nurses

Engagement is about committing to achieve big. Talk about a group who is willing to engage or commit. Nurses are tycoons of engagement. Nurses commit themselves to situations that make normal people faint. Every nurse I know is fully committed – or maybe ready to be committed. We’ve all worked that shift. Nurses know how to engage and get things done. In the middle of horrendous situations, you instinctively triage on the fly – you resuscitate, defibrillate and medicate and then you go to work. Total engagement.

You have the strength of engagement. But are you willing to engage all the way in resuscitating yourself and your nursing career? There won’t be a code team coming to rescue you or your career. It’s entirely up to you. Resuscitating your career requires the same level of commitment you would give to a patient who just arrested, but is even more long term.

When I decided to start my legal nurse consulting business in 1982, I knew a lot of smart nurses who had dreams and ideas, but they didn’t do anything with them. They didn’t engage, they didn’t take action. They had their dreams, but they were disappointed. Some were bitter and angry. I’ve always said that dreams can make a person miserable, if you don’t ever act on them. It’s the action behind your dream that makes you happy.

When I launched my legal nurse consulting business, I had a full-time nursing job; so to succeed in my new business, I committed to take action every day. I learned that in the beginning it didn’t matter so much what I did, but that I did something. I was developing the habits and the discipline to make my legal nurse consulting business dream a reality. Whatever your dream is, you need to engage big. Start with the first 30 days. Turn that into 60 then 90. Success is in the motion and in getting the motion moving. You can’t start a business without starting something.

The more action you take, the easier it is to step out the next time. Anything you’re going for: career advancement, starting a CLNC^® business, improving a professional relationship – do something. Once you’ve committed to take action every day, then it’s time to focus on and engage in the impactful actions that give you the result you want.

What you engage and focus on is where you will yield results. You’ll need to break the feel-good addictions, and there are so many of them – checking email, surfing the Internet, watching TV and keeping up with your friends on Facebook – all of which take us away from big and important things. If you’re spending more than eight hours a day at work, you need to be extra vigilant about cutting out any feel-good addictions in order to have the maximum energy and focus for your CLNC^® business. The wrong focus might make you feel good about how many points you’ve scored in Mobster Wars or Farm-gate but, at the end of the day if all you’ve done is clicked your mouse, how’s that working for you and your dreams?

Where and how we focus also includes our families and friends. Society is complex, with family, friends, career, spiritual and social obligations. Nurses can handle a lot, and if we’re not careful, we find ourselves doggedly committing our energy to every person or situation that demands our time. My motto is nurses CAN do anything – not nurses SHOULD do everything. Set your own expectations for what you want to accomplish, stop being a commitment queen (for male nurses that’s commitment king) and shed the guilt for not doing everything for everybody.

It’s okay to say no. Say no to all the laundry, all the housework and all the carpools and preserve some time for your own dreams. Delegate. Your spouse and kids will benefit from participating in family life and learning new skills like washing dishes or sorting socks.

Engagement starts with choice. Choose the goal for your engagement with your passions and vision in mind. Resolve to engage in something big today.

Success Is Inside!

To be happy in a million ways

No man must stand alone with out-stretched hand before him

Let your heart be light

Children laughing, people passing, meeting smile after smile

Snowing and blowing up bushels of fun

A swell time to go gliding in a one-horse open sleigh

Jingle bells all the way

A bag filled with toys

All is merry and bright

Laughing all the way

Gone away is the blue bird, here to stay is a new bird

Time to rock the night away

Snow and mistletoe and presents on the tree

Homemade pumpkin pie

Star of wonder, star of night, star with royal beauty bright

Let it snow

To be a child again

Making spirits bright

Angels bending near the earth to touch their harps of gold

Peace on earth, good will to men

Joy to the world

Love and peace this day

Although it’s been said many times many ways:

Merry Christmas to You!

Success Is Inside!

We all know when we discover something we feel passionate about. We feel amazingly energetic. Desire is energy. Have you ever experienced a time when desire overcame all physical, emotional and intellectual barriers? Like a child waking up on Christmas morning, you spring alert full speed ahead. Why can’t we experience that passion – that vitality and energy – not only on Christmas but every day? Believe me, you can. When you wake up every day to a life and career that are your heart and soul, a life and career you’re passionate about, you experience maximum joy.

One of my passions was ignited in me when I was eight years old. For hours each day I taught an imaginary class. I was so absorbed with my class that my dad would come in and break it up to encourage me to play outside with my real friends. To this day I have no idea what I was teaching, but I was darned passionate about it.

