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Legal nurse consultants are certified registered nurses who provide their medical expertise to lawyers in assistance with medical cases. In order to become a certified legal nursing consultant, one must complete a specialized training course to train you to properly assist lawyers in their cases by identifying standards of care to be given to patients, researching and reviewing medical records, and locating other expert witnesses for the medical subject matter.
Certified legal nursing consultants can expect to earn around $125 an hour for their services, as the consulting provided by a legal nurse can make or break a case for an attorney and this is often how lawyers are able to bridge the gap between medical expertise and the law. Just as with the many different colleges across the United States offering different types of degrees through various programs, the programs designed to educate you on becoming a legal nurse consultant vary. There are both online and offline courses that are available, so doing a bit of research and understanding the requirements set forth by many programs can help you choose the program suited to your needs.
One of the most popular certification programs is the American Association of Legal Nursing Consultants program, but it is not the only program offered. There are online courses, video courses, and even live courses that will effectively teach you what skills you will need in assisting a potential employer, as well as what you can expect from your employers. Some of the clients you might assist as a legal nursing consultant include attorneys, government agencies, and insurance companies.
Once you have obtained certification, marketing yourself as a certified legal nursing consultant is the next big step that will determine your success in the field. If your clients cannot find you, they cannot hire you, so getting yourself listed in the many CLNC directories available on the internet is a major step in making yourself available to be hired. Most clients prefer to hire a CLNC in their area, so living in an urban area is beneficial, though not required to be successful at legal nurse consulting.
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How to Enjoy a Career with Legal Nurse Consulting Certification?
A legal nurse consulting certification can be earned by any registered nurse who wants to move into a consulting role. Consultants can continue to work as active nurses, or they can choose to work as consultants full time. The consulting work is based directly on their expertise as a nurse.What a Legal Nurse Consultant DoesA legal nurse consultant works with people from other professions who need to understand more about the technical aspects of medicine. Legal nurse consultants answer questions and provide information about medical procedures and common medical practice in several different situations. They may be called upon to explain anatomical norms and how certain injuries are usually treated. Sometimes the nurse may need to research specific injuries and how they impact a patient’s quality of life over the long term. In general, a legal nurse consultant is hired to provide specialized information regarding medicine.Who Legal Nurse Consultants Work WithMost legal nurse consultants work with attorneys and insurance companies. The nurses are hired to provide more information about the medicine behind injuries that are being contested in a court of law. Lawyers who work with clients who are bringing lawsuits against doctors or medical institutions are particularly interested in using legal nurse consultants who can explain the medical side of things to the attorneys. Insurance companies use legal nurse consultants when they need specific information about injuries or illnesses that claims have been submitted for. The legal nurse consultant can help the insurance company decide what a fair claims payment is for some situations.Typical EarningsIn most states, certified legal nurse consultants can bring in up to $150 per hour of consultation. This amount will vary depending on the legal nurse consultant’s experience and expertise level. The more training a legal nurse consultant has, the more he or she can charge for their services. If a legal nurse consultant can manage to collect enough clients, it is possible to work entirely from home as a consultant. Since most correspondence takes place over the phone or through e-mail, the legal nurse consultant has a great deal of control over his or her schedule on a daily basis.
How to Become a Legal Nurse Consultant?
Legal Nurse Consulting is an exciting career which has developed over the past forty years. Legal Nurse Consultants are Registered Nurses who use their expertise to assist attorneys in medical-related litigation. Duties of a Legal Nurse Consultant include organizing and analyzing medical records in preparation for trial, conducting client interviews, helping to determine the merits of a case and formulating a litigation strategy, educating attorneys and legal support staff as to the medical aspects of the case, preparing exhibits, and assisting with depositions and at trial. BECOMING A LEGAL NURSE CONSULTANT 1) You must first become a Registered Nurse, which requires either a two-year Associates degree, or a four-year Bachelors degree. You must also pass a state board licensing exam, and may also have to take continuing education classes to maintain your license. 2) You do not have to have any formalized legal training or background in order to become a Legal Nurse Consultant. However, you may opt to take a legal seminar or Legal Nurse Consulting class to better familiarize yourself with the field. Often, the law firm that engages you will offer relevant training. 3) It is strongly recommended that you have at least five years of clinical nursing experience prior to becoming a Legal Nurse Consultant. It is also advisable that you have some background in surgical, critical care, or trauma medicine, as these are the most common areas of medical litigation. However, specialities such as obstetrics, oncology, cardiology, and neurology are also of great use in the field. 4) Consider joining a reputable association, such as the American Association of Legal Nurse Consultants (AALNC). The AALNC and similar organizations can offer you a wide variety of resources, such as workshops, job boards, networking opportunities, and professional advice hotlines. 5) Become an accredited Legal Nurse Consultant by taking the Legal Nurse Consultant Certified (LNCC) Exam. This exam is offered by the American Legal Nurse Consultant Certification Board, and can only be taken by those Registered Nurses who hold an unrestricted nursing license, have practiced nursing for a minimum of five years, and who have obtained two-thousand hours of Legal Nurse Consulting experience within the prior three years.
Legal Nurse Consultant Certification: Expand Your Horizons?
