Vickie Milazzo Institute

The 2011 NACLNC^® Eastern Caribbean Conference Cruise will be here before we know it. Whether you’re a veteran cruiser or a first-timer, I want all Certified Legal Nurse Consultants to have a good time and smooth sailing. Please pay special attention to these important instructions.

1. Make Sure You Have Your Passport to Fun! You and everyone in your party will need a current and valid passport not only to board the ship but to get back into the United States when we return. Conversely, if you meet an attorney in St. Thomas, you can jump ship, stay for a meeting, then fly back to the States later. Don’t worry if you don’t look like your photo now – you will by the end of the cruise and La Migra will let you back into the country anyway.
2. If You Want to Take Your Children and Bring Them Back, Make Sure They’re Papered. If you’re bringing a minor child and their last name differs from yours, you’ll need family legal documents allowing you to take the child out of the country, including a passport and possibly a notarized or certified copy of the child’s birth certificate. THIS IS IMPORTANT: You don’t want to find out that you have to leave your child unattended at the port for the week, or can’t bring him back into the country afterwards.
3. Here’s a Tip – Pay Your Tips in Advance. Your gratuities can be prepaid, and I’m sure you’ll want to because of the great service. There are recommended gratuities for the dining room waiter, assistant waiter and head waiter for bringing you plate after plate of delicious food. Then there’s your stateroom attendant who cleaned up after you all week. You can prepay in advance or just wait until the last night of the cruise to add the tips to your final bill.
4. Here’s Another Tip – All Drinks Have Tips Added In. Speaking of tipping, anytime you buy a drink for me or one of your CLNC^® colleagues, the ship will conveniently add a 15% gratuity. Plan ahead if you’re on a budget.
5. Leave Your Cash at Home Where It’s Safe. Cash is not accepted onboard. Instead, you’ll use your SeaPass^® card which functions as your ID, instant credit and cabin key.
6. Know Who You Are Before You Leave. The name on your cruise reservation must match the name on your passport or legal documentation. If it doesn’t, contact University at Sea^® at 800.422.0711 and fix it today.
7. Don’t Take a Pass on the Sodas or Wine. Buy your wine package ahead of time by calling 800.398.9819. This will keep you from having to wait in line once you’re onboard and you can spend your time doing more valuable things like tanning. If you want a fountain soda package, you’ll need to purchase it onboard, so if you don’t want to wait in line this would be a good time to quit your Coke^® habit.
8. Check-In Early to Save Time. Once all of the above is done, check in online at Royal Caribbean’s website using the “Before You Board” page just like you would an airline. If you haven’t done this yet, you can do it today and it will save time when you arrive at Port Canaveral. You do have to complete this no less than three days before sailing.
9. Don’t Miss the Boat. Be sure to get to the ship on time. It’s a lot easier to catch before it leaves the dock. I’m not kidding about this. If you need to, fly in the night before. You want to be sure you’re onboard when your ship sails! Consider trip insurance if you’re coming from a delay-prone airport. Also, Saturday, March 12th, Daylight Savings Time begins. Set your clocks forward one hour and make sure to set an alarm clock (you can’t rely on the hotel’s wake-up calls).
10. Travel Fast and Light. Carry a small bag onboard (meds, change of smart casual clothes and bathing suit) so you can start having fun the moment you get onboard and before your suitcase gets delivered to your room.
11. You Can Dress Them Up – But You Still Have to Take Them Out. We’d all like to see our man looking like James Bond in his tuxedo but to be honest, March of the Penguins was so last year. Formal nights aren’t as formal as they used to be. Men can get away with suits and ties and ladies can opt for cocktail dresses instead of formals. Or you can opt to go all the way. After all, when was the last time you got to do that?
12. You Can Blow Dry Your Hair But Not Iron It. When you’re dressing for formal night, keep in mind that that the ship will provide a hairdryer (low temperature) in your cabin but not an iron. Just hang the item in a steamy (but empty) shower for a few minutes.
13. Forget About the Dirty Laundry. You can have laundry done on the ship or you can just pack enough clean clothes so that you won’t need to do laundry. They can also press your clothes for a fee.
14. Disconnect – You Deserve It. Bring your cell phone, but don’t use it once we leave Port Canaveral. You may get a signal offshore but it will be at international roaming rates. Check with your cellular carrier for exceptions. For example, St. Thomas is billed by AT&T at regular U.S. rates, but if you use your AT&T phone while on the ship, even for email, you’ll be subject to maritime roaming costs (trust me it’s expensive!).
15. Really Disconnect – Email Can Wait Until You Get Home. You’ll have to buy your Internet access from the ship or else hit an Internet café while you’re in port. Better yet, rather than spending your port days checking email, let everyone know in advance that you’ll be on a week-long class-cation. They’ll understand. Give them and your family the ship’s emergency number of 888.724.7447 just in case a real emergency occurs.
16. Limit Your Duty-Free Purchases. Speaking of ports, cruise lines are pretty smart and won’t let you bring any alcohol onboard. If you buy duty-free alcohol while in a port, the ship will hold it and deliver it to you when you disembark. Then you’ll need to pack it in your luggage for the flight home. Better yet, don’t buy any – the extra couple of dollars you save won’t offset the dry-cleaning cost if a bottle breaks in your packed bags. Save your duty-free purchases for important things like jewelry and cheap souvenirs.
17. Give Yourself Some Credit. While you’re in port, they’ll be happy to take dollars, pennies, pounds or pesos. Major credit cards are also accepted with Visa and MasterCard a little more widely than American Express (but don’t leave home without it anyway).
18. Pack It So You Can Stuff It. Soft-sided or duffel-type luggage will fit in places hard luggage won’t. You’ll also need a small bag (same one you boarded with) for the last night of the cruise. On the last night, you must put your luggage outside leaving you with only a carry-off or small rolling bag for your essentials.

