A legal nurse consultant is a registered nurse who uses expertise as a

health care provider A health care provider is an individual health professional or a health facility organization licensed to provide health care diagnosis and treatment services including medication, surgery and medical devices. Health care providers often receive ...

and specialized

training Training is teaching, or developing in oneself or others, any skills and knowledge or fitness that relate to specific useful competencies. Training has specific goals of improving one's capability, capacity, productivity and performance. I ...

to consult on medical-related

legal case A legal case is in a general sense a dispute between opposing parties which may be resolved by a court, or by some equivalent legal process. A legal case is typically based on either civil or criminal law. In most legal cases there are one or mo ...

s. Legal nurse consultants assist attorneys in reading

medical record The terms medical record, health record and medical chart are used somewhat interchangeably to describe the systematic documentation of a single patient's medical history and care across time within one particular health care provider's jurisdic ...

s and understanding medical terminology and healthcare issues to achieve the best results for their clients."What is an LNC?"
on the American Association of Legal Nurse Consultants website The specialty is a relatively recent one, beginning in the mid-1980s. A legal nurse consultant bridges gaps in an attorney's knowledge. While the attorney is an expert on legal issues, the legal nurse consultant is an expert on

nursing Nursing is a profession within the health care sector focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life. Nurses may be differentiated from other health ...

and the health care system. A legal nurse consultant screens cases for merit, assists with

discovery Discovery may refer to: * Discovery (observation), observing or finding something unknown * Discovery (fiction), a character's learning something unknown * Discovery (law), a process in courts of law relating to evidence Discovery, The Discover ...

, conducts the existing literature and medical research, reviews medical records, identifies standards of care, prepares reports and summaries on the extent of injury or illness, creates demonstrative evidence, and locates or acts as an

expert witness An expert witness, particularly in common law countries such as the United Kingdom, Australia, and the United States, is a person whose opinion by virtue of education, training, certification, skills or experience, is accepted by the judge as ...

. The legal nurse consultant acts as a specialized member of the litigation team whose professional contributions are often critical to achieving a fair and just outcome for all parties. A legal nurse consultant differs from a paralegal in that a paralegal assists attorneys in the delivery of legal services and frequently requires a legal education, while a legal nurse consultant is first and foremost a practitioner of nursing, and legal education is not necessarily a prerequisite. A legal nurse consultant uses existing expertise as a health care professional to consult and educate clients on specific medical and nursing issues in their cases. Aside from within law firms, legal nurse consultants may also work for government agencies, insurance companies and

health maintenance organization In the United States, a health maintenance organization (HMO) is a medical insurance group that provides health services for a fixed annual fee. It is an organization that provides or arranges managed care for health insurance, self-funded heal ...

s, in hospitals as part of the risk management department, and may also be in independent practice. The

American Association of Legal Nurse Consultants The American Association of Legal Nurse Consultants (AALNC) is a non-profit organization. According to the AALNC, its mission is the professional enhancement and growth of registered nurses practicing in the specialty area of legal nurse consultin ...

which was founded in 1989, is a non-profit membership organization whose mission is to promote legal nurse consulting as a nursing speciality. The Association also promulgates a Code of Ethics for the Legal Nurse Consultant practitioner. As of 2001, the Association had approximately 4,000 members, the majority of whom had joined after 1994. There are a number of training courses and certifications available for legal nurse consultants. The American Legal Nurse Consultant Certification Board offers an online examination which is the only certification exam credited by the American Board of Nursing Specialties."LNCC"
on the American Association of Legal Nurse Consultants website Other training and certification programs are available from both commercial and non-commercial organizations. As of 2001, the

American Bar Association The American Bar Association (ABA) is a voluntary bar association of lawyers and law students, which is not specific to any jurisdiction in the United States. Founded in 1878, the ABA's most important stated activities are the setting of aca ...

sanctioned 28 legal nurse consultant programs across the United States.

References

Notes {{DEFAULTSORT:Legal Nurse Consultant Nursing specialties Consulting occupations Legal professions

See also

References