Beyond a nursing degree, little education is needed to become a legal nurse consultant. However, post-graduate certificate programs in legal nurse consulting are readily available for those seeking to broaden their legal knowledge.
Legal Nurse Consulting Work Overview
A legal nurse consultant is a registered nurse with special training in legal matters. Legal nurse consultants work with lawyers and other legal professionals to interpret and analyze complicated medical information. They act as advisers, and sometimes they serve as expert witnesses for cases in medical malpractice, worker's compensation, product liability, wrongful death and personal injury.
<h3 id="section---ImportantFactsAboutThisDegree">Important Facts About This Degree</h3><p></p><table border="1"><tr><td>Common Courses</td><td> Business principles, working with witnesses, law and liability, analyzing medical records</td></tr>
<tr><td>Programs</td><td> AALNC offers a training course for those seeking LNC certification</td></tr>
<tr><td>Online Availability</td><td> Nursing degree not widely available online; AALNC training course offered fully online</td></tr>
<tr><td>Continuing Education</td><td> Required in order to keep license/certification</td></tr>
</table><h3 id="section---EducationAndProfessionalRequirements">Education and Professional Requirements</h3><p>Generally, a legal nurse consultant can have anywhere from an associate's degree to a master's degree in nursing, a registered nursing license and at least three to five years of experience in a nursing specialty area. Although no additional formal training is required, many legal nurse consultants choose to complete post-graduate training courses or certificate programs in this discipline. Topics in a legal nurse consulting program might include litigation, torts, legal writing and research, medical malpractice, administrative law and risk management.
</p><p>The American Legal Nurse Consultant Certification Board offers optional certification for legal nurse consultants. To be eligible to take the LNCC (Legal Nurse Consultant Certified) examination, one must show proof of the following:
</p><ul><li>Current registered nurse licensure
</li><li>Five years or more of registered nursing experience
</li><li>At least 2,000 hours of work as a legal nurse consultant in the five years prior
</li></ul><h3 id="section---EarningPotential">Earning Potential</h3><p>Legal nurse consultants are often self-employed. The rest typically are employed by law firms, insurance companies or other private establishments. They can also work in hospitals or other healthcare organizations. Earning potential varies by the type of practice an individual works in, specialty area and the particular task at hand. <i>PayScale.com</i> reported that the majority of legal nurse consultants earned between $55,000 and $101,000 per year as of June 2019, and the median salary was $76,753.</p>