Success Is Onboard!

The weather has finally turned to fall here in Houston. This means that for a too-short period of time, those summer days of 104+ degrees are gone. Our recent mornings have been in the low 60’s, what we currently consider “crisp.” Morning is my favorite time and Tom and I are out well before the sun comes up for a walk around our “hood.” Yesterday morning was a little extra crisp so I went to get a light jacket and also noticed my hiking gear, my arctic gear, my rain gear and even my diving gear.

When Tom and I walked out of the house, we were laughing about the fact that we have all the right gear for just about everything and that we are committed to putting it to more use this winter. There aren’t many mountains to climb here in Houston and I can’t remember the last time I needed a parka that’s best suited for the Antarctic winter. The boat pants and high boots I use for climbing in and out of zodiacs have come in handy with some of our rain storms – but the rest of the gear sits and waits for the proper vacation.

You have gear (tools) in your legal nurse consulting business too. Putting all the gear you have to use is just as important to your legal nurse consulting business as is using all the clothing and gear in your life. Vickie Milazzo Institute gives you the CLNC^® gear you need to create a successful business as a Certified Legal Nurse Consultant. Many of you buy computers, set up home offices and with the help of the CLNC^® LaunchBox, turn out perfect promotional materials. But then, in the words of one CLNC^® consultant, you get “professional bradycardia” and you don’t put that gear to use.

I’ve joked in the past about a souvenir t-shirt from one of our diving trips that says, “You can run out of air and die. You can get bitten by a shark and die or you can fall off the couch and die. Get off the couch!” You won’t fail, but more importantly, you can’t succeed until you take your tools and get to work.

Between your nursing knowledge and experience and the CLNC^® Certification Training Program from the Institute, you’ve got the all the right gear you need to succeed. Make a plan and get started on the path to CLNC^® success today, even if that means getting off the couch first or pulling the gear you need out of your legal nurse consulting closet.

I look forward to seeing you at the top and hearing your CLNC^® Success Story.

Success Is Inside (once you get started)!

I’d like to offer special congratulations to one of my staff members, Evie Baron-Hernandez, who recently walked the stage to receive her college diploma. Many of you know Evie and she’s a model of commitment, both to Vickie Milazzo Institute for 13 years and to getting her degree.

Evie obtained her degree online while juggling a career, a beautiful 6-year-old son, her extended family and her wonderful husband. Many people’s lives and Vickie Milazzo Institute would not be the same without her. I was so pleased to be able to celebrate her success with her and her family at not just one but two fun graduation parties. Here’s a quick video of how Evie did it and what she wants you to know about launching and growing your CLNC^® business.

