What the CLNC® Pros Love Most About Their Legal Nurse Consulting Jobs
It feels good to love what you do and a favorite part of my job as a legal nurse consulting educator is hearing how much CLNC consultants love their legal nurse consulting jobs with attorneys. Four CLNC Pros share what they like best about their legal nurse consulting careers. Here’s what they have to say.
“What I like best about my legal nurse consulting jobs is that every case is different and there is no room for boredom. The majority of my cases are personal injury for the defense, and they all offer a variety of different issues. Even though the mechanism of injury might be the same (a slip and fall coming out of an uneven elevator), the plaintiffs are quite different. I educate my attorney-clients about the strengths and weaknesses of their cases by researching pre-existing conditions, medications and the mechanism of injury.
I also enjoy meeting my attorney-clients in different states after I have consulted with them. They are based all over the U.S. and Canada and many times I do not meet them face-to-face before I take an assignment. I do make an effort to meet them in person whenever I am going to be in their state. For example, I often visit my daughter in Florida, so I make arrangements to visit my “best” attorney-client in a town nearby. The little extra effort in my legal nurse consulting role goes a long way.”
– Dorene Goldstein, RNC, BSN, CLNC
“There is so much I love about my legal nurse consulting jobs and cases. First, I love the opportunity to learn. I often run across diagnoses, words and lab values that I don’t know. The ongoing need to research issues to increase my own understanding and to find relevant references for attorneys is a fun part of the CLNC role.
I also like the opportunity to practice setting boundaries. It’s easy to get caught up in what I read and sometimes I follow circuitous paths to glean additional tidbits that, while highly interesting, aren’t necessary for the particular case. In these instances, I remind myself to stop and make a note of what interested me for future reading. Then I’m back to the work I should be doing.
I also relish immersing myself in a case. Even when there is a time constraint, I think about the nuances and subtleties while reviewing the medical records. I ask myself questions about what’s missing, what needs to be validated, what needs to be asked, what needs to be explored, where are the challenges and difficulties and what is the most effective way to communicate my opinions to my attorney-client.
Finally, I feel tremendous satisfaction and pride in my legal nurse consulting job. While reviewing records for either the plaintiff or defense, I’m conscious of the fact that real people have been hurt and are looking for answers, healing and affirmation. My role as a Certified Legal Nurse Consultant is to work with humility, diligence and conscientiousness to ferret out the facts and present them objectively. When I have done this well, I’m proud and gratified about the final results.”
– Carolyn J. Bilodeau, RN, BSN, MS, CLNC
“After owning my legal nurse consulting business for more than ten years, I am still extremely satisfied with my decision to pursue this exciting specialty. I started as a critical care staff nurse and after 10 years worked in education, staff development and administration. I decided to pursue a CNO position because I wanted to influence a positive change in nursing practice as well as the general perception of nurses. After 12 more years and some success, as well as much frustration, I simply stopped working and took three years off. Fortunately, I realized I wanted and actually needed to do something with all my nursing knowledge and experience.
In 2005 I attended Vickie’s CLNC Certification Seminar. The biggest, most rewarding takeaway for me was not only a commitment to, but a passion for, lifelong learning.
I have now reviewed close to 1,200 medical malpractice cases. What I like best about my legal nurse consulting jobs is the ability to use my nursing experience combined with the passion for lifelong learning that Vickie reignited in me. I find that just like my nursing students and patients, each case is unique. My ability to individualize each case and embrace my passion for excellence has earned me respect and appreciation from my attorney-clients. I love the satisfaction of a legal nurse consulting job well done. Unlike patient care in our various healthcare settings I am able to spend the quality time I need to efficiently produce that perfect report.”
– Margaret Gallagher, RN, MSN, LNCC, CLNC
“I have been a legal nurse consultant since 2006. I am one of the few Certified Legal Nurse Consultants who continues to work in a hospital and I also work one day a week in a law firm. I remain in the hospital because it helps me to stay up to date on the almost daily changes that physicians and nurses encounter. I also have the pleasure of reviewing cases for my own attorney-clients through my independent legal nurse consulting business.
My legal nurse consulting jobs include a wide variety of cases – long term care, surgical errors, birth injuries and workers’ compensation. My favorite part is that each case brings with it a separate set of challenges. Sometimes I am asked to find an expert and sometimes I am asked to be the expert. It is one of the things I truly love. Every case is different and the road to the finish line is paved with many twists and turns. Rarely do I ever have a dull moment.
I would not trade legal nurse consulting for any other specialty. It makes me a better registered nurse both inside and outside the hospital. I have the best of both worlds.”
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.
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*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.
