We all want success. We want success in our legal nurse consultant careers. It’s natural to want it, but how do you actually attain success as a Professional Legal Nurse Consultant (PLNC)?
Let’s look at other PLNC’s methods for success, which we’ve compiled below for you.
Success Tips For Professional Legal Nurse Consultants By Professional Legal Nurse Consultants
Be accessible and available for work. Whenever an attorney, paralegal, or legal assistant contacts you, be ready to take on the assignment. No excuses. If they’re reaching out to you, it’s for a reason. They want and need you to review medical records in a case or potential case.
Oftentimes, you’re being contacted at what you perceive to be “the last minute”. Maybe they’ve had the medical records for a while, maybe they meant to send them to you earlier, or maybe they’ve tried others first. Regardless, if you want the experience, look for the good in the situation. You just might get other cases if you’re willing to review these records.
Be helpful. Nothing worse than constantly being a naysayer. There could be good reason not to recommend to the plaintiff’s attorney that they take the case. Carefully and meticulously spell it out for them. You want to be perceived as a resource. Someone they can go to for your scholarly opinion. Not someone who only finds the negative in a situation.
The most helpful PLNC will be able to look at both sides of a case: the strengths AND the weaknesses. Most medical records have good and bad aspects. You job is to discover those and let your attorney know them. No surprises later. Be helpful now.
Be confident. You’re being asked to review the medical records because you have the wherewithal to know what you’re doing. You have nursing skills and nursing experience. Parlay those skills and experience into reviewing medical records.
As a nurse, you’re used to reading others’ entries in the medical record. You know the value of careful nursing documentation. You were taught that in nursing skills and you’ve carried that talent forward in nursing practice. Draw on your confidence when you’re working for an attorney as a PLNC.
Be thorough. As it’s been said “leave no stone unturned”. This means review the medical records completely, even if the stack is taller than your head. You’re being PAID to review the medical records.
Know that there could be missing pages. Plan on this. Make a list of documents you’d expect to be in the medical records but aren’t there. This, alone, can make you invaluable to your attorney.
Be knowledgeable. Let your fingers do the researching. Could be that there’s a disease or condition you’re unfamiliar with, or never even learned about in nursing school. No problem. Look it up.
There’ll kinds of ways to do “research”. Start where you’re most familiar. Use your phone, tablet, or laptop computer. Put in keywords and start reading up. You can do it. This is how most healthcare providers “look up” aspects of health care that they’re unsure about.
Be involved. There’s no substitute for connecting with other PLNCs. Join the PLNC Facebook Community. It’s great to see what others are talking about and how they’ve solved problems and issues.
Go to conferences and events. Whether that’s in-person or virtual or a mix of these. You’ll meet others, learn something, and get some great takeaways.
Don’t forget to interact with the vendors and exhibitors. One can never have too many friends. You might even get referrals from them. Remember, we’re all just six degrees of separation.
Be thankful. You got the job to review the medical records. That’s an honor! The law firm, or company, thought enough of you to ask you to review the medical records and give your opinion.
You ought to be pleased that you’re the PLNC who gets to review the medical records! Your reward? Being selected and earning the $$$ from it.
With these tips in mind, go be successful in your Professional Legal Nurse Consultant practice.
P.S. Get yourself certified as a Professional Legal Nurse Consultant. Grab this Freebie.