Welcome all Certified Legal Nurse Consultants who are taking the stage for legendary CLNC^® success in Nashville for the 2010 NACLNC^® Conference. I hope you’re as thrilled as I am about this year’s show-stopping performances by the CLNC^® Pros, keynote speaker, Genevieve Bos and Tom’s comedy.

Since our Conference theme is Take the Stage for Legendary CLNC^® Success, here are some tips that will help you discover the award-winning secrets to achieve legendary CLNC^® stardom.

1. Stay connected with me and your CLNC^® peers on Facebook throughout the NACLNC^® Conference. Share the sessions you’re loving, the restaurant you just discovered, a new idea for your CLNC^® business, etc.
2. Kick off Day 1 with my Opening Session, Take the Stage for Legendary CLNC^® Success followed by the NACLNC^® Top 10 with Tom Ziemba.
3. Turn off your cell phone, pager, chiming watch and any other stress-producer you’ve brought with you. This is not only a courtesy to your fellow CLNC^® peers, but also a courtesy to yourself, honoring all you’ve invested to be here. (No texting either.)
4. Limit checking your email, voicemail, text messages or calling home to just once a day. But, do visit me on Facebook throughout the day to network with your CLNC^® conference peers.
5. Be open to all the new recommendations so you can achieve legendary CLNC^® success with your legal nurse consulting business.
6. Meet and get to know two new CLNC^® consultants at each break and reception. Eat lunch and dinner each day with three CLNC^® consultants you don’t know. Sell your expertise to each other. You are each other’s best resources for future CLNC^® subcontractors and experts.
7. Practice positive masterminding. Connect with two other CLNC^® consultants and mastermind together at the end of the day. Each of you will process and apply information differently. Focus only on positive ideas for your CLNC^® business. By coming together, you’ll take home new strategies you wouldn’t think of alone.
8. Don’t miss a session. Go in positively knowing that a single idea can increase your profitability 1%, 5%, even 10% and more.
9. At each session, write down at least one action step you will take to grow your CLNC^® business.
10. Commit to learn one thing from each speaker. While every presentation is packed with useful information for you, the key is being in the right mindset to grab the ideas when they come your way. I once attended a seminar where only 5% of the information was interesting and fresh. But the ideas I got from that 5% added to the growth of my company by as much as 10%. Because I was committed to learning, my mind was ready when the “good stuff” was presented.
11. Take the information presented and create your own new ideas. My goal when I sit in on a session is to come up with ideas that are even better than any I get from the speaker. This mindset will help you achieve a unique CLNC^® business – not a look-alike imitation of someone else’s.
12. Take it easy. If you allow yourself to get frustrated about anything – an airport delay or the person sitting next to you – you’re the only one who will suffer. Stay loose. If you aren’t happy with the person sitting next to you, sit next to someone else in the next session or get up and move. Stay upbeat and attract positive energy.
13. Exercise daily – even for only 20 minutes. Take a brisk walk through the hotel (the Gaylord is like a small city) and renew yourself. Visualize your CLNC^® experience as you indulge in a massage or relax in a hot tub.
14. Treat yourself to the NACLNC^® river dinner cruise, Monday March 15 on the General Jackson to network in a new way.
15. Remember to put on your comfortable CLNC^®Wear so everyone in Nashville will know you are a Certified Legal Nurse Consultant.

Check back on March 17, 2010, when you can read my tips in How to Top the Charts After the 2010 NACLNC^® Conference.

Success Is Inside!

Here at Vickie Milazzo Institute we are counting the days until the 2010 National Alliance of Certified Legal Nurse Consultants (NACLNC^®) Conference in Nashville! I am so excited about the hotel (Gaylord Opryland Hotel) this year. Staying at the Gaylord is like being in your own city – 40-acres of fun galore, so you will not even have to leave the hotel. But in case you do, here are 20 legendary ways to experience Nashville.

