What’s the worst thing that can happen?” The perspective of knowing it’s not cancer or death helps me to do the thing I fear.

It’s perfectly okay to admit that a commitment is not right for you and to reject it outright. After all, this is your life, not someone else’s.

What’s not okay is to hold back and put less than everything into a commitment that is your passion. If you want something, go for it all the way and go for it now. When you do, you’ll wake up every day to a life and a legal nurse consulting business you love. This is the message I’ve been sharing for 27 years with Certified Legal Nurse Consultants and women everywhere.

All of you know my business mission is to certify legal nurse consultants as not just the best, but the only, solution for attorneys who litigate medical-related cases. My personal mission is to see deaths from breast cancer eradicated in my lifetime. To this end I actively sponsor Susan G. Komen and support their mission to do the same. Each year an Institute team has walked (and occasionally run) the Race for the Cure^®. I’ve sponsored booths, donated time, money and my book Inside Every Woman: Using the 10 Strengths You Didn’t Know You Had to Get the Career and Life You Want Now – all of it for my mother and other women who needlessly lose their lives, body parts and confidence to breast cancer.

Mom, over the years I have felt you watching out for me. Often you were laughing and smiling. I felt your tears mingle with mine. And yes, I’m ashamed to say, I’ve felt the occasional frown of disapproval.

Saturday night was for you. Thank you for the beautiful legacy you give to my life and taught me to share with others.

Success Is Inside!

Even though I grew up in New Orleans, I love Texas, where I’ve lived since my college days. I agree with native Texans who say you never have to leave the state to experience what all the other states can offer put together. So, for the students and Certified Legal Nurse Consultants coming to the 2009 NACLNC^® Conference on the San Antonio Riverwalk, March 12-13, 2009, here are just 15 fun ways for you to enjoy your Texas-sized weekend.

1. Stroll the Riverwalk. Almost 2½ miles of footpaths, shade, restaurants, secret gardens and shopping. It’s magical in the evening when the trees are lit up, and your mouth waters from the delicious aromas coming from the fantastic array of restaurants.
2. Have tacos for breakfast. It’s the Texas way to start your day. Spice it up with some chorizo (Mexican sausage). Margaritas are optional.
3. Remember the Alamo! Yes you can’t go to San Antonio without a visit. Make sure you see Davy Crockett’s buckskin vest (bring your own coonskin cap).
4. Visit the Menger Hotel. Have a drink in the bar where Teddy Roosevelt recruited cowboys, cattle rustlers and Texas Rangers to form the Rough Riders he later led to fame in the famous charge up San Juan Hill. Take a wander around the hotel while you’re there – you may see a ghost (even before that drink).
5. Do your souvenir shopping at Market Square. You’ll find all the marimbas, maracas, piñatas, sombreros and coonskin caps you can carry as you walk these fun, pedestrian-only streets.
6. Take a meal at Mi Tierra Cafe y Panaderia. A San Antonio landmark, at least for tourists. It’s a great place to eat your first baby goat (cabrito – a Mexican delicacy). If someone’s already gotten your goat, then go to the panaderia (bakery) for some terrific Mexican-style pastries – a great choice any time of day!
7. Visit the world-famous Buckhorn Saloon and Museum. Proudly serving beer since 1881, it’s also home to the Hall of Texas History Wax Museum. Speaking of horny, it has over 1,200 trophy mounts from more than 500 species and “Old Tex,” the world’s largest mounted longhorn with horns that span eight feet, nine inches.
8. If you have a car, take a potty break at the Toilet-Seat Museum. It’s just ten minutes north of the city and I don’t think I need to say any more.
9. Military nurses might want to visit the Army Medical Department Museum at Fort Sam Houston (just one of four military bases in the San Antone area).
10. Eat a moveable feast by arranging for dinner on any of the barges that float up and down the San Antonio River – it’ll be a night to remember.
11. Think your spouse has big feet? Then go see the world’s largest pair of cowboy boots at the North Star Mall near the airport. At almost 40-feet tall and 20-feet long they’re even bigger than my husband’s feet.
12. Beat the heat with a root beer at Schilo’s Deli that is served in a frosted mug with a frothy head. Schilo’s has been a local destination since 1917. My favorite reason to go there – your second mug is free!
13. Ride to the top of the Tower of the Americas and look out over the beautiful Texas Hill Country – you can even wave to your ground-hugging CLNC^® friends far below.
14. Take a walking tour of San Antonio’s first neighborhood. La Villita is now a thriving art community that stands as a monument to San Antonio’s past.
15. Send your family to Six Flags Fiesta Texas for the day. They can feel like Superman on the Krypton Coaster, beat the heat in the water park or just hang out in the kiddie park. Whatever the age of your children – 5-55, they’ll love it!

