by Elizabeth Rudolph | Jan 20, 2021 | Legal Nurse Consulting
You want to broaden your skill set to be a Professional Legal Nurse Consultant, but you’re not sure what skills you need to have. Likely you’re tired of working hard as a nurse and want to earn more, be more, and finally be valued for your skills.
Look no further.
Here are the Top 3 Skills You Need To Be a Professional Legal Nurse Consultant:
1. Communication Skills. As a Professional Legal Nurse Consultant (PLNC), you’re reviewing medical records. You’ll evaluate them to see if the standard of care was followed or not. As a result, you’ll need to convey your opinions clearly. For example, you’re given a set of electronic health records, you’ll review them, and then tell the attorney who hired you what your opinion is. Remember, it’s your opinion, and your opinion will likely differ from the PLNC who’s reviewing the medical records for the opposing side. That’s to be expected.
The attorney who hired you might just want you to provide an email of your opinion. They might want a written report or, sometimes, they only want you to tell them your opinion on the phone. Just be sure you communicate the way the attorney wants to receive it.
In all cases, your communication needs to be clear and concise.
Nobody likes to read a long, convoluted document.
Think about it, when you’re reading a restaurant menu, it’s much easier when the selections are described in a clear way so you know exactly what’s in them and how they’re prepared.
The same applies when as a nurse you’re reviewing medical records and giving your merit review. Simple. Straight-forward. Use less, rather than more, words to accomplish the same goal.
2. Self-Management Skills. As a Professional Legal Nurse Consultant, you’ll manage your own schedule and workload. You need to know in advance which cases, or matters, need priority. Review those medical records first that have a deadline which comes before other deadlines. For example, let’s say an attorney gives you three lawsuits and each lawsuit has two sets of medical records to review. While you’re probably think that’s a lot of business and you’re super excited about it, you need to ASK THE ATTORNEY THE DEADLINE for each lawsuit. The one with the closest deadline you’ll need to work on first.
Think about this quote: “Everything takes longer than you think”.
Especially when you’re working on something for the first time, whether that’s reviewing medical records for the first time or reviewing medical records in the newly assigned case for the first time, plan on it taking longer than you think to complete it. Then, you won’t be rushed.
3. Organizational Skills. Most likely, when you get the medical records they won’t be organized by category. Some of the pages might, but the entire medical record might not be in an order to which you’re accustomed. Whether you’re reviewing them on your laptop or in hard copy, see if you can put the documents into order by category. For example, all Nurses Notes would be in a one section, Progress Notes would be in a separate section, and Orders would be in its own section.
When you take the time to organize the medical records, you’ll find it helps you digest the contents better. When you go back over the entire medical record, you’ll already have a handle on them because you’ve seen them before (while you were putting them in order).
There’s no substitute for organization. Most patient charts are lengthy. Most are not in the order that you would like them to be in. That’s where your organizational skills can truly be an asset. Plus, this is part of why you’re getting paid the amount you are as a Professional Legal Nurse Consultant.
Next time a potential employer asks you, as a nurse and Professional Legal Nurse Consultant, to name your top three skills, you can tell them: Communication Skills, Self-Management Skills, and Organizational Skills!
P.S. Find out how to use your nursing skills in legal cases here.
by Elizabeth Rudolph | Jan 5, 2021 | Attorney Communication, Legal Nurse Consulting
I remember chatting with my Mom (of beloved memory) many years back and she said to me “You only have one time to make a good first impression”. She was right! I loved my Mom and I wish we could sit at my kitchen table and talk now.
You want to make, and keep, that good impression.
Think about this one: You were online just “chatting” before the virtual online meeting started. You never thought you were being recorded, did you? What about after the videoconference – when you thought everyone had logged off? You, as a Professional Legal Nurse Consultant (PLNC), and the attorney you just reviewed the medical records for, stayed on and “just talked”?
You don’t want to get sued for defamation, do you?
During this pandemic, virtual meetings like Zoom, Skype, WebEx, Teams and others have become the norm for PLNCs, attorneys, legal team members, nursing instructors, nursing students, and others. As a matter-of-fact, just about EVERYONE has been in, or witnessed, video participation.
How can YOU avoid these three common virtual meeting mistakes? Know that…
- Every virtual meeting, course, or conference could be recorded. Yep, that’s right. Not just the actual meeting itself, but before and after you enter the meeting. Accept that and proceed accordingly.
- You should “mute” yourself when you’re not talking. No one wants to hear your conversations with others unrelated to the virtual meeting or listen to your background noise. We all have to deal with those distractions ourselves. Focus on the virtual participants.
- Multitasking while in the virtual meeting is a no-no. What if you hit “Screen Share” by mistake and every one of your keystrokes are being observed AND RECORDED? It’s just not worth it. Be a mindful video participant.
Hey, and while you’re at it, be sure you wear appropriate clothing. Remember what my Mom said about giving off that first impression?
Now, go get on your next Zoom call with confidence.
P.S. Apply your existing nursing skills in medical-legal cases here.
by Elizabeth Rudolph | Dec 15, 2020 | Legal Nurse Consulting, Marketing
The FIRST STEP to set up your Professional Legal Nurse Consultant (PLNC) business development plan is selecting a name for your business. This is definitely the fun part because it’s the first time you’ll establish a link between yourself and your clientele!
Ask yourself: What do I want my clients to think of when they hear my business name?
Do I have a strong first or last name that would not only connect to my clients, but also express what my company is about?
Try these ideas:
- Write down words that describe who you are and what your business is about. Consider business names that’ll jump out and connect to your business via internet searches.
- You want your business name to be catchy, professional, and easy to remember (especially when it comes to referrals).
- Use a thesaurus to change the words you’ve come up with into others that’ll give that spark to your business name.
