innovativemurse

The market is saturated with "health coaches," but your point of difference is that you're a nurse providing mentorship/guidance with your clients having access to someone with a much broader knowledge and skill set than someone who just happens to shop at Whole Foods 3 times a week and wants to "coach" people. Yes, it is possible, but the point of entry is challenging. As nurses we need to think about partnerships with healthcare providers that need another healthcare professional such as yourself to refer to. Someone's MD/NP/PA/DNP would most likely feel a heck of a lot more comfortable referring to a nurse to help with coaching rather than someone who doesn't have that clinical training/expertise of traditional modalities. There's a place for complementary medicine, we just have to insert ourselves as authorities in the industry. Wishing you the best, Kevin Ross, RN, BSN

Totally agree Lindarn. Drives me nuts to hear about nurses short changing themselves. This is business, even if it's just you. YOU are a business, and this isn't the Wal-Mart model of business (no disrespect for anyone who shops at Wal-Mart). I don't care how seasoned a paralegal can become in medical terminology, there is no way that 3 credit hour course can take the place of our combined years of education and experience. Any "good" attorney would know that as well. Attorney's are business people too, so they build your fee into the contract...that's just the deal. Legal nurse consulting can be a viable business, but there's a ton of hustle involved. I've been an entrepreneur for years now, and what I can tell you is that there's an advantage to being able to provide multiple types of consulting services in your business. Some days we'll do legal work, others we'll provide onsite corporate wellness services, chart audits for the state, childcare health consulting, case management...and so on. Multiple revenue streams. Best of luck, Kevin Ross, RN, BSN

That's great you want to start a podcast! The call in component is nice, and we started with that on Blog Talk Radio, but we ended up leaving there to start our own platform. The sound quality was poor on BTR, it wasn't very customizable, we were "locked down," and the live listens and engagement paled in comparison to our archived listens. The thing with podcasts is that consumers want to be able to listen to them on their own time (at anytime). You might be better off creating a platform or some way that you can have questions emailed to you or PM'd, and then answer them on the air...with the obvious disclaimer that this is "your opinion" and making sure that your stating to have them consult their healthcare provider, but essentially you could be helping them make a better informed decision. As gulfgirl72 stated, Keith and I are always happy to help. We're launching a brand new network of podcasts that are all nurse produced, so we know a thing or two about how to get started. Happy to help. Kevin

My company provides -patient advocacy services for disabled individuals (ensure that all of the orders and treatment plans are carried out...this individuals typically have unlicensed caregivers assisting them, so we supervise) -childcare health consulting services (we work with daycares and schools...med admin, protocol development and implementation, also work with special needs kiddos) -Individual and group wellness mentorship/coaching (helping individuals minimize their pharmacological regimen, assist with lifestyle changes, etc...all in collaboration with the prescribing healthcare provider) -corporate wellness (as above, but on a much larger scale) Many of these services are provided within the community and the home, it is not however "traditional" home care. This is just basic information on what I do, but hopefully it helps. If you need anything else, just "search" for me and you'll be sure to find me. Best, Kevin Ross, RN, BSN

Answers to your questions: Yes, incorporate your business even if you're a solopreneur. Protect your personal assets and separate those from your business. Yes, both malpractice insurance and general liability. A drop in the bucket to further protect yourself compared to out of pocket costs that you could be paying if something happens. Yes, your business entity pays you just like an employer would pay you. Even though you're writing the check from "your company," you're still making it out to yourself and depositing it into your personal account. A business bank account is obviously necessary...You should also be giving yourself a W-2 at tax time. Yes, you need to at least have a static website, but also having a blog is helpful (not one in the same). Wordpress is your go to solution that I recommend for just about everyone. These are very basic responses, but hopefully they will help you to continue researching. Best, Kevin Ross, RN, BSN

