You Know You are an LNC When…

As I revised the Path to Legal Nurse Consulting for its second edition, I asked LNCs to describe when they knew they had transitioned from nurse to legal nurse consultant. Here is a sampling of what they had to say.

Quitting your day job no longer seems impossible.
You are asked what you do at a party; you no longer fall over your words.
You actually believe, deep in your heart, that you are as valuable as your brochure claims.
Your children are finally impressed.
Your attorneys take one look at a case and call you instead of trying to do everything themselves and messing it all up.
You understand that a certificate does not make you a legal nurse consultant. It is only the beginning of your learning.
Alice Adams

You are still working in the critical care, ER, interventional radiology and when you document anything, you document with the thinking of a legal nurse consultant.
Michael Bechard

You recognize you can be the catalyst for positive change in the healthcare system.
Donna Chmielewski

You are able to say with confidence “I am an LNC” to an attorney without hesitation.
Sandie Colatrella

You sit excitedly in a room full of attorneys at an education conference because all you want to do is to introduce yourself to ALL of them.
Lori Combs

You judge the world and everyone in it by the “standard of care.”
Wendy Denton-Alderman

You can’t help yourself but start analyzing the situation from 20 different angles.
Audrey Friedman

You go into deposition loaded for bear and score a direct hit.
You go to the courthouse and all the attorneys smile at you like you belong and someone asks you for directions.
You suddenly realize you have the knowledge to pay it forward to help others who are just starting out.
Jane Grametbour

You are the only witness that day grilled by a female tiger of an attorney for seven hours. You are able to remain calm, answer the questions with very appropriate responses and walk away at the end of the day without falling down!
Marti Hansen

You know you are an LNC when your nursing critical thinking skills provide substantial value in a litigated case…For example, you are able to identify and obtain missing records that prove the alleged injury was not due to a workers’ compensation accident, but rather another accident.
Linda Husted

You read a sign as Mediation Room instead of Meditation Room.
Lisa Kuipers

You know you are a LNC when the first question you ask is, “How did this happen?” instead of “How are you feeling?’
Your cocktail party conversation is buttressed by reference quotes.
Susan Maraglino

I knew I was an LNC when my attorney (who had originally told me, “I will NEVER use a nurse”) introduced me to another attorney as a “member of his team”. I worked hard to become a member of his team, and his introduction truly made me proud of myself.
You no longer see the attorney-patient as someone who might sue you, but could be your next client.
You write down the name and address of all attorney offices you pass for marketing purposes, even when you are out of town or out of state!
You celebrate by bouncing on an exercise ball to wonderful dancing music!
Susie McGregor-Huyer

Get more pieces of advice from LNC business owners at this link. Order your copy of the Path to Legal Nurse Consulting at its special 33% discounted prepublication price. Go to this link now. Publication will take place early November 2015.

Patricia Iyer MSN RN LNCC is the president of the Pat Iyer Group, and founder of a successful LNC business she sold in 2015.