Baltimore Nurse Manager Opens Legal Consulting Office
Certified Legal Nurse Consultants are Registered Nurses who have passed a rigorous certification program which enables them to act as liaisons between attorneys who have cases involving complex medical issues and the health care system with which they are intimately familiar.
These specially trained CLNC's, as they are known, have the clinical expertise to quickly screen cases for merit and to consult regarding health, injury or illness.
Meghan D'Angelo who is a CLNC, graduated with a B.S. in Biology from Mount St. Mary's University, and has both a B.S. and Master of Science in Nursing (M.S.N.) from the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing. She has completed the CLNC Certification Program at the Vickie Milazzo Institute, and has opened her own consulting business - Chesapeake Legal Consulting, while continuing her nursing duties at Johns Hopkins Hospital as an assistant nurse manager in the Pediatric Primary Care and Specialty Clinics.
What inspired you to enter nursing, and to then start your current consulting business?
"When I was in nursing school, I asked an adult oncology patient what he did for a living. He responded, 'I am more than a job; I am a human being; I do many things.' That resonated with me and I still reflect on it. I knew with my nursing career that I wanted diverse opportunities; to focus on more than one area."
How does your educational background relate to your current role?
"Although I love my full-time job in nursing, I have always been drawn to the field of legal nurse consulting. I have spent several years in nurse management, which means that knowledge of the standards of care for patients and hospital regulations are second nature to me. Coupled with my clinical expertise, I discovered that I was in the perfect position to obtain my certification and to work with attorneys part-time."
How has your education helped to further your career and contribute to your success?
"Every degree program has become a permanent part of me professionally. My bachelor's degree introduced me to the science and the art of nursing. My master's degree afforded me classes in business and was a crucial part of my graduate education. It opened my eyes to other fields of knowledge and expanded my view. The CLNC gave me the foundation to move forward with my dream of owning my own company."
What is some advice you can offer others looking to go into your field?
"Looking for employment in health care, outside of being a nurse is not a very well-traveled road; so try not to judge a particular job by the way someone else is doing it. Don't discount how much you have learned throughout your career; you could be a critical asset to another industry."
Susan Brown originally spent many years in banking/finance before confronting her addictions. She has now been in recovery for 20 years. Her current interests, in which she has several certifications, are metaphysics and the healing arts. She has written for Examiner.com since 2009 and also writes for Om Times.
