Celebrating 20 Years of AALNC: Memoirs of Founding Members

AALNC has grown, developed, and blossomed throughout its 20 year history, just as the profession has.  As part of our anniversary celebration we want our members to reflect and share how far they have come as legal nurse consultants in their careers as well as how AALNC has had an impact on their professional lives. 

Joanne Behymer began her LNC career 22 years ago in the San Diego area.  Although AALNC was incorporated in Arizona, it was in San Diego where the first gathering of LNC’s occurred and became the San Diego Association of Medical Legal Nurse Consultants on October 12, 1987. During 1988, the SDAMLNC contacted other nurses in Arizona and Georgia who had formed similar associations.  They learned that their three organizations, formed independently, had the same visions, goals, and objectives for what became known as legal nurse consulting.  In late 1988 and early 1989 they met with the nurses from Arizona and Georgia and several from northern California to discuss forming a national association.  On July 29, 1989, they formed a “National Steering Committee” and the “American Association of Legal Nurse Consultants” was born!

The National Steering Committee was composed of some 45 nurses from around the nation.  In April 1990 (after only nine months and five meetings!), the first AALNC Board of Directors was elected and we held the first AALNC National Convention in Phoenix, Arizona on April 25-28, 1990.  AALNC incurred challenges from the very beginning as the conference was initially scheduled to be held at the Registry Resort in Phoenix.  However, upon arrival that first day, we learned that we had been “bumped” by a group of physicians who decided to extend their conference a couple of days!  The entire conference was moved from the Registry Resort to the ever so elegant Phoenician Resort.  It was a challenge but the Phoenician Resort accommodated the conference with grace, down to the last detail, and with a smile.  What took nine months to organize, took but four hours to move!  This worked out for the better for us as it was done with class and style in a grand setting.  The dream of forming a national organization with an annual conference was realized and that dream culminated with 180 participants representing 24 states at our First Annual AALNC Conference!  It was truly remarkable!

Joan Magnusson joined AALNC at the first national conference in Phoenix and could not imagine having worked as an LNC for the last 20 years without the professional organization.  The opportunity to volunteer on committees, participate in national board activities, and meet so many other LNCs around the country, allowed her to think about her specialty in a broader scope than just her day to day practice.  From her involvement in AALNC, Joan has truly seen AALNC evolve from an all-volunteer group to a professional association with hired staff.  It went from a group trying to determine the identity of nurses who worked for law firms into a nationally recognized organization that defined legal nurse consulting as a specialty nursing practice.  The association validated that concept by establishing a scope and standards of practice, publishing a core curriculum, and supporting a legally defensible and ABNS accredited certification program.

The Orlando area chapter also owes its roots to the group of nurses from Orlando who attended the first conference.  Joan remembers meeting other LNCs from Orlando at the conference-some of whom were working in the same office tower that she was, and they didn't know of each other's existence until meeting in Phoenix!   From their experiences in Phoenix they were determined to return home and start an AALNC chapter, and they did.

Joan’s favorite memories of AALNC revolve around the enduring friendship of a core group of leaders who served on the board with her.  From a professional perspective, it is the process of starting the ALNCCB and the certification program.

Barbara Levin has been an AALNC member since 1993 and has been active member since her first day! Barbara’s most proud of the development of AALNC’s educational products and resources for legal nurse consultants, and our ability to meet the growing demand of educational needs within the profession.  The most valued components of membership within AALNC come from professional development opportunities, friendships formed with other LNCs, and the leadership opportunities afforded to members.