5 Reasons for LNC Checklists

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LNCtips.com: 5 Reasons for LNC Checklists


If you've ever used a preoperative checklist, you know how helpful they can be. A preop checklist is a visual reminder for the nurse to complete many different tasks. Checklists can be helpful for legal nurse consultants too. Let's look at five reasons to use checklists in your LNC practice.

Consider using a checklist in these circumstances:

1) You perform a particular set of tasks infrequently. For example, if you're like most new LNCs, attorneys probably don't send you cases every day. A checklist to determine if there's a conflict of interest could help you to perform this task quickly and accurately.

2) You perform a task frequently but differently depending on the circumstances. This is similar to creating a pick list for different surgeons who perform the same type of surgery but each surgeon wants different equipment. In the legal arena, you may work with different attorneys who want different types of reports or reports in different formats. Making a checklist for each attorney's preferences may make sense for you.

3) You haven't mastered a task yet. For example, there are many steps to hiring an expert - you have to locate the expert, determine his or her credentials, communicate with the expert, determine the expert's availability, etc. A checklist can help you by identifying the steps you need to take.

4) You find yourself asking, "Did I do that?" If you have a hard time remembering if you've completed the things you wanted to, a checklist can help you. It might take you five or ten minutes to create the checklist, but you'll make up the time on the back end. In other words, you won't spend time mentally retracing your actions.

5) You need motivation. Nothing is more motivating than checking a box when you've completed a task. For example, if you're a new independent LNC, you may find it hard to market your services. Creating a weekly checklist of marketing tasks, such as approaching "X" number of attorneys, connecting with "X' number of contacts in LinkedIn, etc. will keep you on track.

...Katy Jones