Before you set out on your maverick tour of San Antonio, remember to come prepared to keep the pace at the 2009 NACLNC^® Conference.

• Come relaxed and ready to discover new ideas. The NACLNC^® Conference is much more fun when you’re rested, and you’ll learn so much more if you leave your stress behind.

• Pack energy bars, raw nuts and other healthy snacks to maintain your energy. The “Betcha Can’t” margaritas wear off quickly.

• Bring plenty of business cards to swap out with the 1,000 new CLNC^® friends you’ll meet.

• Go online and print the NACLNC^® Conference textbook sessions you plan on attending.

Have a great trip and check back on March 11, 2009 to read my tips on how to Master New Unconventional Strategies During the 2009 NACLNC^® Conference.

Success Is Inside!

P.S. Comment on your favorite fun things to do in San Antonio.

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.

A headline in the January 8, 2009, issue of The Wall Street Journal “Hospital Scrubs Are a Germy, Deadly Mess,” caught my eye. The article discusses how hospital scrubs and other garments carry infection, not only around the hospital but outside it too.

A headline in the December 2008 issue of Lawyers USA reads “Hospitals Face Infection Suits.” This article covers, guess what, the increased number of infection suits facing hospitals.

The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) adds certain SSIs and other infections to its list of nonreimbursible “Never Events.”

And, can you guess what the cover article is in the January 2009 issue of Nursing Management (the journal of excellence in nursing leadership)? It’s an article discussing the debate over nursing uniform colors, combinations and identity (as well as patient preference and perception).

Give me a break. I don’t care what you wear as long as you’re not killing me with it. I cannot stand to see a doctor, nurse or even someone who’s probably a med-tec standing around my local Starbucks in their scrubs. Even worse –
a healthcare provider in scrubs or lab coat fondling the veggies in my local supermarket. I can’t assume she’s taking that cucumber to work, so I’m guessing she’s just spreading germs on her way home.

The CDC estimates that more than 2,000,000 hospital-acquired infections result in over 90,000 deaths. What about the civilians who are being infected outside of the hospital? Talk about an issue ripe for Certified Legal Nurse Consultants – I feel like a pig at a feeding trough.

When I entered nursing the color was white (the color of purity). Nurses wore clean white uniforms. We shined our shoes (not “Crocs”) and yes, even wore (anyone remember this?) caps. What’s the point? We looked clean, we were clean and you didn’t see a nurse in white outside the hospital. I constantly tell Tom those nurses you see collecting money outside the mall AREN’T REALLY NURSES.

Today, we’ve got multiple piercings, exposed midriffs and our choice of uniform – if you can call it that. I call some of it inappropriate wear.

I’m not calling to revert back to aprons (although they are being tried in Britain). But I am asking that hospitals go back to laundering scrubs and not allowing them out of the hospital.

The same nurse who won’t touch the door handle in the restroom thinks nothing of wearing those Ebola-ridden scrubs when she picks up her kids to hug them.

Study after study shows that where docs and nurses go infection follows. Why aren’t our nursing executives discussing a real issue – infection, disease and death – instead of the colors of our scrubs? You tell me. And, if you’re one of the offenders, stay out of my neighborhood Denny’s.

Success Is Inside!