Legal nurse consultant is defined as a specialty practice within the nursing profession. Legal nurse consultants interact with attorneys and other legal entities because of their vast knowledge of nursing and healthcare. Many LNC’s have an extensive background in both education and specialized fields of nursing. Some of the LNC’s are self-employed while others are in the employ of legal firms, state and federal organizations and insurance companies. What distinguishes LNCs from their counterparts is their ability to strategize and compile data in medical-legal litigation, educate attorneys, research healthcare and nursing facilities, review and summarize medical records, work with expert witnesses, testify in court proceedings and draft legal documents. To become a certified Legal Nurse Consultant there are requirements that must be attained and verified. An applicant for certification must have completed a required course of nursing and an official program of education with 90 hours of lecture/study or six college level semesters of credits. Applicants must also have a current state license to practice as a nurse. A legal nurse certification can be granted based on reciprocity. This allows an LNC to obtain certification without examination, on presentation on certification from another governing certification board. An LNC may be obtained through practical experience, allowing nurses with three years of non-certified consultation to be considered for certification. An LNC has must have already obtained a BSN degree, or RN certification. Only after obtaining several years of experience, will an applicant be considered for legal nurse consultant. A certification is not mandatory but is highly recommended in this competitive field. Each individual state has a Board of Nursing, responsible for setting requirements for the education and licensing of nurses. Al legal nurse consultant must satisfy each state’s requirements as determined by the state board. Legal nurse consultant certification is available both online and on-campus. The courses are generally divided into four modules of study. Certification courses cover legal terminology, civil litigation, torts and liability, mediation, and medical record summary. Legal experience is not necessary as a prerequisite to obtaining a legal nurse certification. . A legal nurse consultant can expect to work a 40-hour week with a basic salary of $100-$150 per hour.
Where can I find a consultant for diet and health?
Good information can come from your family doctor as well as nurse. The wellness program can refer you to see a dietician of nutritionalist. Some programs even offer a system called "My Buddy". This is where you have like a mentor to help you.
Is an LPN the highest rank in nursing?
It primarily depends upon the degree and specialization, but as a general rule of thumb - it is. A nurse practitioner has either a Master's degree or a Doctorate degree. There are other nursing specialties that also require these degrees such as Legal Nurse Consultant, Certified Nurse Specialist, Certified Nurse Midwife, and Nurse Educator to name some. Each of these has additional responsibilities above and beyond that of a registered nurse and are comparable to a nurse practitioner other than they are in different fields and responsibilities.
What are the Education Requirements for nurseing?
Nurse practitioner specialties require at least a master's degree. Most programs include about 2 years of full-time study and require a BSN degree for entry; some programs require at least 1 to 2 years of clinical experience as an RN for admission. In 2006, there were 342 master's and post-master's programs offered for nurse practitioners, 230 master's and post-master's programs for clinical nurse specialists, 106 programs for nurse anesthetists, and 39 programs for nurse-midwives.
Would there be apprenticeship programs available for nurse practitioner?
There are some university hospitals that have apprenticeship programs available for a nurse practitioner. Some of the larger hospitals also have them. The best way to find out if they have one in your area is to contact them and ask.
How to Obtain Your Legal Nurse Consulting Certification?
Before you can even obtain your legal nurse consulting certification, you will have to apply to nursing school. You cannot become a certified legal nurse consultant without first becoming a registered nurse. In order to become a registered nurse, you have to apply to a nursing school. However, you can apply to a four your nursing program or even a community college. These types of schools and programs often become extremely competitive. You will not be the only person to apply. Because of this, you will need to complete all of your paperwork ahead of time. This is a smart way to ensure your acceptance. It is not foolproof. While you are waiting for your acceptance into a nursing school, you should be working on your undergraduate coursework. All of this work needs to be finished before you are accepted into a school of specialized training. You may want to take classes in human anatomy, pharmacology, and biochemistry. Some people have even taken classes that will help them with their communication skills. This is a smart way to make sure that you know how to deal with other lawyers. After you have completed all of the coursework, you will then need to work on graduating from your specialized training. You also need to work on passing the state licensing exams. The final thing that you need to do is complete all of the hands on student nursing training. This training is under a nurse’s supervision. You will work with real patients. After this training, you can graduate from your school. After completing your training, you need to spend at least two years working as a registered nurse. This gives you the experience that you need when you try to work as a legal nurse consultant. You need to have a large background in order to help lawyers understand certain medical problems. After you have worked as a registered nurse for two years, you can begin taking programs that give you the legal nurse consulting certification that you need. You will learn more about legal terms and your role in the system. After this program, you can take the certification exam that indicates your complete knowledge of everything that you have learned.
Can a pre-term baby nurse?
yes, preterm babies can breastfeed. You may need some assistance from your nurse or a lactation consultant. If the baby does not breastfeed you should start to pump to help stimulate your milk supply.
What are some recommended online nurse practitioner programs?
There are many schools which offer online nurse practitioner programs. Some include the Women's Health Nurse Practitioner program at the University of Cincinnati. Georgetown University offers a few online courses one could take such as Family Nurse Practitioner and the Adult Gerontology Acute Care program.
Can you become an nurse anesthetist with an adult nurse diploma?
No you need to have a Bachelor's in Nursing so if you already have an Associate's in Nursing you can apply for the RN-to BSN programs some schools offer.
Is the Master of Science in Nursing and the Nurse practitioner degree the same?
Nurse practitioners have either a master's or doctorate in nursing. There are other masters or doctorate programs in nusing, so some nurses with these degrees are nurse practitioners, and others are not.
