Legal Nurse Consultant: Is this what it is made out to be?

[DNS on the go]

Several of my colleagues are considering attending a class to become Legal Nurse Consultants. They are under the impression that they can make a very large salary doing part time work screening/reviewing charts for attorneys.

They discussed this class with the doctors on the unit. The doctors stated they know attorneys who are having a hard time making a living/obtaining a job and that the legal market is saturated at all levels.

The doctors did not believe that a decent salary could be made by the nurses after attending a quick class on chart reviewing/summarizing and self marketing. The doctors stated the legal field is very credential oriented and status driven so nurses with quick training are low in the prestige factor that dominates in the legal field.

I heard the nurses discuss this training as a way to leave the hospital and start a new glamorous life. I feel they are wasting their money on a get rich quick scheme.

When I went to several job boards to see what jobs are posted for legal nurse consultants, nurse paralegals, nurse chart reviewers, etc, I did not see much out there. My assumption is that this is a for profit business being marketed to eager but naive nurses who can sign up for a student loan to attend this class. Beside wasting time, this course is very expensive.

I asked our hospital lawyer if he knows anything about Legal Nurse Consulting and he said it is a small niche market for nurses who have very good communication and computer skills who just want "a little" pocket money ($15-20 an hour) for once in awhile work-senior nurses who are at the end of their career.

My question is:

Is this training worth attending?

The class is over $6000 plus travel and lodging expenses. The doctors said it was too good to be true and that this class is not reimbursed by the hospital or the nurses union. I am also concerned that it does not give recognized CEU credits. The class offers it own certification but it is not accredited by the American Nurses Association nor is this certification recognized by the hospital for a wage increase. They were told by the school that a lot of students take the class for fun and to network with other students.

Colleagues, your ideas and suggestions are needed. Should they take this class?

Getting Starting in Legal Consulting?

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Attorneys View of Legal Nurse Consultants...

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[Yediah71]

Would cold call a malpractice attorney to offer chart review services from an experienced 14+ years in OB, a highly litigious specialty be a good idea?

[RanaPrice]

It seems a lot of the comments are being left by the typical postee who doesnt know anything about the topuc but are so desperate to talk that they leave some pessimistic post.

Like any venture, if you are good at something, andif you work hard there is a lot of money to be made....the same can be said for bedside nursing or selling ice cream.

[elijahvegas, ASN, RN, EMT-P]

It seems a lot of the comments are being left by the typical postee who doesnt know anything about the topuc but are so desperate to talk that they leave some pessimistic post.

Like any venture, if you are good at something, andif you work hard there is a lot of money to be made....the same can be said for bedside nursing or selling ice cream.

you know? i was thinking the same thing. i was looking for some genuine info on the matter but it looks like the only response we get are "i know a guy who knows a guy who heard" or your typical crabby patty that lashes out at anyone that is attempting to make a change for the better.

from what ive gathered though, this doesn't appear to be a new profession per se but one that seems to be gaining some popular attention and as such, the sharks are ready to capitalize on anyone interested in a "rich quick" seminar that puts you in the fast lane to making $150 and hour. kind of reminds me of those private universities back in the day (not that long ago at all actually) that promised you an accelerate program and a degree in "just 18 months" just to find out that since the uni wasn't accredited by anyone except mcdonalds and a building inspector, that degree meant squat and they couldnt sit for their boards but only AFTER shelling out thousands and thousands of dollars effectively putting them in debt for the next few years..

the correct path to do this appears to be some years of hands-on experience as a nurse (obviously, since youre going to be consulted frequently on nursing practices) and a couple thousand hours of actual LNC work in the past 3 yrs. After youve met this criteria you sit for an exam and receive your certification. this certification isn't needed to practice consultation, but if you want to look credible and market yourself better, you better bring your bells and whistles.

then itll probably depend on how well you can market yourself. this strikes me as a field where how much you make and how much work you get is directly proportional to who you know and how well you can keep em coming back, so building a nice contact list is crucial.

i haven't read of many private firms/offices/hospitals that have such consultants as permanent staff, and those that do have them at a considerable lower payrate, though that should go without saying considering earning potential is always higher when you work for yourself, though i'm sure the work is out there if you know where to look i suppose.

so if you dont cut any corners, and put the work in where work needs to be done this seems like a very lucrative career prospect and business venture

reach for the stars! fall on a cloud, put on your shades and stare at the sun!

[katie.verbeten.83]

I am currently in a MSN program with a legal consultant track, which should give me more pull when looking for employment because I have both an advanced degree and FORMAL education in legal consulting. That being said, I have personally had a conversation with an attorney who has been looking for an LNC that will actually put their name to their work and submit it in the legal proceedings. This is what the attorney's are looking for in their LNC; a credible, knowledgable, and "stand by their word" person.

Also, I don't plan on leaving the bedside specifically because of my concern of being out of practice. There is a clear difference in nurses that remain at the bedside as far as being in touch the with reality of the health care industry. I intend on staying full-time at the bedside until my body says "Okay! The jig is up!", then going either part-time or per-diem to keep up with the knowledge.

I am still in school and still trying to figure out exactly what I want to do with my degree when I am done, but it is not limited to working at law firms strictly. Here are some examples:

Facilitator between attorney and health care provider

Facilitator between hospital and attorney -- explain legal process for hospital and vice versa explain health care policies and procedures to lawyers

Facilitator between attorney and plaintiff

Supportive staff to hospital health care staff when being sued

Educator and researcher for law firm

Consult on Health Care System Insurance Policies and Procedures

The main purpose of a LNC is to basically translate languages for each perspective party (i.e. the health care provider, plaintiff, lawyer, jury, judge, paralegal, etc). As you can see, this can be a vital role for many people involve in any malpractice case.

Finally, I agree with most everyone that the Vicky Milazzo certificate program is a complete sham and if you want to really pursue this field a formal education is going to serve you much better in the long run as well as continued bedside nursing.

Good luck to everyone trying to further their career!!