A legal nurse consultant is a registered nurse who uses her expertise as a health care provider and specialized training to advise on medical legal affairs. Nurse Law Advisors help lawyers read medical records and understand medical terminology and health issues to achieve the best outcomes for their clients. The specialty is relatively young, from the mid-1980s. A legal nurse consultant fills gaps in a lawyer`s knowledge. While the lawyer is an expert in legal issues, the legal nurse consultant is an expert in nursing and health system. What exactly does a nurse legal consultant do on a day-to-day basis? And beyond that, does it vary by industry or workplace? Those considering becoming a forensic nurse will want to know more about the job before committing. The responsibilities of a nurse legal consultant also vary depending on the work environment or industry. For illustrative purposes, legal counsel employed by a law firm may be asked to summarize medical records, search the medical literature, communicate with experts, and prepare medical documents for use by lawyers in a case. In contrast, legal counsel working for an insurance company may instead be called upon to perform a variety of case management tasks or to serve as a utilization review specialist, medical bill auditor, policy development coordinator or even adjuster. There are two types of official recognition for a legal nurse consultant to consider: nursing licensure and specialty certification. The AALNC adds a detailed breakdown of professional responsibilities in this interdisciplinary career. Overall, nurse legal advisors are health professionals who work as part of a legal team, often acting as medical experts and assisting lawyers and other professionals.
They interpret patient diagrams and diagnoses; Analysis of relevant medical information; Preparation of chronological case histories and medical discussions for legal documents; assist in assessing damage; assessing an applicant`s medical needs and costs; interview clients and help identify experts; provide consulting services; and even testify in court. CNL works in a variety of strategic roles, dealing with litigation issues such as workers` compensation, risk management, civil liberties, personal injury, medico-legal and criminal matters, medical malpractice and workplace discrimination, to name a few. Consulting nurse lawyers have niche careers and, as a result, traditional data sources such as the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) do not provide analysis of projected employment growth in this area. That said, CNL generally becomes registered nurses prior to legal training. In addition, they must be registered nurses to be eligible for voluntary professional certification from the American Association of Legal Nurse Consultants (AALNC), discussed below. In summary, the professional qualifications and responsibilities of nurse legal consultants vary, and potential CNL is advised to approach educational programs or industries of interest to see what they can offer. To obtain a nursing license, graduates of nursing schools must pass the NCLEX exam and submit all required materials to the nursing board of the state where they will practice. Nurses should expect to undergo fingerprint and background checks in addition to sharing clinical and educational records. Licences must be maintained through regular training and generally renewed every two years. A licence in good standing is a legal requirement to act as a nurse in a clinical setting. Many aspiring forensic consultants opt for nursing training and registered nurse certification prior to their legal training.
Others may receive training in criminal justice or law before becoming RNs. Still others are pursuing a CNL certificate or training program, a list of which is provided by the AALNC. Here`s one possible way to become a legal nurse consultant: While BLS did not have specific data on nurse legal consultants, PayScale, a website that relies on self-reported salaries, offered a breakdown of their CNL respondents.
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