I’m living my dream of being a successful Certified Legal Nurse Consultant, having a great time and being rewarded financially for the work I do!
My CLNC® Success Includes the Freedom to Walk Away at 3:30pm
by Bobbi Black, RN, CLNC
After working in a large clinic for 22 years, I retired. I was 48, my life was changing, my workplace was changing and I qualified for early retirement, so I took it. My family was growing up, and I began to wonder, “What am I going to do now?” Then I found LegalNurse.com’s website and became intrigued. I knew I had the experience as a nurse to become a Certified Legal Nurse Consultant, so I decided to take the CLNC® Certification Program. The Institute’s training is the key to my CLNC success.
Becoming a Certified Legal Nurse Consultant has such a positive impact on my life. It spells freedom – more financial freedom, being able to work from home doing what I love to do any time I want, but also being able to walk away from it at 3:30 in the afternoon. I’m free to walk downstairs to find my husband in his office – he also works from home. (Separate offices work best for us during the day because of business phone calls and other distractions.) We are then free to choose what we want to do with the rest of our day.
When asked by other nurses if a career in legal nurse consulting can be successful, I repeat what the Institute taught me, “Absolutely, if you’re passionate about it.” Market, market, market, even when you’re busy. Anywhere I market my CLNC business, I show up with independence and confidence. I walk in the door and say, “Here I am. I can help you.”
My CLNC business really took off when I located a group of attorneys and camped out on their door step. Today those attorneys are some of my best clients. One of the attorneys recently told me, “The reason I hired you is because I was tired of stepping over you when I came through the door in the morning.” We laugh about it now, but my persistence paid off.
My legal nurse consultant jobs are always interesting. Many RNs think legal nurse consultants consult only on medical malpractice or personal injury cases. Some of my favorite cases are the ones that I wouldn’t think I’d be involved in, like a murder trial or a legal malpractice case involving a will.
The case outcomes can also be very exciting. My first big attorney-client asked me to review a medical malpractice case for merit. I found a gross deviation in the standards of care and located an expert for the attorney. That case went to mediation and settled for a larger amount than anyone expected.
While that litigation was in progress, my attorney-client asked me to begin work on another case. A doctor had previously reviewed the case’s medical records, but when the attorney asked for my help, I discovered numerous things the doctor had overlooked. Then, right before the case went to trial, the attorney asked me to accompany him to court. When the defense expert denied the validity of a particular radiology report, I whispered to my attorney-client, “Trust me on this – show him this report.” The second report invalidated the medical expert for the defense and upended their case. My nursing experience and the Institute’s CLNC Certification Program were the biggest factors in winning the case.
A large part of my CLNC consulting success is due to the Institute’s enthusiasm and encouraging words, such as We Are Nurses and We Can Do Anything!®
The CLNC Mentoring Program is another part of my success. I enjoy working through the problems I encounter. I contact the CLNC Mentors any time I’m stymied. It’s reassuring to brainstorm with these CLNC Pros.
What makes my CLNC business successful? By thinking outside the box, using my nursing skills and remembering my CLNC training, I successfully evaluate cases and help my attorney-clients gain the best outcomes. I’m so excited about my CLNC career. I’m living my dream of being a successful Certified Legal Nurse Consultant, having a great time and being rewarded financially for the work I do!
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