1. Take a ride down the Honky Tonk Highway if you like country music and longnecks (and if you’ve never had a longneck, you should try one). Clubs like Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge (Patsy Cline, Willie Nelson and Kris Kristofferson all sang here), Legends Corner and Second Fiddle still host drop-in celebrity musicians and are great places to heat up a Spring evening.
2. Have a grand time at the Grand Ole Opry. There’s more to Opryland than just Hee-Haw. For more than 80 years, live radio shows have been broadcast every Friday and Saturday night from this grand home of country music. If you’re in town early for the Conference or choose to stay afterwards, this is a must-do. By the way – this isn’t the original home of the Opry – but more on that later!
3. Visit the “Home of 1,000 Hits.” Ever heard a song by Elvis, Roy Orbison or Dolly Parton? If so, there’s a good chance it was recorded at RCA Studio B on Music Row. Take some time to make a pilgrimage to a truly historic location.
4. Pay homage to the “Man in Black.” Stop by Johnny Cash’s grave and pay tribute to one of the greatest country music personalities and singers ever. Before you go, rent the movie Walk the Line and get a feel for the life and times of the legendary “Man in Black.” When you create your own CLNC^® legacy you’ll know what detours to avoid. His grave is really in Henderson but shoot, you’re this close already so why not go by?
5. Count the Elvis statues in downtown Nashville. I’m sure I didn’t see them all.
6. Do something truly off-beat and take a “Nash-Trash Tour” lead by the famous (or infamous) “Jugg Sisters.” You’ll take a large pink bus to where some of the most famous country singers have performed (including the Nashville jail), hear celebrity gossip, fun stories and generally laugh your way through the city.
7. Realize that you do know Jack – Daniels that is. Just 20 minutes outside Nashville is the Jack Daniel’s Distillery. It’s an extremely interesting, free tour and the grounds are just beautiful. But don’t expect any free samples because for some odd reason they built the distillery in a dry town (Lynchburg).
8. Stick around after Conference for St. Patrick’s Day and celebrate the 17th with a green beer after a trip to St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in east Nashville. The church dates from the late 1800s and is one of two “second empire”-style buildings in Nashville. If you don’t like old architecture – skip the church and go straight for a Guiness^® at Findley’s Irish Pub in the Opryland Hotel or any of the Irish pubs in Nashville.
9. Speaking of church, make time to visit Ryman Auditorium, also known as “The Mother Church of Country Music.” Built in 1881, this is the original home of the Grand Old Opry (1943-1974) and is filled with more memories than your great-grandmom’s attic. Check out the bronze statue of Minnie Pearl and look for the price tag on her hat.
10. Make some new friends. Nashville residents love visitors and are some of the most welcoming people I’ve ever met. Just remember when you order ice tea that swait tea means sweet tea and I do mean sweet, honey.
11. Take a drive to visit the Belle Meade Plantation. Dating from 1853, this is a Greek revival (What is it with Nashville and Greece?) mansion that was part of a 5,400-acre thoroughbred farm. The so-called “Queen of Tennessee Plantations” is a wonderful visit and the tour includes the Dunham’s station log cabin, plantation mansion itself, slave quarters, dairy and horse stables. The outside of the house still shows evidence of bullet holes from the Civil War.
12. Go celebrity spotting at the Loveless Cafe. This is sort of a pilgrimage because there’s a fairly good chance you might even see Elvis chowing down on their world famous biscuits and southern fried chicken. Leave your cholesterol outside, this is food to die for (or from). Buy yourself one of their “Praise the Lard and pass the biscuits” T-shirts. I promise you’ll have fun – clot my heart and hope to die.
13. Take a trip back in time and I mean waaaaay back. The centerpiece of Centennial Park is a recreation of the Greek Parthenon. Originally built for the 1897 Centennial Exposition, its features direct castings from the real Parthenon. There’s no Greek food but there is a great art collection (it’s Nashville’s art museum) and a 42-ft. tall statue of Athena, Greek goddess of wisdom. If you’re traveling with a culture snob, drop them here and then go have some honky tonk fun.
14. Eat at a Waffle House. It’s a Southern thang. They serve more than waffles but that’s the sole reason to go there. Elbow your way to the counter and sit between the sheriff and the deputys (Isn’t that Boss Hogg?). Don’t worry about your cholesterol and make sure you add a big scoop of whupped butter before you cover your waffles in syrup. If you don’t come home sticky, you didn’t fully immerse yourself in the experience.
15. Send your husband off for the day to see the statue of Sgt. Alvin York outside of the Tennessee State Capitol building. The World War I hero, Congressional Medal of Honor winner and Quaker hailed from Tennessee and may be its most famous resident. He lead an attack knocking out 32 machine guns, killing 28 German soldiers and capturing 132 more. As a side note, Gary Cooper won an Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Alvin York. See if your hubby can spot the statue’s anomaly.
16. Scream, yell and pound on the glass at a Nashville Predators ice hockey game. If you’ve never been to see ice hockey, it’s a whole lot of fun. My favorite seats are in the first row just to the right of either goal. The pucks come at you at over 100 mph and you can even count the teeth on the center when he gets slammed up against the glass! The original Broad Street Bullies, the Philadelphia Flyers are in Nashville on Tuesday the 16th and it’s sure to be a good game.
17. Visit the Country Music Hall of Fame. Walk through the history of country music. See some of the really cool memorabilia and marvel at all the things you’re sure to have never seen before (especially Elvis’ gold Cadillac). You can even burn your own CDs from the music choices and just have a whole lotta fun.
18. Set yourself on fire and see just how hot it can get in March, with fried chicken that is. Venture down to Prince’s Hot Chicken Shack at 123 Ewing Drive and try the mild, medium, hot or extra hot versions of their fried chicken. This is not for the faint of heart but if you like it spicy, this is THE place to go.
19. Join the line-dance at the Wildhorse Saloon. If you ever watched “The Wildhorse Saloon Dance Show” on the Nashville Network here’s your chance to do the Watermelon Crawl and pretend you’re on TV. Kick up your CLNC^® boots with some good country music and free dance lessons starting at 5:00pm most nights.
20. Take a walk around the Gaylord Opryland Hotel. You could spend a full day wandering around and still not see everything. Best of all, it’s all indoors. You can even cool your feet off in one of the many waterfalls (just don’t let me see you). There’s so much to do here you’ll have to set a reminder so that you don’t miss any one of our exciting NACLNC^® sessions!

