My First Test as a CLNC® Consultant*
by Vickey L. Coble, RN, CLNC
When I first heard Vickie speak, I knew I wanted to become a successful Certified Legal Nurse Consultant more than anything I have ever done. I purchased her VIP CLNC® Success System and set to work. I reviewed Vickie’s program on how to develop an information newsletter three times. Producing a bimonthly newsletter became not only a marketing project, but also the greatest self-educational tool I could have imagined.
I have learned that I do have talent and that there is a place for me in this very exciting field.
The first issue of my newsletter coincided with my first legal nurse consultant job, a major brain-injured baby case. I cannot express the sense of responsibility I felt. I needed to perform far beyond what I believed were my own capabilities in this new career. The Institute’s educational materials and other CLNC consultants I met through the NACLNC® Directory of Certified Legal Nurse Consultants were invaluable to me.
I later discovered that my big case was 15 years old and had seen very little activity. Previously, a neonatologist had reviewed it but had little to offer the attorney. Before I left the attorney’s office with the case under my arm, he mentioned that if I found anything, I would be “greatly rewarded.” He also added quietly that this was a “test.”
You cannot imagine the excitement I felt when, after a four-hour review, I found significant negligence in several areas. Actually, the answers seemed too obvious to me. I began thinking about the attorney’s last words, and I soon talked myself into believing that this was a closed case that had already been litigated. I was sure my review and recommendations would be compared to a previous workup as a test of my abilities.
Instead of verifying this assumption, I decided to develop the best review and report I could. Even if the case was old, I knew I would be billing for my time, and if I did pass the test, there would be more cases to come. I was so elated and apprehensive that as soon as I finished my work, I drove to Nashville at 6:00am so the report would be on the attorney’s desk before anyone arrived that morning.
Imagine my surprise when I discovered that the case was real after all. Needless to say, I got the job!
This first start-up case was a tremendous learning adventure. I have the necessary foundation, and Vickie has given me the inspiration to tackle the rest. Most important, I have learned that I do have talent and that there is a place for me in this very exciting field.
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