OVERVIEW
What is a Legal Nurse Consultant?
Healthcare is a complex system with very strict regulations in place, which means attorneys won’t always have sufficient knowledge about medical protocols when handling a medical malpractice lawsuit or similar case involving a healthcare provider. This is where a legal nurse consultant comes in. They use their experience in healthcare to help attorneys understand regulations and protocols so that the attorney will have a better foundational knowledge of healthcare obligations in scenarios related to their case.
RESPONSIBILITIES
What Does a Legal Nurse Consultant Do?
The specifics of a legal nurse consultant’s duties will vary based on the case they are consulting on. However, generally speaking, their typical day-to-day duties may include:
- Reviewing medical records: The nurse consultant will review medical records related to the case to determine whether proper measures were taken and were accurately recorded.
- Identifying patient needs: The nurse consultant will determine how a patient should have been cared for to decide whether they received appropriate care.
- Assessing patient care: The nurse consultant will analyze the care that a patient did receive to determine whether it was appropriate for their needs and the situation.
- Communicating with legal and healthcare professionals: Nurse consultants need to speak to a wide variety of legal and healthcare professionals, as well as bridge the gap between them.
- Taking inventory of evidence: Nurse consultants will review what medical evidence there is on hand and what it signifies.
- Preparing documentation: Nurse consultants will prepare relevant documentation relating to medical care, such as a timeline of care.
- Preparing testimony: Nurse consultants will need to prepare for court appearances, as they may appear as expert witnesses.
- Holding patient interviews: Nurse consultants may need to sit in on patient interviews to gain more information about the care the patient received.
- Doing additional research: Nurse consultants may not know everything they need to for any given case right off the bat, and therefore may need to conduct additional research.
- Attending medical examinations: Nurse consultants may attend medical examinations to glean more information about patient needs or the consequences of their care.
- Estimating cost of care and damages: A nurse consultant may help the legal team determine what the overall cost of care was or what the cost of damages relating to care are.
- Revising legal documentation: Nurse consultants may review legal documentation containing medical information to confirm its accuracy.
EDUCATION & BEST DEGREES
How to Become a Legal Nurse Consultant?
A legal nurse consultant must be a registered nurse. Therefore, the education credentials for a legal nurse consultant depend on the requirements to become a registered nurse in your state. Typically, registered nurses must hold an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) or a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) which means this will be the minimum requirement to pursue a career as a legal nurse consultant as well. However, further education in the nursing field, such as a master’s degree or post-master's certificate in nursing leadership & management, may make you a more competitive job candidate and improve your ability to be recognized as an expert witness.
Certifications for Legal Nurse Consultants
Again, the certifications you will need to be a legal nurse consultant will depend on what certifications registered nurses are required to hold in your state. However, these certifications will also depend on your specialization, such as pediatrics, addiction, critical care. If you hold a certification that relates strongly to a legal case, you may be a more competitive candidate to act as a legal nurse consultant for that case.
For example, a registered nurse with certification in critical care may be an ideal candidate to act as a legal nurse consultant for a case where a patient was neglected after being admitted to an emergency room. In that situation, legal nurse consultants may find it beneficial to receive certification that commonly applies to legal cases or commonly apply to the types of cases that they would like to act as a consultant for.
Best Degrees for a Legal Nurse Consultant
Health & Nursing
Nursing (Prelicensure) – B.S.
A one-of-a-kind nursing program that prepares you to be an RN and a...
A one-of-a-kind nursing program that prepares you to be an RN and a baccalaureate-prepared nurse:
- Locations: Due to in-person clinical requirements, students must be full time residents of Arkansas, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, or Wisconsin to enroll in this program. The coursework in this program is offered online, but there are in-person requirements.
- Tuition: $8,755 per 6-month term for the first 4 terms of pre-nursing coursework and $8,755 per 6-month term for the remaining 4 terms of clinical nursing coursework.
- Time: This program has a set pace and an expected completion time of 4 years. Certain coursework may be accelerated to finish faster.
- WGU offers the prelicensure program in areas where we have partnerships with healthcare employers to provide practice sites and clinical coaches to help teach you and inspire you on your path to becoming a nurse.
- If you don't live in one of our prelicensure states or don't qualify to apply, consider getting our Bachelor's in Health and Human Services instead. This degree allows you to work inside the healthcare industry, while also working directly with patients who need help.
Skills for your résumé that you will learn in this program:
- Community Health
- Women's and Children's Nursing
- Pathology
- Physiology
- Research
Health & Nursing
Nursing – Leadership & Management (BSN-to-MSN) – M.S.
For registered nurses with a bachelor's degree who are ready for...
For registered nurses with a bachelor's degree who are ready for additional career opportunities.
- Time: 61% of grads finish within 23 months
- Tuition: $5,035 per 6-month term
- Courses: 15 total courses in this program
This program is ideal for current RNs who have a BSN and are ready for the next step in their education.
Skills for your résumé you will learn in this program:
- Quality Outcomes in a Culture of Value-Based Nursing Care
- Nursing Leadership and Management
- Advanced Pathopharmacological Foundations
- Informatics for Transforming Nursing Care
Compare degrees
This program is not the only degree WGU offers designed to create leaders in the field of healthcare. Compare our health leadership degrees.
Health & Nursing
Nursing (RN-to-BSN Online) – B.S.
An online BSN degree program for registered nurses (RNs) seeking the added...
An online BSN degree program for registered nurses (RNs) seeking the added theoretical depth, employability, and respect that a bachelor's degree brings:
- Time: The program is designed to be completed in 1 year.
- Tuition: $5,325 per 6-month term.
- Courses: 23 total courses in this program.
- Transfers: Students can transfer up to 90 credits.
Skills for your résumé that you will learn in this program:
- Healthcare Policy and Economics
- Information Technology in Nursing Practice
- Anatomy and Physiology
- Applied Healthcare Statistics
If you don't currently have an RN and don't qualify for your nursing prelicensure program, consider getting our Bachelor's in Health and Human Services instead. This degree allows you to work inside the healthcare industry in a unique way.
Health & Nursing
Nursing Leadership and Management – Post-Master's Certificate
A certificate for registered nurses with a master's degree in nursing who...
A certificate for registered nurses with a master's degree in nursing who are ready for greater responsibility in a leadership and management role.
- Time: Students typically finish this program in 12 months.
- Tuition: $5,035 per 6-month term. The cost to sit for the NAHQ Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality (CPHQ) exam is included in tuition.
- Courses: 8 total courses in this program.
Skills for your résumé that you will learn in this program:
- Strategic Planning
- Resource Management
- Business Case Analysis
- Evaluating Healthcare Improvements
How Much does a Legal Nurse Consultant Make?
$86,876
The average yearly pay for legal nurse consultants was approximately $86,876 in 2023. However, the salaries of legal nurse consultants can vary widely depending on factors such as how often they work in that capacity, what entity they work for, and job competition in their area.
What is the Projected Job Growth?
6%
There are no concrete reports on the job outlook for legal nurse consultants, as the career can be approached in so many different ways. However, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the employment of registered nurses is expected to grow by 6% between 2022 and 2032.
SKILLS
What Skills Does a Legal Nurse Consultant Need?
There is a wide range of hard and soft skills that are ideal for a career as a legal nurse consultant, including:
- Communication
- Empathy
- Attention to detail
- Assertiveness
- Work ethic
- Independence
- Organization
- Multitasking
- Critical thinking
- Diagnostics
- Understanding of medical records
- Understanding of legal documentation
- Knowledge of healthcare regulations
- Knowledge of healthcare protocols
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