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Specialties Legal

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Specializes in ER, ICU, Nursing Education, LTC, and HHC.

I have a question please:

Can an LNC offer consulting services to the lay public or only offer services to the legal profession?

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Specializes in ICU, CM, Geriatrics, Management.

Don't see any reason for a limitation.

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Specializes in Education, FP, LNC, Forensics, ED, OB.
I have a question please:

Can an LNC offer consulting services to the lay public or only offer services to the legal profession?

No, the LNC should not offer medical-legal services to the lay public. As the nurse does not have a medical license, she/he does not have a legal license.

The LNC role is to assist the legal team by providing expert opinion and/or consulting services under the RN license only.

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Specializes in ICU, CM, Geriatrics, Management.

Hi, Siri! I didn't presume that Monica intended to give legal or medical advice when she mentioned "consulting services."

It's absolutely correct that she can't lawfully furnish that unless she's also licensed as an attorney or a doctor.

But she can legitimately provide services stemming from her nursing and professional expertise.

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Specializes in Education, FP, LNC, Forensics, ED, OB.
Hi Siri! I didn't presume that Monica intended to give [i']legal [/i]or medical advice when she mentioned "consulting services."

It's absolutely correct that she can't lawfully give unless she's also licensed as an attorney or a doctor.

But she can legitimately provide services stemming from her nursing and professional expertise.

Hello, Havin' A Party,:nurse:

I was quoting the OP. But, an LNC should not be offering medical-legal services to the lay public.

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Specializes in ER, ICU, Nursing Education, LTC, and HHC.

SIRI

You are exactly right. That was actually one of my test questions and I was seeong what others thought. Only 5 weeks to go in my LNC course!

Monica

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Specializes in Education, FP, LNC, Forensics, ED, OB.
siri

you are exactly right. that was actually one of my test questions and i was seeong what others thought. only 5 weeks to go in my lnc course!

monica

well congrats, monica. :balloons: do you plan to be independent? have your own business?

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Specializes in ER, ICU, Nursing Education, LTC, and HHC.
well congrats, monica. :balloons: do you plan to be independent? have your own business?

probably not.. i have no idea what i wanna be when i grow up. i am a career student. i have three degrees and soon lnc, and still want to do more..

:)

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Specializes in ICU, CM, Geriatrics, Management.

Hi, Monica!

Can you elaborate on the question you posed earlier. By "consulting services," did you mean legal and / or medical advice? Thanks!

That's not the way I took it. And I see nothing wrong in furnishing our expertise to others, and not just to attorneys.

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Specializes in Education, FP, LNC, Forensics, ED, OB.
Hi, Monica!

Can you elaborate on the question you posed earlier. By "consulting services," did you mean legal and / or medical advice? Thanks!

That's not the way I took it. And I see nothing wrong in furnishing our expertise to others, and not just to attorneys.

Hello, Havin' A Party,:balloons:

The LNC (legal nurse consultant) does not "offer advice" to the attorney client. She/he is compensated for consulting "with" said client.

The LNC should never give legal advice to the lay public anymore than giving legal advice to an attorney. The LNC is a nurse with added education/knowledge regarding medical-legal issues and only compliments the legal team. Also, the LNC would never give medical advice for said LNC is not a physician and can not offer this advice to the lay public anymore than he/she could offer to the physician.

We are legal nurse consultants and the OP original question was in regards to an exam question she had while attending her legal nurse course.

I just wanted to clear up any misconceptions you might have.:)

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Specializes in ICU, CM, Geriatrics, Management.

Hi, Siri! Think you may be misinterpretting what I'm saying. There seem to be several assumptions in your responses as to my meaning. Perhaps I can clarify.

I wholeheartedly agree that a nurse should not give legal or medical advice to anyone. In fact, she / he is truly incapable of doing so lawfully (unless she / he also hold attorney and physician licenses). I'm not advocating that Monica or any nurse provide such advice.

But are you saying that in the U.S. a nurse cannot legally sell her expertise to anyone but an attorney? If so, I plainly don't see that limitation. (That was my original comment to the opening of this thread.) If that is your position, please explain why you believe that is the case.

Thanks.

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Specializes in Education, FP, LNC, Forensics, ED, OB.
Hi, Siri! Think you may be misinterpretting what I'm saying. There seem to be several assumptions in your responses as to my meaning. Perhaps I can clarify.

I wholeheartedly agree that a nurse should not give legal or medical advice to anyone. In fact, she / he is truly incapable of doing so lawfully (unless she / he also hold attorney and physician licenses). I'm not advocating that Monica or any nurse provide such advice.

But are you saying that in the U.S. a nurse cannot legally sell her expertise to anyone but an attorney? If so, I plainly don't see that limitation. (That was my original comment to the opening of this thread.) If that is your position, please explain why you believe that is the case.

Thanks.

Hello again,

I'm just not sure what you want me to say here. This forum as you know is the Legal Nurse forum. We LNC's have a standard to which we adhere.

Many many nurses offer their expertise in the form of expert witness to the attorney. And, as you know, the nurse offers their expertise as a nurse just by working every day everywhere, for compensation.

But, again, the original question regards the consulting services provided by a legal nurse consultant.

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