3 Certified Legal Nurse Consultants Share Their Experiences as Testifying Experts
Most Certified Legal Nurse Consultants consult with attorneys behind the scenes and never testify on a single case. Despite the fact that you can build a very successful CLNC® business without serving as an expert witness, I always encourage CLNC® students to be open to this amazing and challenging experience.
I wanted to share how three Certified Legal Nurse Consultants regard testifying. These three experiences literally took their breath away.
I remember how scared I was to take on being a testifying expert when I became a Certified Legal Nurse Consultant. I knew that I could support my opinion, but was I ready? Having been an obstetrical nurse for over 15 years, I was sure that I was an expert. I just had to do it. I met with my attorney-client the day before I was to testify and we went over what to expect. This was my first deposition and he knew it. I asked him questions until I felt like I was ready.
The next day I arrived ready, but nervous, for my deposition. The deposition was over three hours long. I felt very confident and kept saying in my head, ‘I know so much more than the attorney does about fetal monitoring strips.’ When the deposition ended my attorney-client looked at me and said, “Wow! That was great. I don’t know how you prepared for this but you did a great job!” It was at that moment that I knew my training from Vickie and her Institute had really paid off. I truly believed I could do anything. I had given my first deposition and now I had the fever! Bring on the next one!
– Dorene Goldstein, RNC, CLNC
I was defending a nursing home as an expert witness. The plaintiff attorney had been a nurse. The expert witness for her case was also a nurse with impressive credentials. What she lacked that I possessed, however, was real, on-the-job experience working as a nurse in nursing homes. I was able to demonstrate actual knowledge of nursing responsibilities, documentation and experience with the nursing home medical record. I was able to prove to the plaintiff attorney that the allegations were not substantiated by the medical record. She was clearly frustrated and embarrassed during the deposition. The case settled.
I cannot express in words how exhilarating it is when you experience these breathless moments. They make me realize what a great profession legal nursing consulting is. As a Certified Legal Nurse Consultant I have chosen to make a difference in this world.
– Sandra Higelin, RN, MSN, CS, CWCN, CLNC
For three Administrative Law Judge Medicare hearings, the testifying physician was called away unexpectedly. The attorney elected to go ahead with the hearings without the testifying physician, provided that the Administrative Law Judge in question was willing to allow it, which, under the circumstances, he did. The RN testifying expert was unable to attend and the substitute nurse froze. So, I stepped up and agreed to be sworn in to testify. It was a matter of putting surgical procedures and the ramifications for the particular patient into layman’s terms for the judge to understand. Since this is done telephonically, there were no visual aids. My testimony helped us win all three cases!
– Camy Joyner, RN, CCM, CLNC
I’m excited to have Dorene, Sandra and Camy share their expert testifying experiences with nurses everywhere. It is clear they love what they do as Certified Legal Nurse Consultants. “We Are Nurses and We Can Do
Anything!®”
Success Is Inside!
P.S.Comment and share your expert testifying experiences as a Certified Legal Nurse Consultant or to congratulate these three CLNC® consultants on their success.
2 thoughts on “3 Certified Legal Nurse Consultants Share Their Experiences as Testifying Experts”
Thanks to the Dorene, Sandra and Camy for sharing their deposition experiences. At my first deposition, the defense attorney asked me how many times I had been deposed. After I answered truthfully that it was my first deposition of any kind, I felt certain that she (the defense attorney) was silently rejoicing within herself. After six and a half hours of intensely confrontational deposition, the defense attorney found that she could not cause me to alter my testimony or my opinion regarding the standard of care breaches of her client. Just eight days before Christmas, the case settled in the plaintiff’s favor. It certainly was a Merry Christmas!
I testified in March in my first expert witness case. I was hired by the defense. I was defending the care that a companion gave. She did not do anything for the plaintiff that only a nurse does. The companion had nurses training but was not licensed as a nurse. It was an easy case in my mind. I was a little nervous when I arrived. My testimony went well. The opposing attorney started to ask questions. I answered his questions honestly and he did not like my answers. That was when I started to relax. It was feedback that I was doing exactly what the defense attorney hired me to do. I got a very positive telephone call two days later from the defense attorney that hired me. All of the allegations against the defendant were dropped. I also got a telephone call from the defendant who personally thanked me for helping her out of a very stressful time in her life. I look forward to the next time.
LegalNurse.com is accredited as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.
The National Alliance of Certified Legal Nurse Consultants (NACLNC®) is the largest and oldest association of legal nurse consultants.
Need tuition assistance? We've partnered with Sallie Mae to provide financing options.
*The opinions and statements made by Vickie Milazzo, the founder of Medical-Legal Consulting Institute, Inc. are based on her experiences and expertise, should not be applied beyond the specific context provided, and do not guaranty or project actual results. Vickie Milazzo is no longer involved in the operations or management of the business, but is involved as an independent education consultant.
Thanks to the Dorene, Sandra and Camy for sharing their deposition experiences. At my first deposition, the defense attorney asked me how many times I had been deposed. After I answered truthfully that it was my first deposition of any kind, I felt certain that she (the defense attorney) was silently rejoicing within herself. After six and a half hours of intensely confrontational deposition, the defense attorney found that she could not cause me to alter my testimony or my opinion regarding the standard of care breaches of her client. Just eight days before Christmas, the case settled in the plaintiff’s favor. It certainly was a Merry Christmas!
I testified in March in my first expert witness case. I was hired by the defense. I was defending the care that a companion gave. She did not do anything for the plaintiff that only a nurse does. The companion had nurses training but was not licensed as a nurse. It was an easy case in my mind. I was a little nervous when I arrived. My testimony went well. The opposing attorney started to ask questions. I answered his questions honestly and he did not like my answers. That was when I started to relax. It was feedback that I was doing exactly what the defense attorney hired me to do. I got a very positive telephone call two days later from the defense attorney that hired me. All of the allegations against the defendant were dropped. I also got a telephone call from the defendant who personally thanked me for helping her out of a very stressful time in her life. I look forward to the next time.