As you set the stage for your Nashville excursions, remember to come prepared to keep up with the tempo for the 2010 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. That Jack Daniels buzz will wear off quickly.

• Bring plenty of business cards to exchange with the many new CLNC^® friends you’ll meet.

• Go online and print the NACLNC^® Conference textbook sessions you plan on attending after you receive the link in my March 10 email.

Have a great trip and be sure to read my blog on March 11, 2010 when I share how to Master Your Strategies for the 2010 NACLNC^® Conference.

Success Is Inside!

In 1982 nurses weren’t starting businesses in droves. And the term legal nurse consultant didn’t yet exist. What possibly made me think I could do something no other nurse had done before? That’s Promise 5 – believing as a nurse I really could do anything. Believing you can do it is 90 percent of the win.

I still remember vividly my first interview with an attorney. I was sitting in the attorney’s office to promote my brand new legal nurse consulting business. He was sitting behind a big desk and I was so nervous my legs were shaking and I worried that if I had to stand suddenly I might faint. What got me through that first interview was remembering who I was – a registered nurse.

I thought if that attorney was in a hospital gown with his backside showing I would have no problem introducing myself and inserting a Foley catheter. During my 27 years of owning Vickie Milazzo Institute, I always remember I’m an RN whenever I hesitate to go for what I want.

We Are Nurses and We Can Do Anything!^® How many of you handle emergencies as easily as making the bed? How many of you make split second decisions that are the difference between life and death for your patients? And how many of you do so in the middle of the night when there are no doctors to be found (and even if they were – they’d just get in your way)? If we can do all that, for sure we can do something as straightforward as talk to an attorney and analyze a medical record.

Any time you’re not grabbing the opportunity, tell yourself, “I am a nurse and I can do anything!” Believe and you will achieve all that you desire for your CLNC^® business.

Promise big and promise now!

Success Is Inside!

P.S. Comment and share what you will do to believe you can achieve it.

