Originally Posted by katwoman7755
What would you suggest is the best way to decide if someone should do this? How do you maybe best assess your market ahead of time to see if there is a demand?
I don't know that there is really a way to do market research ahead of time. If you walked into an office and tried to get info I can see them refusing to talk to you unless you had all your materials in hand to show them what you can offer them. On the other side, I can see them refusing to hire you because you were just doing research and weren't ready to work so once you planted the idea of an LNC in their heads, they went looking for one that was ready to work. I think it is one of those things where you decide "I am going to do this and it is going to work if it kills me".
I think too many nurses see it as a quick easy way to get out of a job they don't like. Plus those ads of "make $150/hr" really get their attention. But in the end they find out that it is very hard work, not only to do the actual LNC work but to find clients. Nurses aren't usually hardcore salespeople so it is a big change to have to walk into an office and literally sell yourself like you are a car.
I know quite a few nurses who spent the money, took a course, and when reality hit, they stayed at their hospital jobs instead of being an LNC. They found out that they didn't like this kind of paperwork any better than the reams of charting they had to do at the hospital. They didn't like having to work weird hours to get a case done on time. They thought it was going to be bankers hours with bankers benefits and little effort on their part. Several nurses I know had a problem with LNC work being a solitary job. Most women like to talk and be with people and they use their jobs as a way to get in their socializing. Working alone so much doing work that does not require conversing with people can drive some nurses crazy. They just can't handle being alone the majority of the time. Time is money. An attorney is not going to pay you to chitchat at the office. And you will not be able to chitchat while you are doing the work and still be able to pay close attention to details and work under deadlines. For nurses that are "people persons" and like to talk and socialize - this type of work is not for them.
If a nurse does not like the reams of documentation and attention to detail that hospital/facility charting entails, they will not enjoy being an LNC. There are no patients for LNCs, just reams of documentation both yours and other people's work.
You have to be very self-motivated and be able to jump on the "road" without a map and know what you need to do to get results - without having a pt to give you input so you know you are going in the right direction. LNCs cannot pass the buck. Unlike a hospital where nursing care is 24/7 and you can leave things undone at the end of your shift, the buck stops with the LNC and if you don't get it done, you don't get a second chance. You could even be sued for poor/shoddy work or not meeting a deadline.
To people who are just looking for a way to get away from the bedside, I advise you to keep your money and don't even bother with LNC work. For people who truly enjoy paperwork, lots of analytical thinking, and are able to be self-directed, then I would say that you might consider being an LNC after you take careful evaluation of your preferences/strengths/weaknesses and motivation for a job change.
I have seen so many nurses over the years take the courses thinking they were going to be rich. Few get rich, some make a living, and most never even make it to the finish line and they end up keeping/going back to their clinical jobs because it is easier.
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