Job Information for a Legal Nurse Consultant
Registered nurses can become legal nurse consultants. They combine the medical and legal fields to provide expert advice to health care and legal professionals. The legal nurse consultant practices in many settings such as medical facilities, law firms, insurance companies, government agencies and independent practices.
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Education and Licensing
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Legal nurse consultants must complete a diploma, associate degree, or bachelor's degree program in nursing. Legal nurse consultants typically have a strong background in legal issues. Many colleges and universities complete short training programs in legal nurse consulting. Coursework often includes courses in legal terminology, ethics, the U.S. legal system, criminal law and the role of legal nurse consultants. All legal nurse consultants must have a current registered nurse license in the state where they intend to work.
Skills
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Legal nurse consultants must have great oral communication skills and the ability to convey accurate and detailed medical and legal information in ways professionals can understand. The legal nurse consultant must be able to carry out many different types of legal research using a variety of methods such as manual and electronic resources. Good written communication is also essential for legal nurse consultants to present the results of their research.
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Job Duties
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The legal nurse consultant provides expert advice on the standards of health care, medical malpractice and other issues that involve medical and legal aspects. She evaluates administrative and clinical nursing practices and medical information for legal and medical professionals and consumers. She also often evaluates whether medical facilities abide by health care standards and guidelines. She acts as a liaison with physicians, patients and attorneys and helps to disseminate information for cases and claims. She reviews medical records and assists with preparing documents related to medical conditions such as illness and injury.
Career Outlook
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Projections show the employment of all registered nurses, including legal nurse consultants, will increase much faster than average, growing 22 percent over the 2008 to 2018 decade. The ever-increasing population and heightened demand for expert legal and medical advice will drive the job growth of legal nurse consultants.
Salary
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According to Simply Hired, the average salary for legal nurse consultants is $82,000 per year. Average annual salaries for legal nurse consultants vary depending on a variety of factors such as location, employer, education, experience and benefits.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit hospital consultant image by Peter Baxter from Fotolia.com