At eight years old teaching was play. At 28, I turned that passion for teaching into a business, and I’ve been playing ever since. When I left my hospital job as an RN to start my legal nurse consulting business, I promised myself I would work only my passions. That decision proved more important than I realized. Along the way I’ve been tempted by many flattering and interesting offers, the most tempting of which was joining a powerful law firm as a partner my first year out of law school. But I always stop and listen to my heart. When we live and work our passions, we take an uncompromising approach. It means being honest with yourself and others about what you value.

As The New York Times reported, I “crossed nursing with the law and created a new profession” when I started teaching other nurses how to become legal nurse consultants. That’s the kind of BIG Thing that can happen when you commit to Promise 1, to living and working a passionate life.

Commit to Promise 1 right now and you’ll discover the passions that will propel you to a totally fulfilled future.

Success Is Inside!

I always joke that, “you couldn’t pay me to run the Houston Marathon.” But there are people who get paid to do just that. Marathon running can seem like a lonely sport but not all marathon runners run alone. Even marathon runners hire subcontractors (at least the ones who win enough races to be able to afford them)!

Deriba Merga, who won the Chevron Houston Marathon back in January, 2009 (setting a new Texas record) hired four runners, called “rabbits.” The rabbit’s job is to help him keep his target pace and keep the wind off of him. The rabbits are not going to finish the race (how could they?). Each rabbit is expected to start the race with him and then drop off at predetermined points along the way depending upon their own running ability. They often train with the main runner.

Nurses are a tough bunch. We learn early in our careers to be independent (Don’t worry – I’ll turn this 250-lb patient by myself) because we know better than to ask for help. As a Certified Legal Nurse Consultant, you need to change this mindset and start to think and act like a world-class marathon runner. The fastest way to expand your business is by subcontracting with other Certified Legal Nurse Consultants (CLNC^® consultants who have trained with you or you connected with at an NACLNC^® Conference). Like any world-class marathon runner, having great CLNC^® subcontractors will allow you to go the full 26+ miles, take a vacation and grow your legal nurse consulting business. Without CLNC^® subcontractors you can only bill for the limited number of hours you are able to work. The only way to fit 36 hours into a 24 hour day is with CLNC^® subcontractors.

Each additional legal nurse consultant you have working on your cases is an additional income stream. You can bill your attorney-clients your full hourly fee and pay your subs 50% of that fee. Subcontracting is what makes the difference between a part-time business and a booming shop. Have your CLNC^® subcontractors ready to go. That way, the next time an attorney tells you he has a bunch of cases, you can get your CLNC^® subcontractors on them quickly instead of saying “No, I’m too busy to take more than one case at a time.”

Even with CLNC^® subcontractors you are the one who has to run your legal nurse consulting business across the finish line. On that sunny January day in Houston, Deriba had to run the last nine miles (into a headwind) alone, after he left his last rabbit in the dust. He still set a record that day. Teyba Erkesso, who won the woman’s marathon that same day had a male rabbit who ran the entire race with her and she felt he contributed to her setting a record time. Think of subs as a multiplier. Instead of just one of you, now there’s a whole team of CLNC^® marathoners running beside you on your team. (Just don’t call them rabbits!)

I’ll be with you for the long run – just as long as it’s not the Houston Marathon.

Success Is Inside!

P.S. Read more on Subcontracting Do’s and Don’ts.

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!

Recession. Market downturn. Doom. Gloom. Bailout, schmailout. Nurses getting laid off in great numbers. In spite of all the negative headlines out there, according to the experts, a recession is actually your ticket to success as a Certified Legal Nurse Consultant. That’s right – kicking your legal nurse consulting business into high gear during a recession is a great idea.

It’s amazing, but true! Recessions are typically among the strongest times for new business startups. This means that the time to reignite your certified legal nurse consulting business is now.

5 Reasons Why a Recession Is the Best Time to Kick Start Your CLNC^® Consulting Business into High Gear

1. During a recession, injured people are more likely to pursue their legal rights and hold others accountable for their actions.
2. Fears of a downturn may cause fewer nurses to venture out from hospitals to become Certified Legal Nurse Consultants. That’s more attorney business for you.
3. Attorneys will worry about the cost of expensive MD experts who charge as much as $1,000/hr and quickly see the wisdom in relying more on cost-effective Certified Legal Nurse Consultants who charge $125-150/hr.
4. Lawyers will realize that they’re going to have to work harder to keep their clients happy – and they’ll need the specialized expertise of Certified Legal Nurse Consultants to do so.
5. Hospitals are freezing salaries and laying off nurses. Bonuses are unheard of. Your earning potential as a Certified Legal Nurse Consultant is unlimited.

“When everyone is running to the exits, the people that stand tall and firm almost always end up making a fortune. If you’re not yet in a business, this is the absolute prime time to get in.”

– Bill Bartmann (Self-Made Billionaire)

Success Is Inside!