5 Certified Legal Nurse Consultants Share the Perks They Enjoy Consulting with Attorneys

I asked 5 Certified Legal Nurse Consultants to share the perks they enjoy in their CLNC^® businesses. As you will see the perks are bountiful.

1. Dale Barnes, RN, MSN, PHN, CLNC
   Having a CLNC business offers many perks. The freedom is unbelievable. I work from home, work in my pajamas (if I want to) and make my own hours. I take vacations, days off and sick time without asking anyone for permission. I set my own rates and am not beholden to a corporate employer. I have taken two month-long trips to Africa. How could I have done that if I worked for anyone other than myself? These once-in-a-lifetime experiences are available to me because I am a Certified Legal Nurse Consultant.

   In addition, the attorneys I work with are incredible. They appreciate the legal nurse consultant jobs I do, say thank you and refer me to their colleagues. When would I ever get that response from a physician or administrator?

   I love what I do. I love the financial freedom and the freedom of time. I love interacting with other CLNC consultants. Best of all, I receive recognition from my attorney-clients for the work I do.

   Thank you Vickie for giving me this unbelievable opportunity!

2. Marcia L. Bell, RN, BSN, CAPA, CLNC
   Being a Certified Legal Nurse Consultant and owning my own business gives me the autonomy to schedule my day or week around other personal commitments whether for appointments or my marriage! I work in the relaxation of my home on my own time. If I want to have lunch with a friend, I do. I will either get up early to work on a legal nurse consultant job or work in the evening if I need to make up the time I choose to spend with friends or family.

   I’ve always been proud to be a nurse, but being a CLNC consultant makes me feel like I’m contributing to the nursing profession in a new way. I point out the standards the healthcare provider deviated from or adhered to.

   I am more fulfilled. As an RN, I have a body of knowledge that I can share with others. I help my attorney-clients build stronger cases. I’m viewed as a professional much more often than I was in the hospital setting.

   While I did not become a Certified Legal Nurse Consultant for the money, the financial gain is a bonus I’ve enjoyed. I‘ve remodeled my home and travelled – something I have wanted to do since I was a child. Being a Certified Legal Nurse Consultant has given me those perks.

   I’m my own boss. Being a CLNC consultant has been the perfect venue for me to fulfill my desire to be a part of the legal profession. Being a CLNC consultant allows me to figure out “who done it” in each new case. I view every case as a new book that I can’t put down.

3. Connie Chappelle, RNC, MN, ARNP, CLNC
   The greatest benefit of becoming a Certified Legal Nurse Consultant is that I’m constantly learning about various medical conditions, standards of care and how the healthcare system operates and changes. I have also learned many technology tips as I develop and prepare reports and chronological timelines for my attorney-clients. I’m constantly reminded as Vickie says, that “We Are Nurses and We Can Do Anything!^®”
4. Dorene Goldstein, RNC, BSN, CLNC
   Making the leap to become a Certified Legal Nurse Consultant changed my life. I no longer have to rely on my income from bedside nursing to make ends meet. Even though I still work in a hospital (I work per diem because I still testify), I am able to work on my own terms. This is perfect for me because I didn’t want to leave bedside nursing completely, but I also didn’t want to be married to my hospital RN job. I work four shifts a month so I go in with a positive attitude because I want to be there and I’m not burnt out.

   This winter I will escape our New England weather for three weeks in sunny Florida. I will visit family, enjoy time off and continue working on my legal nurse consulting cases. Working as a CLNC consultant on the road is easy. If I were still full time at the hospital, I would have struggled to get three weeks of vacation days off together, and I may not have been granted the time off at all. Being able to take vacations when I want, spend more time with my family and devote more time to my CLNC business are just a few of the perks I enjoy as a Certified Legal Nurse Consultant. Thank you Vickie!

5. Jane Hurst, RN, CLNC
   Three of the biggest and most important differences in my life now, as opposed to when I worked for a healthcare system, are my professional growth, satisfaction and financial success.

   As a hospital employee, I took great pride in my work, did everything to be the best I could be and provided the best nursing care possible. After a few years, I felt like I was no longer learning, and my job became monotonous. I have been a Certified Legal Nurse Consultant for nearly 25 years and have never felt one moment of monotony. I work on many different types of cases and provide a wide variety of CLNC services. I love learning something new each and every day. My CLNC career is professionally fulfilling.

   In the hospital, my annual income was a set number. I might get a small increase each year, but there is no comparison to being a Certified Legal Nurse Consultant. My annual income is not a fixed amount. The harder I work, the more I make. I have increased my income substantially each year and I know that my income has not topped out. I have unlimited income potential.

Thanks to these CLNC Pros for sharing the perks they enjoy in their legal nurse consulting business. They are bountiful indeed.

Success Is Yours!

P.S. Comment and share the perks you enjoy as a Certified Legal Nurse Consultant.