Palms are sweaty. Knees weak. Arms are heavy. (Not just an Eminem song! 😂)

But it’s literally how I felt leaving my cush bedside nursing position to pursue my legal nurse business. Would you believe it if I told you that my fears about leaving my bedside nursing position literally caused me nauseating anxiety and a pit in my stomach?!

Looking back now, I’m SO GLAD that I didn’t let those fears hold me back because I wouldn’t be where I am today without trusting myself and taking that leap.

I recently sat down and compiled my top 7 fears when I was considering leaving my bedside position because I thought, if I was having those fears, then chances are you are too.

Keep reading to see what my top 7 fears were and how I overcame them to go all in with my legal nurse consulting business. I hope this inspires you to realize that it’s not as scary as it may feel!

Let’s get started, shall we?!

Here They Are: My Top 7 Fears With Leaving My Bedside Nursing Position for Legal Nurse Consulting

1. False Sense of Security

My biggest fear was worrying about whether I would have a steady flow of income. We’re conditioned to rely on that steady paycheck every two weeks (hello wage cage!). But with that comes sacrifices—carrying the phone 24/7, endless demands, and the sacrifice of your personal time. It’s easy to feel trapped. I’ve been there too, wondering if I have what it takes without that paycheck. But let me tell you, that false sense of security was just that—false. We gave them the power, but we can take it back.

Related Reading: The LNC Blueprint: A Roadmap to Success in Legal Nurse Consulting

2. Fear of Losing Skills

If I leave my bedside job and I’m not taking care of patients anymore, will I still know how to be a nurse? But, you can never truly lose what you’ve learned. I can still remember every step of a code and drip calculations. Nursing is not just a job; it’s a part of who you are, and those skills are forever ingrained in your being.

3. Identity Crisis

If I’m not at the bedside putting my hands on patients, am I still a nurse? It’s a culture shock—a fear of losing your identity in a traditional nursing role. But remember, you are YOU, not just a nurse. I’ve now learned that I am STEPHANEY, and I can help patients on a much greater scale now than I ever could before. And that’s been more empowering than anything.

4. How Will I Keep Up On CEUs?

This is another one I now get to control. I electively choose what I keep up on and I seek out educational opportunities so much more now as a legal nurse than I ever did in my bedside role.

Learn More: Is Legal Nurse Consultant Certification Worth It? Pros and Cons

5. Fear of Failing My Family

This one was HUGE for me. The fear of letting your family down is real. If I let go of my full-time job and my business fails? What then? We say to ourselves, “My family shouldn’t have to suffer because of a decision I made.” But what happened with my family is the exact opposite. We have blossomed because of the decisions I’ve made. I put into action strategies that worked, took 100% control of my life, executed, and created the results I desired.

6. Social Isolation

Will I get bored and lonely working from home by myself? And yes, it can be isolating…if you let it. But it also grants you the power of choice. I can leave the house and do whatever I want all the time! It’s remembering that you now have the choice and finding balance.

7. Fear of the Unknown

Woof. I remember this one vividly. This was a big one I had to overcome. In fact, the very next month after I quit, I had my worst month in my LNC business. I thought I’d screwed up and let go of the greatest position I ever had. It was nauseating and I couldn’t focus because I was so worried and drowning in defeat. But I quickly learned that one bad month doesn’t define your success. As nurses, we’re wired to have a plan with everything mapped out. We like control 😉. I had already mapped out my million-dollar biz but still had that feeling of “Oh my gosh, what if I don’t hit my mark?” Just because of one bad month. That’s a limiting belief because I immediately thought I needed to run back to safety (living paycheck to paycheck) instead of strategizing. What I had to learn was that it’s completely natural for a business to ebb and flow. But finding sustainability in the peaks was where I finally overcame this fear of the unknown. Failure is now a good thing. I actually enjoy screwing things up because I know I have the tools to fix it!

Related Resource: Overcoming Challenges in Legal Nurse Consulting

In Summary:

I don’t tell you all of these to scare you—I tell you this to EMPOWER you. Fears are just that—FEARS. They are not the truth. We have the power to change our mindset at any given moment.

So, yes, while my fears were 100% valid, I am SO GLAD I didn’t let them stop me from going after my dreams. Because I would never be where I am today.

We are MORE than our job; we are resilient, adaptable, and capable of achieving greatness beyond our wildest dreams!

❤️  Stephaney