07/30/2026
A day in the Lifeโฆ of an LNC
As I drink my morning coffee, I scroll and make thoughtful reply posts to LinkedIn. Honestly, this is my form of marketing right now. It works for some, but not for others. I do this every day, whether I work clinically as a med-surg and ICU nurse or from home as an LNC. Folks do all sorts of marketing. Many do vendor tables at attorney conferences, lunch-and-learns at attorney offices, or get in front of local chamber of commerce meetings; send emails, make phone calls, or drop off materials/baskets of goodies in offices for marketing. All are viable options! Attending AALNC conferences in person has been beneficial.
Once or twice a week, I figure out a LinkedIn post to write and usually post it with a picture.
Then I gather my last-minute thoughts for a Zoom or phone call with an attorney for a case review and have that call.
I then check my email and respond to priority emails.
In no particular order, I do case triage, focused medical record review, research, scheduling and billing/invoicing, administrative tasks (such as organizing case files on my laptop, downloading or uploading files, blocking time on my schedule to get affidavits of merit notarized, make physical files for my cases, deposit checks, order office supplies, keep a running list of expenditures for tax purposes), report writing, chronology building, and research on medications, procedures, or standards of care.
As an expert witness, I still work clinically, so I am strategic about when I review records vs. when I work clinically. Sometimes this means I am working nights and weekends, and yes, even some holidays if necessary. But, getting deeper into my LNC practice, I am learning to be more thoughtful about my boundaries, about what cases I take and what timeframes I tell attorneys I can accomplish their medical reviews in. I no longer take โanything that comes along,โ and I can be more selective. For instance, I find Epic and Cerner records much easier to navigate than Med Tech records. It takes me a very long time to review Med Tech records, and I do not particularly enjoy it. I will do them, but I know it will certainly take me longer to navigate than other records, so I allow extra time if I know records are coming in that form.
I belong to AALNC chapters, so I try to attend educational opportunities, meetings, and happy hours when my schedule allows. This serves the purpose of support for me in the form of getting questions answered that I might have and allows me exposure so others see me and my specialty, so they get to know me more (other LNCs tend to refer to those they know, like, and trust), and me giving support to others as well. I have also joined other groups, such as Facebook groups for LNCs, LNCExchange, and Juris Educational Resource Knowledge (J.E.R.K.). All these groups post about potential cases I may be interested in. When I see a posting for a med-surg or ICU nurse, I send my CV and fee schedule RIGHT AWAY. The early bird often gets the โcaseโ in this instance.
As an LNC business owner, I always have my โbusinessโ on my mind. Some days, I get home from a 12-hour shift at the hospital, and I do not have the energy to do much more. Some days, I respond to an attorney's or paralegal's email during my lunch break from work. Some days, I do not have the information they need until I return home, but I do let them know that is when I will respond.
As an LNC business owner, you have the opportunity to make a business what YOU want to make of it. You get to set those rules. As an LNC subcontractor, you will follow someone elseโs rules, but you also do not have to worry about the โLinkedInโ posts or other types of marketing. That is the beauty of LNC work. You get to make it what you want it to be.
Wishing everyone the best of luck as they venture forward in this journey.
Feel free to reach out if you have questions!
Denise Harvey
