Of the many lawyers who specialize, there are apparently about a quarter million of them litigating medical malpractice actions in our country today. While each of these attorneys is trained in the language of the law, they will quite frequently rely on the expertise of the legal nurse consultant, a specialist in medical language. This type of nurse has attended one of many accredited nursing colleges and then furthered his or her education for this.
A legal nurse starts as a Registered Nurse who then went on to study law. It should be noted that a legal nurse is not a paralegal or any other member of the legal community. On the other hand, they are employed both by the legal and the medical professions as consultants, particularly when it comes to litigious issues. The medical world hires legal nurses, advising about possible legal consequences for one action or another. Insurance carriers also hire them to counter the suing attorney’s legal nurse. They have been used in court cases as a way to discern which of two different sides is telling the truth. With the number of cases out there, a recognized pro can be kept very busy, indeed.
The American Association of Legal Nurse Consultants was established in 1989 and oversees this field. This organization establishes the criterion and fosters education and professional standing in its non profit role. If you need more information about nursing degree, look on the internet.
Writing detailed reports, working under pressure and with looming deadlines, and relating complex medical information to those who don’t have a medical background are just some of the qualifications of those wishing to be a legal nurse. On the web site for the Association there are some 20 questions that anyone thinking about specializing in this field should answer. A significant amount of yes answers indicate a good candidate. Too many no responses and those who are curious many want to reconsider.
Probably the biggest hurdle one encounters about the profession is becoming educated in the field. The simple truth is that while there are universities, both online and on campus, offering course studies in the field, there is no formal approach. What the Association suggests is first making sure the school you wish to attend is accredited. These types of nurses will need the standard education and licensing, including a bachelor of science.
According to the Association, a good litmus test is to see if the legal nurse consultant is separate from the paralegals/legal assistants course tracks. Their occupations are considered different because they are legal professions. A legal nurse consultant is medical. It builds on their nursing education and clinical experience. So what these courses really do is prep their students for the legal arena. If the school meets these standards, it is more than likely legitimate. There is an abundance of information about school for nursing on the web.
From there, legal nurses can enjoy a very healthy freelance lifestyle. Usually hired as consultants, the legal nurse can command $125 to $150 an hour for their services. If one’s networking skills can match one’s analytical skills, it’s not difficult for a legal nurse to work 2-3 days a week and earn over $100,000 a year.
Nursing colleges enable one to get the education needed to enter this field or any other associated with health care. The career set up, one can get by attending nursing degree programs and enable the nurse to work in fields as diverse as pediatrics to the specialty of the legal nurse.
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