It has become customary at RN MARKET's Annual Indulge Conference that we unveil something new and exciting. This year we unveiled the Deposition & Expert Witness Testimony DVD written by Veronica Castellana. Have you ever thought about doing expert witness work but were afraid because you didn't think you had what it takes or were not sure of what to expect when you get there? Did you know that most legal cases do not go to trial? That means, acting as an Expert Witness is not like most people think. Most people who have the knowledge to testify as experts do not put that knowledge to work because they are afraid they may be made a fool of in court. They are afraid because they think of the negative experiences they see on television. Most expert witness work is done during deposition, rather than trial. In deposition, there is usually no more than five people watching you at one time. Therefore, acting as an Expert Witness is usually not like a court scene you would see on television with a full courtroom. With the right education on how to be effective as an expert, anyone who has detailed knowledge in a specific field will be able to hold their own in deposition and court. If you are sure you don't want to become an expert, this DVD can be used to prepare others for deposition & expert witness testimony.

Also released at the 2007 Indulge Conference was the 2006 Indulge Conference DVD Set. If you missed last year's conference, this is the perfect opportunity for you get the same education the attendees received. If you attended last year's conference, use this DVD set to refresh all the great information offered by the fantastic speakers. There are also 12.2 CEs available through this DVD set and those CEs can be used to add a year to your ALNC or CLNI certification. These CEs are nationally accredited and should be accepted by most states and courses. Check with each individual state and course to make sure those CEs are valid. To order this DVD set, click the "Order Here" link below or visit www.rnmarket.com/indulge.htm for other ordering options or for more details. Limited quantities will be produced so get yours now!

Patricia Iyer

"Tampering with Medical Records

Paul & Sharon Martino

"Using Personal Computers in Medical Record Review and Analysis"

Barbara Cagianese

"How to Exhibit Successfully"

Sherry Hoback

"Report Writing & Case Analysis"

Donna Adkins

"BODY OF EVIDENCE: Investigation by a Nurse"

Gloria Blackmon

"Refocused Living: Lessons in Self-Care & Balance"

Terri Sayre

"How One LNC can Impact Decision Making with Class Action/Mass Tort Cases"

Colleen Lindell

"Online Medical/Nursing Information Investigations"

Norma Tillman

"Light Your Fire"

On Wednesday, May 16, 2007 the International & American Association of Legal Nurse Consultants & Investigators (IAALNI) had its first annual summit for its members. At the summit, members had the opportunity to meet and network with other members, vote for board members, campaign for board positions, and celebrate the new opportunity for the association members. There was a great feeling of unity and excitement in the atmosphere. The desire to participate from each member was overwhelming and sets the stage for the type of association the members want to be part of. Special thanks to everyone who attended, participated and signd up for committees. Your positive attitudes will create a strong foundation for a great and influential association.

“I read those medical records. I didn’t gather near as much information from them as you have in this report. Your report also helped me to settle this case for less than what the demand letter requested.” An attorney from the Attorney General’s office made this statement to Teresa Rawlings, a Registered Nurse who assists attorneys with their cases that involve medical issues.

More and more, attorneys are relying on experienced nurses to help them understand and resolve complex medical cases or claims. Nurses are trained educators; their captive audiences are usually patients and/or their families. They explain complex medical and nursing issues in simple, easy-to-understand language. Oftentimes, they need to become quite creative to carry out these tasks. Registered Nurses utilize and rely upon the nursing process to evaluate the effectiveness of their teaching. Frequently, this involves asking the patient and/or family to demonstrate or explain what was taught.

Legal Nurse Consultants (LNC) are uniquely valuable to the legal profession. They utilize their nursing education and clinical experience to attorneys about the adherences to or the deviations from, the accepted standards of care. An attorney should never consider handling a case that involves medical issues without a Legal Nurse Consultant on their litigation team. A Legal Nurse could prevent him/her from unwittingly going down a blind alley.

These secret weapons are not a replacement for trained paralegals. The role of the LNC is very different from a paralegal. These positions complement each other. In healthcare facilities, nurses are part of a multidisciplinary team that works together to help the patient to return to their optimal level of health. In the legal setting, the idea is to form a flexible litigation team of differing abilities that can support their legal theories and justify their viewpoints.

Legal Nurse Consultants are not limited to the areas of medical malpractice and personal injury. They are increasingly being sought out for assistance in criminal cases. For example, it would be important for an attorney to know how a person might act if his/her blood sugar levels dropped, if they experienced an aura before a seizure, or suffered from an acute memory loss, etc., in relation to the facts and/or claims nature of the case.

As investigators, Legal Nurses are adept at navigating the “innards” of healthcare facilities and are able to extract pertinent medical record data, identify red flags and recognize information that will help to defend or refute key allegations.

Pictures form the Second Annual Indulge Conference are now available online at www.rnmarket.com/indulge.htm. Unfortunately, we had to remove all the R rated pictures. What happens at the Indulge Conference, stays at the Indulge Conference.

Veronica's LNC Firm has some cases that require some experts. Anyone meeting any of the requirements below can call Veronica directly at 813-261-4681.