If you watch television courtroom dramas, you’ve probably seen numerous cases where a bearded, bespectacled physician takes the stand is asked to give his opinion on a case. While that certainly occurs, there are also other professionals who offer their expertise to the legal community in real life in the interest of justice.
Among them are legal nurse consultants, or LNCs. An LNC is registered nurse (R.N.) who has received special training to serve as a consultant for medical-related legal cases. R.N.s who practice legal nurse consulting
assist in understanding the medical records, medical terminology, and health care issues in service of their clients, both plaintiffs and defendants.
While attorneys are the legal experts, the LNC contributes his or her knowledge on nursing and health care
systems and issues. Thus they are in a better position to evaluate the merit of a potential case, review relevant records, identify the standards of care, as well as prepare reports regarding extent of injuries or illness. Though most work behind the scenes, they may also serve as expert witness or help identify appropriate experts.
Other types of clients include insurance companies, healthcare facilities, government agencies, and private corporations designing strategies for risk management and other legal-health issues.
When there are complicated cases involving medical issues, the legal nurse consultant forms part of the necessary litigation team that the case attorney assembles. Certified Legal Nurse consultants may charge fees of $125 to $150 per hour, which is very cost-effective for attorneys. They may work in urban or rural areas, and most work independently from home. This is a profession that allows many nurses options for a flexible, profitable, and satisfying either part-time or full-time.
To perform the work requires training, and indeed there are educational and certification programs for LNCs. While certification is not required, it is highly recommended. Courses of study include health care and nursing law, coverage of dominant kinds of cases, legal issues of practice, ethics, case analysis, report writing, preparation for expert testimony, and other topics for preparation as an independent consultant. These programs are generally offered through distance learning.
Legal Nurse Consultants may join the American Association of Legal Nurse Consultants (AALNC), a not-for-profit membership organization “dedicated to the professional enhancement and growth of registered nurses practicing in the specialty area of legal nurse consulting and to advancing this nursing specialty
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