An RN, Lori, interested in becoming a Certified Legal Nurse Consultant asked me: “Vickie, I have 15 years’ experience in Level 3 NICU, but I don’t have my BSN. Is this a problem?” If you have the same concern as Lori there’s no need to worry.
Most attorneys are more interested in your nursing knowledge and experience, certification status and communication skills than the number of degrees behind your name. In Lori’s case, 15 years of Level 3 NICU experience is incredible experience that any attorney would appreciate with or without the BSN.
When you market to attorneys you want to focus on the legal nurse qualifications you do have, not on what you don’t have. If you walk into the attorney interview with a poster on your forehead that says “I don’t have this or that” guess what the attorney is going to focus on? Instead, focus on your positives – your years of nursing experience, the different RN jobs you’ve worked, your familiarity with the EMR and how your experience will benefit the attorney.
Once you achieve the CLNC® Certification, you are a highly qualified Certified Legal Nurse Consultant with valuable nursing experience. Focus on who you are and what you bring to the table and the attorney won’t even think to ask what it is you don’t have.
Success Is Yours,
P.S. Comment and share how you focus positively on your experience with attorney-prospects.
Focus on Strength:
As a seasoned RN (Perhaps too much pepper), looking at total of years in college, I have the same amount of education years – just divided for a different purpose. The Associate of Applied Science in Pre-Allied Health and Pharmacy Technology was a great glimpse for 10 years, and learning all the various electronic medical records (hospital and retail), processes and function of specific equipment such as the vertical and horizontal airflow hoods, robotics and a plethora of products to be familiar with before nursing was a great way to have a mentor and tutor role in pharmacology while in nursing school.
I do have something other than the BSN. The compounding, navigation of pharmacy operations, Pharmacy Law & Ethics and knowledge involved is a different and beneficial background before 10 years in nursing. I worked on the original clozapine studies in mental health pharmacy, helping the pharmacist with blood draws, as well as schedule for psychotropic medication injections.
Then onto the RN role. If you have questioned needing hospital experience, it’s not my path. I have skilled, assisted, home health, hospice, med-surgical post acute, vent unit, traumatic brain injury, charge nurse, director, flu shot and employee health screenings, skin expert, clinical oversight, Premier Start Specialty Infusion Nurse for patients with ultra rare conditions, AND ranked up to 6 out of 1.8 million on Nurse Becca Blogs in 1 year.
I would still say openly to all attorney-clients, I only worked in a hospital during clinicals in nursing school. But the hospitals have called me into ICU and cardiac units to train their staff.
And a Certified Legal Nurse Consultant since 2013!
So there are many kinds of nurses.
Go for it,
Nurse Becca
-R. Nixon, RN, CLNC