The Trade-Offs

Many nurses have great skills that are needed in business ownership. These can include leadership, problem-solving, communication, documentation, research, teamwork, and teaching. Clinical nurses demonstrate these qualities every day in their nursing career. The good news is that each of these qualities is desired when pivoting to legal nurse consulting. However, there are trade-offs to becoming a LNC that you may not realize.

PROs

LNCs have both control and responsibility as business owners. Some LNCs start their business because they think they are worth more than they are paid. Yes, there is a limit employers are willing to pay. Income as LNC will be limited by your experience, geographical region, marketing skills, and demand for your services. Income will grow as your business grows. You determine your growth.

?Your reward in clinical nursing is seeing improvement in your patient's condition. As an LNC, your reward is assisting the team that advocates for the patient who has been harmed. It is rewarding when the attorney, judge, and jury comprehend medical and nursing issues. It is also very satisfying to defend a healthcare provider when he is not at fault.

Most LNCs enjoy ?exibility in their new position. You can control when you work and, in some cases, how much you work. You do need to be aware that while your are developing your business, work will be sporadic and unpredictable. And at times you may have several assignments due at the same time. This may mean late nights and work on weekends. The key is planning, organization, and time management.

CONs

The uncertainty of receiving a regular paycheck is a big trade-off. Some cases will take a day, others weeks and there will be some delay in receiving payment for your work. Your income will be sporadic and unpredictable, especially when building your company. You must plan and budget your income well.

Lack of training is always a con. You are not allowed to enter nursing without the requisite training and proof of your knowledge by your licensure exam, and later board certi?cation. There is a gap in your knowledge when transitioning from the bedside to applying this knowledge to the attorney in the verbal or written report. You will need to learn how each case type is evaluated and what case information your attorney will expect from you. You have several options to ?ll this knowledge gap. There are several good educational programs, but beware, there are more that take your money and provide little professional education. Do your research. You can take a professional educational course, study the textbook,Principles and Practices of Legal Nurse Consulting, work with a mentor or subcontract with a seasoned LNC.

?Marketing is a con. Let's face it; you did not take a semester in marketing techniques while obtaining your nursing education. Make sure you know what services you want to provide and become skilled and con?dent in each of these roles. Pro?ciency in LNC skills and willingness to learn new skills are keys to success. Marketing takes time, talent, and opportunity. There are excellent resources online and in some courses. My best advice is to build relationships with your LNC peers and potential attorney clients.

Being a business owner means taking a risk with your time and money. This can paralyze a new LNC. To be successful you must have a plan and a backup plan. A plan for achieving your goals and also a backup plan to have in place until you reach your goals. Becoming a successful LNC is a marathon, not a sprint. You may have to balance your clinical nursing job while building your LNC business.

There are Pros and Cons for life’s most important decisions. You’ve done this hundreds of times. You can do this.