Career advice for or ICU rn thinking of going to school for something else?!

[lindseyp2012]

Hi! I am an ICU nurse for about a year and a half and I love it! No complaints but I'm preparing to go back to school (I want to go back and get a degree while I'm still young with no kids!). I have my bachelors in nursing now.

In college I worked for an attorney where I went through her clients medical record who were applying for disability and I really liked it. THis got me thinking of a career in some type of legal nursing. I know nothing about my options here whatsoever so just looking for advice. What kind of careers are out there? What degree would I get? Any insight is welcome!

[travelingOncRN]

Hate to burst your bubble, but from the research I have done (I considered leaving the bedside at one point due to burnout) LNCs don't make nearly the money that the certification programs will claim. Not saying that it's not a viable career path, but that it's not the "easy money" that many claim it to be. Takes time to build up a client base, and you would likely need to continue clinical work while getting your contracting business up and running.

[Heylove, BSN, RN, EMT-B]

What about non-LNC related jobs? What are some other jobs available for nurses with legal degrees?

[Nimble Nurse]

There are a few approaches - it depends on what type of work you do. I worked for a firm and attended defense medical exams with plaintiff clients. The pay was $300 per appointment. I also interviewed clients for attorneys and wrote up the interview at $150 /hr. So consider what specifically you would like to do. There are always pros and cons to doing LNC work, the trick is finding what works for you.