Making a list,

Checking it twice,

Don’t want to kill a patient,

That wouldn’t be nice…

According to Dr. Atul Gawande, the average patient in an ICU requires “a hundred and seventy-eight individual actions per day, ranging from administering a drug to suctioning the lungs, and every one of them poses risks. Substantial parts of what hospitals do – most notably, intensive care – are now too complex for clinicians to carry them out reliably from memory alone. ICU life support has become too much medicine for one person to fly. Any of us who’ve worked in the ICU shouldn’t be surprised by Dr. Gawande’s assertations. But what to do about it?

Here at Vickie Milazzo Institute we use checklists for everything. There’s not a major project, including the National Alliance of Certified Legal Nurse Consultants (NACLNC^®) Annual Conference (801 action items) that doesn’t have a major checklist. We find it not only keeps us from reinventing the wheel each time we start a new project (saving us time and money) but it also ensures that no moving parts are missed when we put something together. We even joke that we have checklists to make sure we have all our checklists!

Think about your life – you probably send your hubby to the grocery with a checklist. (Car keys – check. Checkbook – check. Grocery list – check). You (at least I do) pack for a trip with a checklist. (Bathing suit – check. Sunscreen – check. Mirrored shades to check out the hunky lifeguards – check). Checklists are part of everything I do and probably a large part of what you do on a daily basis also. Tom even has a checklist to make sure that he’s included all the proper clauses in the contracts that he writes (yawn).

How about using checklists to ensure safety instead of making sure you’ve got the loaf of bread, pound of pastrami and jar of mayo? This really isn’t a new idea. Since 1935 pilots have been using checklists to cover just about every aspect of flying an airplane, starting with the pre-flight inspection, taxiing, take off and landing. (Wings on – check. Wheels down – check. Dinner reservations at destination – check). Millions of passengers are delivered safely to their destinations each day thanks to simple checklists.

Now ask yourself as a Certified Legal Nurse Consultant, “how many patients are harmed because doctors (and maybe even nurses) don’t use checklists when doing complex medical procedures or simply treating patients?” The answer is, too many. Consistent protocols for patient care have been advocated by physicians since 1600 B.C. (Linen robe on – check. Snake-headed staff in hand – check. Leeches on patient – check.), but it wasn’t until 2003 that Dr. Peter Pronovost came up with a simple checklist to help reduce line infections in the ICU. That list was so successful that line infections in his hospital were reduced to almost 0%. Buoyed by this success he created other checklists which eventually were adopted by the state of Michigan for use in its ICUs. The results from implementation of those lists were so successful that Dr. Pronovost ended up publishing them in The New England Journal of Medicine in 2006.

In the almost three years since that study, not much else has happened with checklists. Apparently simple common sense just isn’t exciting enough for cutting-edge healthcare providers. You’d think that the medical and nursing professions would have expanded the use of checklists, but this hasn’t happened on a wide scale other than when you check-in at the hospital. (Insurance card – check. Ability to pay – check.)

That might be about to change though. The New England Journal of Medicine recently published the results of a study that involved using a simple, 19-item surgical checklist. The results were stunning: mortality rates in surgical patients were reduced by almost 50% and the same reduction was mirrored in nonlethal complications. With these sorts of results I hope that we’ll see a profusion of checklists in healthcare. The cost savings alone should get the attention of somebody. Perhaps checklists might be a simple way to reform healthcare. (Patient on table – check. Correct patient on table – check. Anesthesiologist sober – check.)

We know here at the Institute that a simple printed list can make a big difference, in time and money. Now healthcare providers are learning that checklists can save lives too. It’s time for healthcare to catch up with grocery shoppers. Next time you work up a case, have your attorney-client ask the healthcare providers for any checklists used in treatment of the patient. They should also ask each provider during deposition, how they ensure that they take each and every one of the proper steps in treating that patient. With such a line of questioning I can guarantee the jury will wonder why, in a world where a pilot won’t land an aircraft based solely on “memory,” a healthcare provider would do a risky procedure (e.g. brain surgery) on memory alone.

When you are consulting with attorneys on medical-malpractice cases helping to prepare interrogatories, requests for production and deposition questions be sure to ask about the use of relevant checklists in the healthcare setting.

Success Is Inside!

