Legal nurse consultants review medical records and assist attorneys in the determination of whether any type of professional negligence has occurred in particular cases they are working on.

What Is Legal Nursing?

This is one of the nursing occupations that is considered a viable way to expand your expertise, employability and value. It also gives nurses the opportunity to work in the medical field and the legal field simultaneously. When speaking in terms of a legal nurse’s role in any given case, this may consist of providing a legal team with medical advice on different situations, analyzing various records or acting as an expert witness for cases that require medical expertise.

What Should I Expect As A Legal Nurse?

At times, a legal nurse may be asked to depose the expert witness, which would require the nurse to complete the initial line of questioning of this expert witness prior to going to trial. In addition to completing the initial questioning, the nurse would be required to relay that information in the form of a report to the lawyers. This is to provide the lawyers with the questions and answers that were given during this time. Also, it could involve the nurse preparing the witness prior to a deposition by the attorneys.

What Is The Job Outlook For Legal Nursing?

Legal nursing consultants are needed in a variety of areas within the legal system. These areas include product liability cases, professional negligence, medical malpractice and claims of workers’ compensation. Due to the fact that legal nurses may be called for a wide range of reasons, they must be well-versed and familiar with every law that drives civil litigation. They may be called upon to prepare reports and conduct research on various issues that are related to a case. They must also be able to interpret social security and workers’ compensation laws.

What Are The Educational Requirements For Legal Nursing?

Before one is able to become a legal nurse consultant in their nursing career, they must first become a registered nurse. In order to become a registered nurse, you must complete the required nursing education and pass the national examination. The educational requirements include obtaining a diploma in nursing, associate’s degree in nursing or a bachelor’s degree in nursing from an approved institution. There are various online nursing programs available, including the online RN programs, so you have a range of options to enter your nursing career. Within the curriculum, you will be required to complete a certain number of hours for clinical practice. Once you have obtained your education, you are then eligible to sit for the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN).

After you have become a registered nurse, in order to take the certification examination to become a legal nurse consultant, you must first have 2000 hours of experience in the legal setting. In order to obtain this experience, you can apply for internships and work as an aid. Once you have completed these hours of experience, you may then proceed to testing for certification. The examination is offered by the American Association of Legal Nurse Consultants. It is offered in various cities throughout the United States. Once you pass this examination, you can them place LNCC behind your name, which stands for Legal Nurse Consultant Certified.

What Is The Average Salary For A Legal Nurse?

Legal nurse consultants usually get paid on an hourly basis if they are working as independent consultants. Those who work in law firms, however, are usually paid on a salary basis. The same goes with other institutions such as insurance companies. The average salary is dependent upon the skill level, education level, experience, geographical location and employer. On average, legal nurse consultants make between $100 and $150 per hour.

• American Association of Legal Nurse Consultants: This is the official home page of the American Association of Legal Nurse Consultants. This site provides you with a wealth of information on the legal nurse consulting industry as a whole, what to expect when testing for certification, educational and professional resources and membership opportunities.
• National Association of Legal Nurse Consultants: This is the official site to the National Association of Legal Nurse Consultants where you can find a wide range of information on the legal nursing industry. This resourceful website provides you with information that includes related news, certification course options and jobs for legal nurse consultants.
• The American College of Legal Nurse Consulting: This site provides you with information on how to enroll into the educational program to become a legal nurse consultant, frequently asked questions on legal nurse consulting and a link to an online resource board.
• Legal Nurse Consultant Certificate Program: This is a link to a certificate nursing program that provides you with information on what to expect including the average amount of time you will spend studying and examples of the curriculum you will be required to complete.
• Legal Nurse Consultant: This is a nursing program that is offered by Duke University that leads to a certificate in Legal Nurse Consulting. This site provides you with information so you know what to expect when enrolling.
• The American Association of Nurse Attorneys: This is the official site for the American Association of Nurse Attorneys. This site provides you with extensive information including helpful resources, jobs, information on chapters and the foundation and how to become a member. 
• Registered Nurses: This site provides you with in-depth information on a career as a registered nurse. It also provides you with specific information on the various specializations that are offered and includes projected outlook for the next 10 years as well as reported wage information for registered nurses. This is the official entry in the Occupational Outlook Handbook as put together by the Bureau of Labor Statistics from the United States Department of Labor.
• American Nurses Association: This is the official site to the American Nurses Association, which is the largest organization of its kind in the United States that is geared towards nurses. On this site, you will find information on nursing ethics, government affairs, professional nursing practice, health care policy and careers and credentialing.
• Legal Nurse Consulting Program: This page provides you with information on the program that is offered at Widener Law Center. This program is approved by the American Bar Association and this page informs you on what to expect throughout the program.