The taxes are ultimately your responsibility, but certainly don't be overwhelmed by this. Essentially the hospital pays your company (you) a flat fee for hours worked. Let's say you were charging the hospital $65/hr. Your company (remember that's you) would invoice the hospital for this rate. Keep in mind that you are not going to be paying yourself this. Let's say that you payed yourself $50/hr. You would take out your federal and state taxes just as your employer would, you'd pay the company portion of your FICA/Medicare, and the net income is your take home salary. Part of that extra $15/hr goes to paying some of the taxes and overhead, but remember the only thing you're paying "extra" on is the company match FICA and medicare taxes. These are also tax deductible. As an employee your current hospital is taking out the federal/state taxes and depositing them to make "payments" on your behalf. As a business owner, you would actually be doing this. Believe me, you can get the hang of this concept. Just remember as I said before, think of yourself as a business, not an employee. And, don't sell yourself short...EVER. Make what you're worth. Kevin Ross, RN, BSN

I just wanted to "pop in" again on this topic as it's pretty disheartening to hear about many of you facing the challenges that you actually do as a nurse. Let me preface here (and I think I said it before in another post), that if you want to leave nursing, ultimately if you'e found another passion, then I can't hold that against you just because I'm a nurse. Here's the thing. When I went back to school to become a nurse I was surrounded by quite a few individuals who were leaving their previous careers to become a nurse (myself included). So, I don't really view it as unusual, but it's just unfortunate because this is pretty versatile profession. You don't have to be stuck in the bedside nursing mentality. This unfortunately is somewhat ingrained in us during our education. There are a range of specialities, however we're only privy to the areas that are within a hospital or M.D. office setting. Now, if you really want to become a NP then by all means our healthcare system will appreciate it since many of the primary docs are getting out of the game (I personally know quite a few...unfortunate). If you happen to set up shop in my area I'll even support you through patient referrals. BUT, I just want each and every nurse reading this post or any other post about what options are to truly consider alternatives to spending more money on a career path that may or may not be your passion just to get away from the bedside. If it is your passion then I respect it. Many other professionals out there sell their services to the public, why can't you? You may want to quickly respond with the whole licensing issue, but let me advise you to be aware of your Scope of Practice laws in your state, and practice within them. Many of these other experts (non-healthcare) may also have licensing that they too have to ensure that they are practicing within. We're not really any different. Just stay within your scope. Are you an expert in an area, or do you tell yourself that you could take what knowledge and experience you have and package it up and deliver it in the same fashion that your current employer does? Of course I realize you can't set up your own tertiary care center, but what about products or services that can actually help keep your patients away from these centers (i.e. lifestyle changes)? What about finding a company that is seeking out the expertise of a nurse for a product or service that they want to launch, and they need you to help them? Might there be any budding entrepreneurs here? Just wanted to pose the question. I hope each and every one of you find your real passion, and if happens to be within the nursing profession, great! If not, well that's great too. Just as long as you get to work your full potential. Kevin Ross, RN, BSN

I typically recommend a nurse set themselves up as a business. Even if it's a single owner/run entity, you want to convey the message that the hospital is doing business, well, with an actual business. Setting up a business entity isn't really complicated, and there are many resources available. Deciding what type of entity is probably the most confusing, but ultimately each State has it's own rules/regs. I could of course go on. The billing aspect is that your company (YOU) would just bill the hospital for the hours worked, but this billing may only occur every two weeks and may even happen once a month. Then, once you submit billing, the hospital may pay you anywhere from 15 days to 30days (you would really want to define the paramaters). It would consist of what's called Net 15 or Net 30. Again, I could go on. The take away really is that you just need to establish a business entity, and this is really my opinion, but I do speak from experience. Best of luck in your endeavors, Kevin Ross, RN, BSN

