Nursing has come a long way from the lowly status it enjoyed in Victorian England, when all nurses were considered drunkards and thieves, and treated as little more than cleaners and bedpan-washers. Now there are a huge range of employment options for nurses, and one of the fastest-growing is that of legal nurse consulting. Today we take an overview of the career.
What does a legal nurse consultant do?
The role of a legal nurse consultant is to provide advice to those in a legal setting about the implications of medical evidence. So, for example, a legal nurse consultant might be employed by an attorney working on a personal injury case or a medical malpractice case, to help decode the patient's charts, note discrepancies, and make judgements about standards of care based on the evidence.
Where do legal nurse consultants work?
This varies depending on their employer. Some legal nurse consultants are employed by hospitals (usually in very large hospitals where legal work is fairly consistent), and often they will continue nursing as well as consulting. Others are self-employed on a case-by-case basis (almost as freelancers) by different legal firms.
How much does a legal nurse consultant make?
With work that falls somewhere between that of a nurse and that of an attorney, as you would expect, the pay falls in that area too! Some reports state that legal nurse consultants earn around $100-$150 per hour, while others state that while the median salary for an RN is $50,000, the median salary for a legal nurse consultant is around $80,000.
Is there a demand for legal nurse consultants?
Yes! According to the Bar Association, 25% of all the practising attorneys in the United States (over 1 million of them!) work on medical malpractice and personal injury cases. The main employers for legal nurse consultants are:
- Hospitals
- Attorney's offices
- Insurance agencies
- The government
However, many legal nurse consultants work freelance, and depend on their existing relationships with attorneys in order to gain new work. A large percentage of legal nurse consultant jobs are not advertised, however there is a huge number of self-employed legal nurse consultants.
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