considering CLNC

[mykatlynrose]

I am considering taking Vickie Milazzo's course to become a CLNC. However, after reading some of the past forums, I am concerned about finding attorney's that are interested. I would like to call a few attorney's to get a feel for the need in my area (western Pennsylvania). Can you give me an idea of where to start? What type of attorneys should I call? What kind of questions would I ask?

Any insight you can give me would be greatly appreciated.

thanks

Kim

[Texaslnc]

It is very hard to get work. I fortunately been able to network my way in but if you don't have a sales background...go back to school and get a NP. Basically that is what it will cost you to go to VMI. In addition, my firm gets so many CLNC wanting to work for me but they went to CLNC and have only 1-2 years experience. This has been so problematic because I bill by the hour. I really don't have time for a new grad to look up lab values...try to figure out heartblocks or even simple things like running a code. RUN a code. Not sit and take noted but RUN a code. I bill by the hour so I want fast work so my attorneys will continue using my services.

[lindarn]

See my post #9 in the thread, "Legal Nursing, is this what it is made out to be?". I have other posts about this, as well. In a nutshell, the market is flooded with CLNCs, and LNC's, due to the heavy marketing by the "Amway of Legal Nurse Consulting", and other programs who have jumped on the bandwagon. You know the ads, "Kiss those 12 hour shifts goodbye". Followed by the sales pitch for the $6000.00++ cost of the "Training Programs", the offer to provide LOANS to take this program, and the continued need to use the services of this particular Legal Nurse Program.

And don't try to cheat the program by buying used educational materials if you want to sit for the " Certification Exam". If someone wants to recoup some of the money spent on the "training program", and sells the books, ect, and you buy them, you will not be allowed to sit for the Certification Exam unless you purchase NEW material and books from the ONLY place you can purchase them from- You guessed it- The "Amway of Legal Consulting", program.

You might also be interested in knowing, that a few years ago, an LNC was selling her used materials on E bay, that she purchased from this program (Thousands of dollars!), and the owner of the "Amway of Legal Nurse Consulting"program, threatened this nurse with legal action for, of all things, "copywright infringement". For selling items that she legally purchased and no longer wanted!

I read on the Legal Nurse Listserve that I belong to, that she backed off when the nurse, who was selling this used material, threatened legal action of her own.

The moral of the story is, the market is flooded with legal nurses. I have been told a number of times by attorneys, that Legal Nurses are a dime a dozen, and they are right. There are cheaper ways to learn how to own a business. Legal nursing is only doing what you know how to do- read medical records, and do necessay related medical research. why do you want to pay $$$ for something that you already know how to do?

Go to a community college and take a business and marketing classes, contact the Small Business Association in you community, and make an appointment to talk to them- it is free!

Contact the Paralegal program at the same community college, and take some paralegal classes to learn about the law. Save your money to purchase stationery, business cards and flyers, and for attending Lawyers Legal conferances for marketing.

JMHO and my NY $0.02.

Lindarn, RN, BSN, CCRN

Somewhere in the PACNW

[pj924]

I see so many posts and articles about burnt-out nurses looking for some way to escape the bed-side or management world of nursing, but still want to salvage their education and experience somehow. Becoming a CLNC looks awfully appealing, until you actually start looking for work in the field (so many of these "accrediting" organizations or "course" providers tout how there are all these jobs with insurance companies or law firms just waiting for CLNCs). If you want to get a reality check, go to careerbuilder.com, and search for 'legal nurse consultant" jobs- the results will speak for themselves. Just read over the posts here from current CLNC's. Any working CLNCs are self-employed, and have to market themselves and have their own business. If you don't have the resources to start and market your own business, this doesn't appear to be a viable option. I have seen courses advertised from $250 to nearly $13,000, taking from 2 days to 12 months. As near as I can tell, there is no national regulation of certification for LNC, no universal national exam like the NCLEx. I found a National Association of Legal Nurse Consultants, an American Association of Legal Nurse Consultants, and the NALNC which is listed as the trademark of The Viki Milazzo Institute (and somehow different from the NALNC that is the acronym for the National Association of Legal Nurse Consultants). I even found an American Association of Legal Nurse Consultants which listed two RNs as the only board members. This apparent lack of regulation and legal definition on the part of state BON creates a sense of a lack of legitimacy in relation to training and certification. How can anyone determine if the person that went to a 2 day seminar is more or less qualified than a person that took a 12 mo program like the one at Kaplan College (which does not qualify for title IV financial assistance, does not earn college credits and at last check cost nearly $4000), especially if they both claim to be "certified" and are members of the aforementioned professional organizations? The bottom line is this. Legal Nurse Consulting certificates can be earned in 2 days, can be purchased for as little as $250, and have no universally recognized certifying organizations, no federally-recognized programs and no state-licensed regulatory bodies to provide legitimacy to any course of training or certification. The only likely employment in this field will be self-employment, obtained via one's own business which one will have to create and market. If this still sounds like a viable alternative for nurses seeking an alternative career path, I wish you all the best. I am not an LNC. (I am a BSN, RN with nearly 6 years in nursing). I do not claim to be an expert in this area, but I have researched online, and the information I provided above was discovered during my own recent attempt to research the field as a potential career alternative for myself. I am interested in my own business, but at this point, I don't have the resources to start an LNC enterprise, and I can't see any viable opportunities in this field for regular employment. I certainly welcome further input from any nurses actually working as LNC's especially any that are regularly employed (not contracted or self-employed) by insurance companies, legal firms, government agencies or any other organizations.