Advice that I give nursing students and new graduates: Build your Brand Change your email address to gmail (ditch yahoo or hotmail), and definitely get a new account if your address is something like "lovestoneedlepoint@..." or "hotdaddy@..." If you have a Facebook Page (I'm sure you do), make sure to clean it up and remove those questionable profile statements and photos. Get a Linked in profile and start asking for recommendations from others on the site. Also, there are nursing groups on the site that you can join. Start a blog (keep it professional and pertinent to your area of experience, or desired area to work in). On that note, follow other nursing blogs and become part of the community by commenting on their posts. Keep your resume simple, and don't fill it up with too many specifics about your clinical work in school just to fill the space (unless it really stands out). Get a simple "about me" website that highlights your goals, achievements, volunteer work, etc. Tell a story. Get a business card, there are many opportunities to market yourself. Do not agree with everything just to get a job. If you don't feel good about it, or you feel forced to make it work, then walk away. Making some concessions is a normal part of any business, but respect yourself and don't be afraid to negotiate. One who negotiates conveys a true interest in the job and organization, and not someone who's just willing to accept anything to get experience. You're a nurse, not a factory worker (all due respect to those who work in a factory). All of the above is about building your brand. Embrace technology, take every opportunity to network, and get yourself a suit (man or woman). I've had the pleasure of helping quite a few nurses, and so far, I've had a 100% success rate. I truly want you all to succeed.

I'm going to keep this simple. All I can say is that this is unfortunate. I understand that nursing isn't for everyone, and professionals do leave the field. Heck, various professionals in other fields leave their area of training and expertise to pursue other options. I want to give you a little insight in that I wasn't always a nurse, so I might have a different frame of reference based on my previous experience. As a nurse however, I worked in the CSICU at Johns Hopkins and was proud to do so, but I know that I couldn't sustain that lifestyle and keep my health intact. I'm now an independent consultant and run my own company. It's not easy, but I'll tell you that I've never been more satisfied with my career than this. I won't go into the nuts and bolts here (as I'm trying to keep this short), but feel free to look at my other posts in the entrepreneur forum, or feel free to reach out directly. I'm here to help. I mean this is a community right? Everyone reading this thread right now could do what I do and there are plenty of opportunities. I can't make it happen for you, but I'll do what I can to motivate you and help point you in the right direction. Good luck to you.

Yiggs, I don't believe I've received a PM or direct email, but I'm happy to help in any way that I can. My business is still going strong and I'm also in the middle of developing a resource for other nurse entrepreneurs (non-fee based, not selling anything), but I have to abide by the terms of this site, so I can't promote it. What I can do is answer any specifics you may have. Please feel free to PM or email me directly with questions. Glad to hear about your interest in ramping up your own biz.

Essentially, you're considered an independent nurse consultant or in some cases or states, you may be considered a private duty nurse. Does your board of nursing prohibit you from practicing independently as long as you are practicing within your scope? The above mentioned scenarios should fall within your scope. They do in my state, and I'm independent. I've incorporated my business, but I am not a home health agency, and I don't even touch medical billing/insurance reimbursement. I've been doing this for >3years successfully.

This is what I've been striving for. The more nurse entrepreneurs the better. I'm always happy to share information.

In VA, are you able to bill insurance directly? That's not necessarily a must. I work with a lot of disabled clients who have to see a DPM regularly for foot care, but one service that would greatly help is having someone come into the home and providing care.

In my experience, it is best to set yourself up as an "entity" of some kind. LLC, Corp, etc. Hospitals that contract with these agencies want a little piece of mind that they are contracting with an organization that can actually provide a service. Mind you, I started my business out of my home (still work from home a couple of days a week) and I contract with businesses that think they are hiring a large agency to provide services. I've never been misleading and once they find out that I (the owner) will provide services, they don't really care. They just want the job done and have it done well. A business owner with a reputation at stake will go the extra mile on a contract, because the word travels fast if you're good at what you do. Travels faster if you're not though. I've been a nurse consultant for over two years and I don't think I've ever been more satisfied with my career. Cut the "middle man" out of your career.