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CLNC SUCCESS STORIES
MAY 2003, VOL 77, NO 5 REVIEWS
R O O K REVIEWS
CLNC SUCCESS STORIES Uckie L. Milazzo, ed 2002, 81 p p $12.95 paperback
T
his book will serve as an inspiration to any professional nurse considering a career as a certified legal nurse consultant. It consists mainly of stories written by nurses who are successful legal nurse consultants. These nurses come from diverse backgrounds, but the book shows that a nursing education can serve as a foundation for a career in business as well as acute care. Many aspects of running a successful business are addressed, including managing time, setting up an office, writing a business plan, and marketing the business. Each contributor discusses a different set of obstacles and strategies for coping with and overcoming them. Each one partially or wholly attributes her success to participation in an educational program offered by the editor of this book. Analysis of the individual stories reveals that each contributor regards the editor as an exceptional coach and mentor who empowered her to fashion a profitable career as a certified legal nurse consultant. The editor, a pioneer in legal nurse consulting, also is an authoritative educator in the field. She initiated the first national certification program for legal nurse consultants in 1994. She personally has reviewed thousands of medically related legal cases and attributes her success to following the trademarked step-by-step process showcased in the book. She offers 12 lessons for success-control, passion, empowerment, fear, confidence, persever-
ance, nursing process as it applies to the business world, decisiveness, focus, mistakes as an opportunity for improvement, the personal aspects of business, and the relationship between personal health and professional success. Each short story concentrates on one or more of the editor’s lessons and how they helped the contributor achieve a prosperous career as a legal nurse consultant. A significant shortcoming of this book is that it lacks concrete information about legal nurse consulting. The stories are anecdotal and do not provide any significant information about what education or knowledge is necessary to practice in this field. Nurses seeking more information are directed to the editor’s web site. The lack of objective information regarding legal nurse consulting gives this book the feel of a sales pitch for the editor’s seminars. This book is available from Medical-Legal Consulting Institute, Inc, 2476 Bolsover St, Houston, TX 77055; http://www .LegalNurse.com.
a historical perspective on health care that allows readers to gain a better understanding of where health care is today in relation to where it began. It also discusses the political and economic influences that have affected and continue to affect the health care industry. The content is not limited to a presentation of the strengths of the US health care system; it also points out the obvious weaknesses. The book’s intended audience is health care students and those in related professions, as well as current practitioners; however, it would be easy for a layperson to read. This third edition includes discussion of the effects of the Balanced Budget Act of 1997, managed care consolidation, and advances in technology and pharmaceuticals, among other topics. The text is presented by taking a complex, trillion-dollar system and breaking it into parts, such as hospitals, ambulatory care facilities, long-term care facilities, and mental health services, which then are discussed in detailed WlNNlE ANNIS overviews. There also are chapRN, BSN, CNOR ters that focus specifically on health care providers and the evoSTAFF NURSE HOLY FAMILY HOSPITALlution of medical education. METHUEN, MAS Chapters can be read individually to provide an overview of the HEALTH CARE USA: UNDERdesignated subject matter, or they STANDING ITS ORGANIZATION can be read sequentially to gain a AND DELIVERY, third ed more complete understanding of By Hany A . Sultz and Kristina M the total health care system. The expectation is that more detailed Young 2001, 461 p p information on each subject can be obtained from books that deal $5 7 paperback specifically with that subject. ‘ p h i s book is written with the An extensive reference list is intent of presenting a comincluded after each chapter, as is a list of associated web sites. prehensive overview of the Both authors have extensive health care industry and the backgrounds in public health and issues being confronted during preventive medicine, and their this tumultuous time. It provides 1028 AORN JOURNAL
R O O K REVIEWS
CLNC SUCCESS STORIES Uckie L. Milazzo, ed 2002, 81 p p $12.95 paperback
T
his book will serve as an inspiration to any professional nurse considering a career as a certified legal nurse consultant. It consists mainly of stories written by nurses who are successful legal nurse consultants. These nurses come from diverse backgrounds, but the book shows that a nursing education can serve as a foundation for a career in business as well as acute care. Many aspects of running a successful business are addressed, including managing time, setting up an office, writing a business plan, and marketing the business. Each contributor discusses a different set of obstacles and strategies for coping with and overcoming them. Each one partially or wholly attributes her success to participation in an educational program offered by the editor of this book. Analysis of the individual stories reveals that each contributor regards the editor as an exceptional coach and mentor who empowered her to fashion a profitable career as a certified legal nurse consultant. The editor, a pioneer in legal nurse consulting, also is an authoritative educator in the field. She initiated the first national certification program for legal nurse consultants in 1994. She personally has reviewed thousands of medically related legal cases and attributes her success to following the trademarked step-by-step process showcased in the book. She offers 12 lessons for success-control, passion, empowerment, fear, confidence, persever-
ance, nursing process as it applies to the business world, decisiveness, focus, mistakes as an opportunity for improvement, the personal aspects of business, and the relationship between personal health and professional success. Each short story concentrates on one or more of the editor’s lessons and how they helped the contributor achieve a prosperous career as a legal nurse consultant. A significant shortcoming of this book is that it lacks concrete information about legal nurse consulting. The stories are anecdotal and do not provide any significant information about what education or knowledge is necessary to practice in this field. Nurses seeking more information are directed to the editor’s web site. The lack of objective information regarding legal nurse consulting gives this book the feel of a sales pitch for the editor’s seminars. This book is available from Medical-Legal Consulting Institute, Inc, 2476 Bolsover St, Houston, TX 77055; http://www .LegalNurse.com.
a historical perspective on health care that allows readers to gain a better understanding of where health care is today in relation to where it began. It also discusses the political and economic influences that have affected and continue to affect the health care industry. The content is not limited to a presentation of the strengths of the US health care system; it also points out the obvious weaknesses. The book’s intended audience is health care students and those in related professions, as well as current practitioners; however, it would be easy for a layperson to read. This third edition includes discussion of the effects of the Balanced Budget Act of 1997, managed care consolidation, and advances in technology and pharmaceuticals, among other topics. The text is presented by taking a complex, trillion-dollar system and breaking it into parts, such as hospitals, ambulatory care facilities, long-term care facilities, and mental health services, which then are discussed in detailed WlNNlE ANNIS overviews. There also are chapRN, BSN, CNOR ters that focus specifically on health care providers and the evoSTAFF NURSE HOLY FAMILY HOSPITALlution of medical education. METHUEN, MAS Chapters can be read individually to provide an overview of the HEALTH CARE USA: UNDERdesignated subject matter, or they STANDING ITS ORGANIZATION can be read sequentially to gain a AND DELIVERY, third ed more complete understanding of By Hany A . Sultz and Kristina M the total health care system. The expectation is that more detailed Young 2001, 461 p p information on each subject can be obtained from books that deal $5 7 paperback specifically with that subject. ‘ p h i s book is written with the An extensive reference list is intent of presenting a comincluded after each chapter, as is a list of associated web sites. prehensive overview of the Both authors have extensive health care industry and the backgrounds in public health and issues being confronted during preventive medicine, and their this tumultuous time. It provides 1028 AORN JOURNAL