Business Brainstorm

Texas86RN · Aug 11, 2014

The legal nurse consultants I have heard of do that as a side job, maybe until they have enough clients, what kind of things are you good at , as for options for other jobs, baking? Pet grooming? See if you could get a job somewhere auditing pt charts , LTC, hospital, government positions

kalevra, BSN, RN · Aug 12, 2014

My main goal is to learn how to start and run a small business, I really like the idea of being my own boss. I have a lot of experience in training and education. I have great communication and I am interested in learning how to be a professional consultant.

The main goal for me is to not be an employee. I want to be an employer. It sounds a little strange, but I have never liked working for someone. The idea that I am pouring in blood,sweat and tears into a job and making someone else rich is not my ideal. I would rather work for myself, make my own hours, and be as independent as possible.

I was also thinking about teaching CPR/BLS/ACLS. Out here in my area, people are charging about $80 for BLS. I am looking for other ideas, just wanted peoples input.

CallieNicole · Aug 28, 2014

Have you looked into starting a group home or older adult foster home? What about Professional Marketing Consultant? Or Personal Life Coach?

tronix304 · Sep 20, 2014

This isn't nursing related but I recently started working in real estate and although difficult at times, it's great. I currently rent out one home but am in the process of closing on another. Great supplemental income and if you choose the right tenants, it is fairly pain free. Also, if it is in a high demand area, you can get your mortgage paid for AND additional money.

amoLucia · Sep 20, 2014

This isn't nursing related but I recently started working in real estate and although difficult at times, it's great. I currently rent out one home but am in the process of closing on another. Great supplemental income and if you choose the right tenants, it is fairly pain free. Also, if it is in a high demand area, you can get your mortgage paid for AND additional money.

I like this idea. I freq read about Travelling Nurses looking for living accommodations. If there were some way to combine/coordinate arranging contract housing for travelers and/or employing facilities that seems it would fulfill a need for all three parties - the nurse, the facility and you. (Any healthcare practitioner could be in need, also.)

icuRNmaggie, BSN, RN · Sep 20, 2014

Start your own temp nurse agency.

Obtain instructor certifications and teach BLS and ACLS in your home.

Become PICC certified, market that skill to place lines in Nursing Home patients for a fee. I know a couple a nurses who do that and they are doing very well.

Write an E book and sell it in Amazon.com.

There are franchise opportunities for in home non skilled nursing care.

It costs roughly 30,000 to patent an idea which you can sell to a medical device manufacturer. For an example, google the Beata clasp tubing holder.

icuRNmaggie, BSN, RN · Sep 20, 2014

The legal nurse consultants I have heard of do that as a side job, maybe until they have enough clients, what kind of things are you good at , as for options for other jobs, baking? Pet grooming? See if you could get a job somewhere auditing pt charts , LTC, hospital, government positions

You really need to be a paralegal and an NP or Clin Specialist to be hired at a law firm to do chart reviews and life care plans for injured people. It is very competitive and you have to market yourself aggressively.

There are some very expensive LNC seminars that are very poor investment.

icuRNmaggie, BSN, RN · Sep 20, 2014

ICD 10 certified RN coders are a hot commodity right now.

Mjlc65 · Sep 21, 2014

How do you become ICD 10 certified RN coder?

icuRNmaggie, BSN, RN · Sep 21, 2014

Do a search here on this site. If I were more computer and IT savvy I would do it.

lindarn · Sep 22, 2014

I don't know where you heard, that you need to need to be a paralegal, etc, to be a Legal Nurse Consultant. Attorney who use paralegals to, "read medical records", are shortchanging their clients by having amateurs doing what a professional should be doing. Paralegals take a three credit course in medical terminology as part of their programs. That is it.

It is not a bad idea to enroll in a paralegal program to learn about the law if you want to be a Legal Nurse Consultant. You do not need to be an expert on the law, but I found it valuable to learn about the law, as it applied to medical malpractice, an personal injury law suits.

Attorneys hire nurse to review medical records, to screen for merit, etc. You do not need to be a NP, or CNS to be hired at a law firm.I have no idea where you got that idea.

I have been doing Legal Nurse Consulting for a number of years. Attorneys need nurses who have alot of experience, can read between the lines in the medical records, etc.

You do not need to take any special classes to do Legal Nurse Consulting. Your nursing education, experience, and expertise, is all you need.

It haa gotten very competitive to be a LNC, due to the proliferation of LNC, "training seminars", that cost you your first born child, like the, "AMWAY OF LNC PROGRAMS", by VM.

You do not need to spend a boatload of money to learn what you already know.

You can take inexpensive Business and Marketing classes at your local community college, and save the money you would have spent on expensive classes on quality business stationery, attending attorney CLE seminars, and exhibiting, etc.

It can be done, but you have to have quality nursing experience, be able to write well, to be able to communicate your findings to an attorney who has probably not taken a science class since they were in the 8th grade.

And yes, you have to market yourself aggressively, and charge a sum that represents the years you went to school, the years that you spend working in the field, and the cost of specialty certifications that you have acquired. That does not mean that you charge thousands of dollars an hour. I have found that most nurses drastically undercharge for their services. They believe, well, I can sit at home and read medical records, I earn $25 and hour at the hospital, so $30 and hour sounds grand.

Attorneys pay specialty physicians thousands of dollars an hour for their expert testimony in court, but these are specialty physicians like cardiologist, ets. But any physician will charge a tidy sum for their services.

What nurses are not are not taking into consideration, in addition the their education and expertise, is the actual cost of doing business. YOU are paying for the house that you are sitting in the read those medical records, you are paying for utilities, etc., the electricity in your house to operate the lights, computer, printer, etc. YOU are paying for the computer, printer, paper ink, etc, to write the reports for the attorney, you are paying for the phone, internet, etc, that bathroom, water soap, toilet paper, for the obvious need that comes about.

These are issues that need to be taken into consideration when you run a business out of your house. It would be the same if you rented an office someplace.

THAT is what any business takes into consideration when fee setting.

That is why some business training is important when starting a business. There are volunteer associations in the community that helps small businesses, like SCORE.

There is a National Organization of LNC, called the American Association of Legal Nurse Consultants, (AALNC), that have books, reasonably priced training programs, etc, that are invaluable if this is something you might want to pursue. I encourage to look them up, and join if interested.

You can do Legal Consulting as a side job, but you need to look at the whole picture before you take the plunge.

Lindarn, RN, BSN, CCRN

Somewhere in the PACNW