You just obtained an offer for your first Professional Legal Nurse Consultant (PLNC) job working as an employee for a law firm. You decided you might try being a full-time employee instead of a part-time, or full-time, independent contractor. But, they did not tell you the exact salary and benefits. How should you approach this? Should you bring up the salary you would like? What about talking about benefits?
Sure, you should. The attorneys want you for your nursing and legal skills. You need to know how much they expect to pay you and whether you are entitled to any benefits. Actually, they could have brought this up earlier, but you need to know this before you accept the offer of employment.
“Thank you for the offer to be your Professional Legal Nurse Consultant”, you might say. “I am honored and wanted to know the salary.” The hiring attorney tells you the salary, but you wonder if you should negotiate more. Consider both sides of this equation: Yes, you might be able to get more and no, you could annoy the hiring partner or worse. You decide, but think this through before you speak. Trust your own judgment. You are there and know the individuals’ personalities.
There is no blanket “yes” or “no” to the questions that might be spinning around in your head. Use your best nursing judgment and, remember, it is not necessarily what you say, but how you say it.