For example, if you’re starting a cleaning service, you’d want your business name to contain buzz words associated with cleaning. As we brainstorm, let’s write down ideas that come to mind when cleaning: spotless, shine, tidy, no mess, clean, and bright.
It’s also important to think of some words that may also address your prices.
Let’s brainstorm and write down some words that might suggest pricing: cheap, low-cost, free, and fair.
Now, the last stage would be to think of some things that you would like in your business name that may reflect who you are, so let’s brainstorm that describe who you are that also are great reflections of your business: thorough, careful, strong, meticulous, focused, or even your last (Doe) or first (Jane) name.
Let’s play around with some of the words we’ve written down and combine them to see how they might sound for your business name: Jane’s No-Mess & Low Cost Cleaning Service; Careful Fair Tidy Cleaning; or Thorough Shine Cleaning.
Remember as a Professional Legal Nurse Consultant (PLNC), you want your clients to feel they’re hiring a skilled professional, so sometimes something as simple as Doe Professional Legal Nurse Consultants will suffice.
P.S. Find out how to elevate your nursing career quickly here.
by Elizabeth Rudolph | Nov 24, 2020 | Legal Nurse Consulting
Here’s why every NURSE should be a Professional Legal Nurse Consultant (PLNC). You’ll gain all these marketable skills. No longer will you have to work at a job that you don’t like. You’ll LOVE being a PLNC!
- Review medical records. You’ll perfect your chart reviewing skills that an attorney wants to pay you for!
- Interpret medical records. Yes, you understand medical and nursing language. You can translate this into layperson’s terms.
- Analyze medical records. You can assess the strengths and weaknesses and tell the attorney your assessment.
- Summarize. Whether you create a chronology or just synthesize the medical records, this is a valuable skill.
- Consult. You can talk the talk and walk the walk, as it’s been said. You’re able to talk with attorneys, clients, and the legal team. They’re dependent upon your analytical skills.
- Testify. If you want to, you can even testify. It’s not required but if you want to, there could be opportunities.
- Time management master. You’ll quickly learn how to balance several of your cases and prioritize your tasks.
- Organize. Putting the medical records in order of categories makes the whole process simplified. You’ll get good at organizing the files.
- Research. It’s different now. You can look up what you need on your phone. Then, explain what you found in easy-to-understand terms.
- Strategize. You’re part of the legal team. You’re valued for your nursing knowledge.
Wow, look at all ten of those skills you’ll gain when you’re certified as a Professional Legal Nurse Consultant.That’s impressive.
As a PLNC, you’ll get to interact with attorneys, paralegals, legal assistants, clients, and other experts. That’s exciting.
P.S. Are you ready to earn more? Click here.
by Elizabeth Rudolph | Aug 11, 2020 | Legal Nurse Consulting
Earning money as a Professional Legal Nurse Consultant (PLNC) usually means working remotely. Whether or not we’re in a coronavirus pandemic. You review medical records for attorneys and give your nursing opinion. You work from the comfort of your own home, work your own hours of the day, and enjoy the benefits of being your own boss!
When working outside a traditional office environment, you’re able to earn more without all the distractions. It’s a win-win for both you and the lawyer. You’re a virtual team.
Here are three considerations for successful legal nurse consultant remote work:
- Increase your digital awareness. This means find out from the attorney ahead of time whether the attorney wants your work product produced in Word, Excel, PDF, or in some other format. Ask whether the attorney wants you to send it via email, if text message is an acceptable way to communicate, and the deadline. You want to be prepared so you’ll need to ask in advance.
- Use tech tools for success. There are multiple videoconference platforms, and each has a short learning curve. Ask which one the attorney prefers: Zoom, Microsoft Teams, WebEx, for example. Find out if the lawyer wants you to share your work via Slack, Trello, or any other of a number of remote working tool team sharing website and applications.
- Stay cognizant of work-life integration. When you’re at home reviewing medical records, maintain that distance so you can get your work done. Learn to separate in your mind when you’re home and working versus home and not working. It’s all in the balance.
Don’t forget to maintain privacy and security as you’re working on client sensitive information and medical records. But, you already know that.
Studies have shown that those who work from home have increased satisfaction. Let that be you.
P.S. Comment below and let us know your thoughts about working from home.
by Elizabeth Rudolph | Jul 7, 2020 | Legal Nurse Consulting
COVID-19 has changed EVERYTHING. The way we do legal nurse consulting business is totally different than it was pre-pandemic. We can change with it!
The focus since the coronavirus is on how to best provide legal services to clients in a virtual world. Attorneys and law firms are concentrating on streamlining litigation and at the same handling the volumes of lawsuits requiring legal nurse consulting services.
How the Coronavirus Pandemic has impacted Professional Legal Nurse Consulting business:
- Seismic increase in the number of lawsuits. The coronavirus has caused a voluminous increase in lawsuits. Cases have medical records and those medical records need to be reviewed. Professional Legal Nurse Consultants are in the best position to provide services as their PLNC certification training has enhanced their skills.
- Easier to extend your legal nurse consultant services across the nation. While the entire country has always been a possibility for PLNCs to review medical record reviews in legal cases, the pandemic has allowed all PLNCs to connect with others across vast distances. This means you can extend your expertise across the entire country. Our new virtual reality lowers the threshold on geographic locations.
- Vastly growing popularity of videoconferencing. It’s a video world. Look at the growing popularity of social media sites that promote video, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, just to name a few. Today’s PLNC can deliver legal nurse consulting services via videoconferencing and make your services much more compelling than in the past.
Things HAVE changed. Professional Legal Nurse Consultants have proven they can easily change with it!
P.S. Comment below on how you’ve changed your legal nurse consulting services since the pandemic started.