P.S. Comment and share checklists used in your healthcare facility.

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.

To protect your identity, reputation and even your savings account, as a Certified Legal Nurse Consultant, you need to strongly manage your online passwords.

Very often people make one, or both, of these critical errors:

1. They pick a password that is easy for someone to guess.
2. They use the same password for many different websites.

Let’s look at each error in more detail.

Easy to Guess Passwords

When I was an IT director at a large company in Houston, this was one of the most common issues I ran into. If I knew just a few personal details about someone, I could guess their password more often than not.

If they had pictures of their kids all over their office, they most likely used some form of their kid’s name. If they had Notre Dame stuff on their desk and walls, their password usually was related to the Fighting Irish football team.

Here are the most common bad password ideas:

1. Words that one can find in a dictionary (nurse, hospital, attorney, etc).
2. Sequential sets of numbers or letters such as “asdfghj” and “123456.” These are sequences of letters/numbers that are next to each other on the keyboard.
3. The same letter repeated over and over again (nnnnnn or 111111).
4. Your pet’s name.
5. Your own name.
6. Your spouse’s name.
7. Your child’s name.
8. Your grandchild’s name.
9. Your favorite hobby, sports team or recording artist.
10. Your birthday or anniversary.

Using the Same Passwords Across All Websites

Let’s say you have a great password that no one could ever guess. In fact, it’s so good, you use it for all your website accounts.

One day, you have an issue with one of the sites, and call their technical support. They ask you for your password to walk you through the issue. You give it to the tech support rep.

Now there’s another person out there in the world that can access all of your personal accounts, change the password and contact information on your account and wipe you out. Most companies have some security in place to help prevent bad things like this from happening, but you should make it as difficult as possible for the bad guys.

The Solution

I use a site called PassPack to help manage my passwords.

You can store all your passwords securely, generate hard-to-crack passwords, and automatically log on to websites that you have stored passwords with…and it is totally FREE. Go here to sign up.

Although, everything is pretty much self explanatory, and you should have no problems signing up or using the site, you can find detailed instructions, and plenty of articles in their knowledge base to walk you through any issues.

Passpack can also suggest passwords for you. Just click the “Suggest” button when filling out the entry details for a particular site. You’ll need to make sure you update the site with this new password.

I have had no issues with PassPack so far. I have changed all my passwords and manage all of them through this site. However, I do recommend that you print out each password and store it in a safe place (like a home file system, or safe), in case PassPack disappears one day, you still have your passwords in one place.

Seinfeld fans probably remember the classic episode where Kramer guesses George’s ATM code…just by knowing a little bit of personal information about him. It’s a funny scene, and not too far off from how people can really guess your password.

P.S. Have you ever had a password problem or had an account hacked? Share your story in the comments to help other CLNC^® consultants prevent a similar thing happening to them.

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.

For Christmas, I got a terrific present from one of the least likely persons you’d expect. No, not our CPA, but our intellectual property attorney. He settled an intellectual property dispute on behalf of Vickie Milazzo Institute.

I make my living working with litigators. So do Certified Legal Nurse Consultants. We’re all aware of the high cost of litigation, both monetarily and emotionally. That’s why when our attorney was able to settle this case without the necessity of filing a suit, I was surprised and grateful. Potential defendants don’t often come to the table that easily.

Over the past 27 years, I’ve worked hard to create a body of intellectual property. Over those same 27 years, I’ve had to deal with copyright infringement that’s run from the minor lists and jokes to mind-boggling, outrageous plagiarism. When you see one of your creations copied so closely that it includes one of your typos, you’ve got the other party dead to rights. I could point to several examples that are being remedied right now, if our attorney would let me. I’ve never understood people who would try to take a short-cut up the ladder of success by climbing up someone else’s back. I don’t mind honest competition. I just want them to use their own original thoughts – instead of using mine.

There’s a great quote by Denis Waitley to the effect that “A life lived with integrity – even if it lacks the trappings of fame and fortune is a shining star in whose light others may follow in the years to come.”

Thankfully, the Certified Legal Nurse Consultant graduates of the Institute are some of our best police. You all are the best at helping us spot copyright issues. Thank you for your support over the last 27 years.

Success Is Inside!