I am reading the End of Lawyers by Richard Susskind. http://www.susskind.com/endoflawyers.html
This is a very thought provoking book and an excellent read. I am reading this book this month as I map out for law and consulting practice goals for 2010 and beyond. What are your goals for your nursing practice? I also take the time to review my practice goals and business plans for years prior. I started writing out practice goals and business plans in 2003.
I am planning to roll out new products and services in my consulting and law firm in 2010 now that I have hired a legal assistant who works close to full-time to assist me with administrative and clerical components.
Richard Susskind says in his book that because of the proliferation of the internet and IT solutions (which is only beginning) consumers in the future will look to the internet and Web 2.0 for legal solutions to problems. My first thought was is this why nurses gravitate to online nursing chatrooms, boards, and forums and seek advice and counsel from peers on a wide variety of issues ranging from clinical practice to personal to financial to legal.
Do these online nursing chatrooms, boards, and forums provide nurses with the anonymity and asynchronous communication demanded by more net savvy professionals who are busy with their own personal and professional lives but still need the nourishment and feedback of peers?
What does this mean for a nurse attorney like myself whose law practice is limited to representing, counseling, and advising nurses? I find this intriguing and also frustrating. Its frustrating because I see everyday what happens when nurses represent, counsel, and advise themselves in the highly regulated healthcare environments whether its before the State Nursing Board and in a number of other settings. Frustrating but in the words of Kurtis Blow, "these are the brakes." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kegfsV7g-tM
1. Some do okay representing, counseling, and advising themselves and never seek attorney involvement or advice.
2. Others (a growing percentage) don't want to pay for an attorney (which is understandable) but begin to doubt their abilities to represent, counsel, and advise themselves even though they have a fan club of other nurses, a significant other, and family members saying "You didn't do anything wrong", the "State Nursing Board has bigger fish to fry than this silly case" and my new favorite "don't worry about it, it will all work out for the best in the end."
These nurses then try to "hit up" nursing license defense attorneys around the state for "informal advice." I can smell money and after speaking with you for a few minutes I will know your intentions; its obvious. After 8 years of license defense before State Nursing Boards you know the nurses who are fishing around the shark tank. These nurses have no intention of hiring an attorney but just want to obtain the opinions of several different attorneys who practice license defense on the merits of their case.
3. Other nurses will say let me talk to someone first and then I can will represent, counsel, and advise myself. Sometimes I get calls from these nurses a year or two later when things didn't turn out as planned.
4. Then other nurses will say and this percentage is also growing slowly as I think nurses are saying this is my license, my livelihood, and without it, I can't practice nursing or smell the money. More nurses are saying I need legal assistance and I need it now, let's get started. I like these nurses:)
I see online nursing forums, boards, and chatrooms as a tool when used constructively can of course be beneficial to nurses. But the real world sets in and you know I have to keep it real on this blog. The majority of nurses in State Nursing Board matters across the country represent, counsel, and advise themselves so maybe the online nursing boards, forums, and chatrooms are already serving as the "nursing law attorneys" for the next generation of nurses. Whether you call it the unauthorized practice of law or the proliferation of bootleg, watercooler lawyers, it happens everyday and all day on the net and it will continue in the forseeable future.
There has to be a balance because the information, advice, and counseling you receive from others about your legal matter may not be accurate whether this information is provided online or in-person. Maybe using the internet and web 2.0 for issue spotting and then seeking more specific legal advice and counseling on your situation and determing if there is a need for legal representation. Do you need to hire an attorney or is this something you can handle on your own?
I love this book! Is it the End of Lawyers? For some sure but not for this one. Why? I am hungry, creative, lean enough to make mistakes or misteps with developing products/services and revamp, and eager to embrace the apparent and obvious trends with web 2.0 and nurses and figure out a way to offer a product or service in my law or consulting firm. Onward and Forward!!!
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