All About the Role of the Legal Nurse Consultant
A Medical or Legal Nurse Consultant (as they are often called) is a nursing professional who brings many years of clinical staff nurse experience and specialized training in the legal process. Their background and expertise will attract plaintiff or defense lawyers who need a brief or an in-depth understanding of their client’s medical history. A nurse consultant may be hired to review medical records for standard of care issues or in preparation for a deposition or trial . Many LNC’s have taken special courses to assist in the development of demonstrative exhibits which can be used in trial preparation or during the presentation of the case. LNC’s can use their nursing assessment skills to write informed reports that illuminate the nature and extent of the client’s damages for the legal team. At trial, an LNC is most commonly utilized as an expert witness, lending their medical expertise and knowledge of the case to the judge and jury upon being examined by the attorney hiring them.
Requirements for LPNs
Typically, to be a Legal Nurse Consultant you must have an Associate’s degree and some vocations may require a Bachelor’s. You must have had the proper training and have passed the exam by the ANCC (American Nurses Credentialing Center) to get your Registered Nurse (RN) license. Then you will have to have years of experience in the field of health care, which is both theoretical and practical. If you are a LPN, you do not work under the supervision of a physician, but you still are under the supervision of an RN. You work as part of a health care team because your duties are conducted as if you were a subordinate to a Physician or RN.
While you are permitted to take courses to obtain your Legal Nurse Consultant Certification if you are an LPN, the AALNC (American Association of Legal Nurse Consultants) states: "Generally, it is recommended that you should only pursue this certification once you have been practicing as an RN for at least two years, and have completed the substantive prerequisites". So are these prerequisites the reason why LPNs do not qualify to become Certified Legal Nurse Consultants? The prerequisites are:
- Knowledge
- Application of Knowledge
- Evaluation
- Critical Thinking (also known as evidence-based practice)
- Clinical judgement
- Coordination and collaboration
The LPN and the RN do almost the same job. It is the fact that they have different levels of education and training which determines who does what. According to many laws books, the RN has more clinical responsibilities and is able to make decisions in an independent fashion. In addition, LPNs have limited ability to both do and interpret complicated health care testing. Every LPN has to be supervised by a doctor or registered nurse. The LPNs duties then are:
- Physician or nurse will delegate tasks to you
- Your duties are limited to the type of practice that you possess
- Not scope of practice outlined by their state
- Delegate tasks that are legal
- You follow federal, state, and institutional policies, laws, rules, and regulations
In addition, LPNs who wish to advance their careers can take a Bridge Program which allows them to go from a LPN to a RN. If you are already a LPN and wish to advance your career and become a Legal Nurse Consultant, you should either apply for a Bridge Program to receive training and certifications needed to become a RN and are you ready to take on the responsibility of being a Legal Nurse Consultant and all that entails including studies, trainings, work, and expenses.
How an LPN can Transition to Legal
A Pathway for LPNs to Transition into Legal Nurse Consulting
One of the most interesting aspects of a legal nurse consultant position is the fact that a nurse can enter this field at almost any level of academic achievement, and at almost any stage in their career. Because physicians, nurse, educators and others from the medical field have long understood the necessity for nurses to move from behind the traditional roles of bedside caretaking into analyst and consulting roles, experienced LPNs have been popularly used to serve as consultant. And with an appropriate course of study and a couple of fielding opportunities, even registered nurses who are new to consulting can expand their skill set to land their ideal job.
Because of this, Lola Brown of LegalNurse.com has developed a certification course in Legal Nurse Consulting specifically designed to lend itself to the schedules of LPNs and others with similar commitments to work and family. In her course, students are taught the necessary skills for becoming a nurse consultant in a manner that will fit their schedule and needs. Students will read the material in the course on their time frame, and take the open-book final exam at their own convenience. This allows many busy LPNs to absorb all of the theory of nurse consultants, glean the most important skills, and then approach the field with confidence and poise, even if they are practicing within their personal communities in a part-time position.
Solutions if LPNs Encounter Issues
One of the challenges of LPNs that can stymie their journey down the LN road is a perception issue. Some might think that an LPN, because the educational program is shorter or somewhat less intensive than a RN program, may not have the expertise necessary to be a Legal Nurse Consultant. Secondly, some may incorrectly think that an LPN does not have the ability to go on to advanced or higher level practice as an LRN while an RN has a clear interface with an MSN and formalized doctoral degrees such as the DNP or PhD . Therefore, an LPN may feel that consulting is a hard path to follow. This is not true. LPNs are frequently highly experienced in their specialties and often have years of direct, hands-on patient care experience which is essential in consulting. Further, because the focus of a nursing career is actually focused on how things can be improved and healthcare and patient safety issues are becoming more and more essential in today’s world, an LPN will likely find that they will stand out in the crowd of medical consultants.
Success Stories and Solutions
Consider Patricia Smith, LPN, who decided to specialize in a niche area of her own interest. After being awarded a substantial medical malpractice courtroom win for her attorney near her home, Patricia took the plunge and became an independent Legal Nurse Consultant. Since then, she has worked on matters ranging from birth injuries to drug overdoses and is now earning more money per hour as an LNC than she did as a working nurse. Or consider Amy Johnson, MBA, who used her vast nursing experience to break into a lucrative new field. Amy went to work as Director of Risk Management for a major international insurance brokerage firm. As a result of her newfound expertise, Amy was soon rewarded with her own company for which she handles all risk management relating to medical malpractice and wrongful death cases. Today she speaks at major health care and risk management conferences as the lead speaker on the topic of medical errors. Or consider John Daniels, LPN, who took a short introductory course on Legal Nurse Consulting that he located online. The course provided him with a good rundown of required skills and the business aspect of Legal Nurse Consulting. Based upon this knowledge, he decided that he was ready to become an independent Legal Nurse Consultant. He then began marketing his services through networking, advertising, and setting up a Web site. After only six months of operation, he had enough clients to support his own Legal Nurse Consulting business.
Final Thoughts: Is It Worth the Switch?
Considering the discussed pathways and challenges to becoming a Legal Nurse Consultant, is the idea of transitioning from the career of an LPN to a legal nurse consultant worthwhile? Definitely!
Transitioning from LPN to LNC opens an entirely new world to LPN’s and let’s them capitalize on what they already know and love about nursing. It gives them a whole new level of freedom, satisfaction and income .
So if you are an LPN and you love your job, your profession and your passion for healthcare and helping others, then take a look into adding 2019 Legal Nurse Consultant Certification so you can use the knowledge and skills you already have and be of service to the legal profession.
The two professions go well together and it also gives you more flexibility, work-life balance after the first year when you no longer have the apprenticeship.
It just makes good sense…don’t you think?