maybe lawyers use doctors instead?

sjt9721, BSN, RN · Mar 5, 2006

I think it all depends on the law firm. Personally I don't see a law firm shelling out the bucks to keep a physician on full-time staff. They usually choose to 'hire' one as an expert witness for a particular case. Physicians could consult in the case of true medical malpractice, but a nurse (or legal nurse consultant) would be a better consultant for suits brought because of facility/nursing care issues.

FYI: We have a Nurse/Paralegal in the Risk Mgmt dept at my hospital.

Gompers, BSN, RN · Mar 5, 2006

Most medical cases have both doctors AND nurses reviewing the information. Doctor and nurse duties are very different, so even though doctors have more education, they are NOT experts on proper nursing care. It all depends on the case and what actually happened to the defendant.

You cannot work as a legal nurse consultant until you've had at least a few years' nursing experience. There is no way to be an expert witness without expertise! Many legal nurse consultants specialize in different fields of nursing - it all depends on where they've worked during their careers.

For example...

I work in Neontal ICU. Say there is a case where a sick baby suffered brain damage secondary to lack of oxygen after his/her breathing tube was accidentally dislodged. There would be a neonatalogist and a NICU nurse working on this case, most likely, to tell the lawyers if both the doctors and nurses involved in the situation responded appropriately from what they find in the pateint's chart. They have different functions in the NICU, so they are not experts on each other's jobs - just their own.

Does this help?

Editorial Team / Admin · Mar 5, 2006

HI
So after reading and thinking why nurses are having difficulty with marketing themselves to lawyers, I have a new question. Is a lawyer going to employ a nurse or a doctor as a consultant?
If I was going to win a case, I would be looking at getting the most educated person I could find, even if I had to pay more. Lawyers want to win.
I heard about legan nurse consultants years ago from a nursing instructor. The other day I received information the Vickie Milazzo institute. Does anyone know the cost of the program, the 6 day sessions?
My concern is I still have nursing loans with Sallie Mae for my associate degree and then working on my BSN online with the University of Green Bay.
I need employment and look how I can gain employment in nursing. I am 50 so my options are limited not being able to lift anymore. I tried that for six weeks in surgical nursing and have been in PT since. I had to leave the job and at present I work as a mentor with youth and families under a grant at human services for half the nursing rate.
YOur opinion is appreciated on my question-
1. Wouldn't lawyers use Doctors versus nurses for legal consultants.
2. How does nursing consulting work?
How can one nurse be an consult on areas they have not worked in? Nurses are stronger in areas from life experience or working with clients. Nursing is a specialty now.
So with legal nurse consulting do nurses research information regarding the clients situation and present the information to the lawyer?
Thank you,
m

d

Hello, again (I've answerd you on other threads about some of your questions and in pms as well).

Physicians have zero experience as RNs and have zero experience on nursing scope of practice and how to apply this to the medical malpractice issues at hand. That is the main reason to employ/contract an LNC. And, in order to "win a case" you need the most knowledgeable person. If you are implying a physician is the only knowledgeable person that could possibly be a consultant, you would be incorrect. The nurse is the most knowledgeable person in nursing. And, a nurse who has clinical experience in a sub-speciality can serve as an expert witness. A physician would never be called upon as expert witness in a nursing-related issue. And, MD does not mean they are the most educated and only person that can be utilized when it comes to litigation issues.

Yes, many attorneys employ the physician as consultant and receive substandard reports. I have educated many an attorney and they, after hearing/seeing how the LNC can benefit their practice, decide the physician's one page report is something upon which their practice could improve. Once they (attorney) views the services provided and sample work products from me, they are impressed and want this incorporated within their law practice. But, yes, marketing to the attorney is very challenging. You must have great skills.

I must interject here the Vickie Milazzo program arms the LNC with wonderful marketing ideas complete with the proper tools needed and continuing 24/7 mentoring thoughout your career.

As for if nurses who have no experience in all areas of nursing? Not a problem. True, the RN should have a minimum of 5 years (in my opinion) experience before even entertaining the LNC career. But, one need not possess experience in all areas of nursing. That would be an impossibility anyway. I have zero experience in Pediatric Oncology except to see a patient here and there. But, I have excellent resources and a huge data base to call upon the nurse specialist in this area as well as other areas where I lack direct clinical experience. Now, to be an expert witness, I must stay withing my sub-specialty. But, bear in mind, to be an LNC, one does NOT have to testify. So, the nurse can practice as consultant and never testify as expert. In fact, most of my travel as LNC is as expert and not consultant. My consulting work is performed in my home town in my almost year old incorporated business.

I wish you luck in whatever you decide and I hope this has answered many of your questions. Keep them coming. I'm here for you.

mariee · Mar 13, 2006

Thank you to all who took the time to write their perspective. Truly appreciated. I don't know much about legal nurse consultant and I know each field has a perspective. I am impressed to see the nursing perspective versus the MD's. Thank you for kindly explaining how nurse consultants can be used. I see how nurses are always educating the public along with the clients.

Sincerely,

Mariee

peblz521 · Mar 14, 2006

Right, some attorneys have a "consulting" doctor who doesn't mind answering occasional questions, or they may pay them a small fee to answer quick, brief questions, but certainly not related to nursing care. But as far as the doctors go, from my experience, I evaluate every aspect of the case, whether its nursing negligence or medical negligence. As a LNC, the attorney will be looking to you to tell him/her who deviated from the standard of care and ultimately caused the damages. THEN, that's when you get a doctor on the case, but as an EXPERT. It is the LNC who is the expert liaison and makes the initial contact with a doctor at that point in the case.