The Legal Nurse Consultant

What is a Legal Nurse Consultant?

A Legal Nurse Consultant is a registered nurse (RN) who combines their nursing education and clinical experience along with specialized legal training to consult on medical related legal cases.

Most Legal Nurse Consultants have gained their clinical experience in high risk areas of medicine such as surgical units, intensive care units, or emergency departments. Having this type of experience and nursing background gives them the ability to analyze complex medical information, understand medical terminology, as well as interpret medical records and reports.

They are required to complete a certification program to gain law enforcement knowledge in order to become employed as a Legal Nurse Consultant. After completing LNC training, employment opportunities may be found in many areas.

Opportunities for Legal Nurse Consultants:

  • Hospitals employ LCN's to work with risk managers and claims managers. They assist in the completion of investigative reports in relation to liability claims posed against the hospital.
  • LCN's can operate as independent contractors depending on their skills and expertise.
  • Insurance Agencies seek the assistance of a Legal Nurse Consultant to evaluate personal injury claims and malpractice law suits. 
  • Law firms, call upon the advice and expertise of a Legal Nurse Consultant to assist Lawyers, Paralegals, and Legal experts in a broad range of legal issues. These legal issues include workers compensation claims, medical malpractice suits, product liability cases, personal injury, nursing liability, toxic tort claims, wrongful death suits, sexual assault cases, and criminal defence cases.

At the present time, 50% of all LCN's are employed within Law firms, Hospitals and Insurance Agencies, while the other 50% are employed as independent contractors in the field.

Legal Nurse Consultants play a very important role as a specialized member of the litigation team. Some of the duties they may be required to perform are screening new cases for merit, searching out medical experts and conducting interviews pertaining to details of the case, identify standards of nursing care, analyze medical records, interpret the details of nurses and physician's notes, chronologies of medical events that occurred, prepare diagrams, timelines and charts for court proceedings.

In addition to their role as a consultant, they may be called upon as an expert witness. They are often required to testify in court trials, hearings and arbitrations. They may be asked to  provide depositions, and to prepare expert witness reports from interviews that they have conducted to be used in trials.

Job Requirements

Pursuing a career as a Legal Nurse Consultant requires a valid Registered Nursing license, and extensive clinical expertise in the field of nursing. This background will enable you to enrol in a six to seven week training course at a local college, university, or online in order to become a certified Legal Nurse Consultant.

25% of all Lawyers currently practicing, are dealing with medical related cases. According to statistics, the number of medical related cases is on the rise. With an increase in demand for LCN's, employment opportunities in this field are expected to rise substantially over the next ten years.

Expected Income

According to The U.S. Bureau of Labour Statistics the salary for the position is an average of $80,000 annually, and independent contractors have average earnings of approximately $100 to $250 per hour for their services.

If you are currently a Registered Nurse looking for a change (or an LPN who makes long term plans), this could be the career path for you.


Legal Nurse Consultant 

Other Sources: (opens in a new window)

American Association of Legal Consultants

National Association of Legal Nurse Consultants

 

 

 

 

 Introduction to Legal Nurse Consulting


Other career path considerations:

LPN to RN

LPN to BSN

LPN to MSN

MA Medical Assistant

MA to RN

NP Nurse Practitioner

Legal Nurse Consultant


The theme of the next section contains specific industries, starting with the LPN Home Care, so please review it as you are considering the career path that you are planning on pursuing.  

Return to the home page for additional information on LPNs

Nursing in Australia

    
 

 

 

 

 

 

Introduction
Educational Considerations
Funding Education
Beyond the LPN Degree Opportunities
Career Opportunities
Other Resource Articles

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