© The Medical-Legal News, 2007

By Dan Clifford, publisher

The M-L News interviewed Dana Jolly, RN, BSN, LNCC, and Angie Duke-Haynes, RN, about their newly-launched LNC training company, Legal Nurse Consulting Institute (LNCI), LLC. Based in Richmond, Va., LNCI offers LNC training broken into four classroom modules taught over a period of Fridays. The company’s contact information is www.legalnurseconsultinginstitute.com, (804) 370-1583. Co-owners Jolly and Duke-Haynes are atangie@legalnurseconsultinginstitute.com anddana@legalnurseconsultinginstitute.com, P.O. Box 27764, Richmond, VA 23261.

Q.: What backgrounds do you have?

A.: Dana has 20 years of diverse clinical nurse experience, has done oncology research, intensive care and post-anesthesia care. She has been an LNC since 2002 and is board certified in legal nurse consulting. Her educational background is as a clinical coordinator for nursing education, an ACLS instructor and as a lecturer on clinical and medicolegal topics.

A.: Angie has 16 years of experience as a clinical nurse specializing in long term care, home health, med-surg, hospice and performance improvement. She has a background in education as a staff development coordinator at a long-term care facility and home healthcare companies.

We are both active in AALNC and Angie is the current president of the Central Virginia chapter.

We are both full-time LNCs. We have done probably 1,000 cases between us.

Q.: When did you start LNCI? 

A.: We started LNCI this year and we are offering our first class on Sept 21. Our first class is nearly full with a maximum of 35 students.

Q.: Do you give a certification?

A.: We do not give a certification, but we offer CE hours for each of our four modules.

Q.: Why did you start LNCI?

A.: We started because nurses have said that they wanted a classroom environment that did not require being gone from work for a long time. We are an alternative. We offer a great program, and want to accommodate those who can’t leave from work for long. Each training module is given on a Friday.

Q.: Are you marketing to those close by in Richmond?

A.: We market to anyone who wants a classroom environment who wants to be taught by those who are actively practicing. At first we will teach in Richmond, but hope to expand into the mid-Atlantic region.

Q.: How are you different from other LNC training programs?

A.: We are different from the others because we are face-to-face, not done on-line. We offer students the opportunity to work in a classroom and do cases. The students work on real cases. They are not active cases, but are closed cases. We may provide a sample case so that students can develop a chronology and other work products. We offer the chance to do a merit review — what we call a screening for merit. We are hearing that people come to us unsure of how to produce a work product. They get excited about doing hands-on practice.

Q.: What do you require before a student arrives?

A.: We only require that students be clinical RNs — they do not have to have any preliminary training. We require students to buy AALNC’s Principles of Practice of Legal Nurse Consulting and read it.

Q.: Speak a bit about the training.

A.: We do go over theory. We encourage people to take the modules in order, but they don’t have to. The modules are:

• Module 1: “So You Want to Be an LNC?” This is an introductory course for the field of LNC work.

• Module 2: “Getting Started.” This module takes students through various types of cases, different practice areas and the basics of working with experts.

• Module 3: “The Next Step.” This part goes over the basics of case analysis and report writing. This is the module where we have the sample case analysis, work in a computer lab and produce an actual work product.

• Module 4: “Growing Your Business.” This portion concerns starting a business, marketing, ethics and doing another case analysis.

Q.: How did you market your course?

A.: This summer has been our big marketing push, with postcards. We just sent out the second postcard mailing. When we move to other [geographic] areas we will specifically market those. A lot has been by word of mouth. We have exhibited at marketing events of nursing conferences. One was a hospital event and was a leadership conference for clinical nurses. These were nurses who were not LNCs. We direct-mail to RNs and we purchased the lists.

Q.: Anything you would like to add?

A.: Our tag line is “bridging the gap between the clinical nurse and legal nurse consulting.” Students do not have to take all four modules. The modules are $200 each, so it is very affordable. Not a lot of time or money is invested if a nurse chooses not to continue.

Q.: Where do you teach the classes?

A.: Classes are held at a technical college called Medical Careers Institute in Richmond. Students are on their own for lodging, but we have an agreement for a nearby hotel to give the students a lesser rate. If they secure their reservation within three weeks, they will get the lower rate. 

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