Combining the Roles of Attorney and the Registered Nurse

Registered Nurses (RNs) who have an interest in the legal side of medicine and nursing can seek a career as a Nurse Attorney. Both of these career paths can be combined. This Article discusses what the role of the Nurse Attorney is and how it coincides with being an RN.

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Combining the Roles of Attorney and the Registered Nurse

Nurse Attorneys have earned nursing and law degrees and can represent medical professionals in court.

Many individuals find themselves in situations where their nursing license is on the line and require someone who specializes in the Law and Nursing. The Attorney (JD) who has dual specialties as an RN is the answer. The problem is they are hard to find. People are crying out for help from Attorneys who are also RNs to help them in litigious situations. The LPN and the RN are lacking in any type of advocacy even from their own Board of Nursing (BON).

Those who have a doctorate (JD) and passed the Bar, can enter an RN program immediately. No need to start at ADN and can by-pass the BSN. Go straight from MSN to RN and should be completed in approximately 18 months.

The Nurse Attorney

  • Represents all healthcare professionals in court especially nurses. There is a high demand for this type of Nurse Attorney
  • Analyze personal injury
  • Serve as expert witness in medical legal cases
  • You may want to check out The American Association of Nurse Attorneys and get more information about the Nurse Attorney

The Nurse Attorney must be

  • Structured
  • Serve as a strong patient advocate
  • Possess strong managerial qualities
  • Most of all, be very independent

The Nurse Attorney must be proficient in several areas of nursing including OB-GYN, the Newborn, Pediatrics, Adolescents, ICU, CCU, Trauma, geritrics as well as a host of other areas. The client(s) depend upon the Nurses expertise in a multitude of areas of nursing. The experience necessary need not be lengthy. Just remember the clients' lives, livelihood, and their future as a nurse depend upon the expertise of the Attorney who is proficient as a nurse.

Nurse Attorneys who choose to represent in the courtroom can

  • Assist doctors or nurses involved in malpractice suits
  • Consult with insurance companies about legal disputes
  • Advocate as lobbyists for the numerous nursing associations

Nursing before becoming an Attorney

Many Nurses decide after several years of bedside nursing and/or specialty nursing that they have much more to offer. Many see their fellow colleagues being wrongfully accused of something. Then, they realize the accused Nurse is ostracized. Nurses who are innocent and or wrongfully accused, even those who are at fault, have no one who will serve as their advocate. I've personally seen this happen; lives ruined, marriages dissolved, even suicide. Something about this hurts me deeply and I have have seen the victim enter into programs that are unsuitable for what they truly need. Many take my advice and seek out an Attorney to help them, but the type of Attorney they secure are not Nurse Attorneys who understand exactly what they need in order to help.

The above has prompted many experienced Nurses to seek Law School and despite years of study, find they have made the right choice ... advocating for their fellow Nursing colleague.

It really does not matter what comes first, Law School or Nursing. I do have to say just in my personal opinion, nursing school should be the first step. Get the necessary experience in as many areas of nursing as possible and if the love of the Law is still there deep inside you, continue your education and secure a JD. I do not think you will be disappointed in your decision.

Salaries

As a dual specialty defense Nurse Attorney/Legal Nurse Consultant, salaries can be extremely profitable and gainfully employed.

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sirI

About sirI, MSN, APRN, NP

(Editorial Team / Admin)

sirI is an OB-GYN NP-BC, (Emeritus), FNP-BC, and Legal Nurse Consultant. Specialty areas include OB-GYN, trauma, med-legal consulting, forensics, and education.

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Thank you very much for this post, full of excellent suggestions I had not even considered. Pardon my ignorance, but I am confused by this paragraph:

Those who have a doctorate (JD) and passed the Bar, I suggest you enter an RN program immediately. No need to start at ADN and can by-pass the BSN. Go straight from MSN to RN and should be completed in approximately 18 months.

Specifically, which program would you suggest a person already holding an JD and Bar certification enter? Not an Accelerated BSN? Or one of the accelerated BSN/MSN programs?

Also, while experience in a particular area 'need not be lengthy', how long would you roughly suggest it be? Not that if I obtained my RN I think I'd be in a rush to get my foot back in the legal arena (a tad burnt out/disinterested in law at this point), but I was just curious as I try to gather as much knowledge as possible.

Thank you very much for the information!

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

I might not have been quite clear enough on what I said here.

5:42 pm by maxvoca

Thank you very much for this post, full of excellent suggestions I had not even considered. Pardon my ignorance, but I am confused by this paragraph:

Those who have a doctorate (JD) and passed the Bar, I suggest you enter an RN program immediately. No need to start at ADN and can by-pass the BSN. Go straight from MSN to RN and should be completed in approximately 18 months.

Specifically, which program would you suggest a person already holding an JD and Bar certification enter? Not an accelerated BSN? Or one of the accelerated BSN/MSN programs?

I would choose an MSN to RN program. Much shorter and you have pretty much all done except the nursing courses. BSN to RN would be longer with courses that you really do not need. In fact, I would look into a DNP program since you already have a doctorate. A lot will be online except your clinical portions of the program and you might need to spend some time on site depending on which program you choose.

Also, while experience in a particular area 'need not be lengthy', how long would you roughly suggest it be? Not that if I obtained my RN I think I'd be in a rush to get my foot back in the legal arena (a tad burnt out/disinterested in law at this point), but I was just curious as I try to gather as much knowledge as possible.

Thank you very much for the information!

It really depends on the specialty area. ICU/CCU and or ED, you would want to spend several months to a couple years. Especially since you are not eager to return working as an Attorney, you can utilize that time gaining experience in several areas of nursing. In the beginning of your work as JD/LNC, your main focus will be applying SOP/NPA to the medical record to ensure the nurse adhered to SOC. Your experience as an RN will be more and more valuable as you continue to work in the different areas of nursing.

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Specializes in Psychiatry, Forensics, Addictions.

I earned my JD in 2007, but did not take the Bar Exam. So I am not an attorney. I received my RN in 2012. I currently work in forensic psychiatry in a maximum security state hospital. Are there still opportunities for me in legal nursing, even though I did not take the Bar?

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I am very intrigued by this article. I currently have an MSN with Leadership and Management. I am finding large amounts of information regarding JD obtaining a nursing degree but nothing related to the path from MSN to JD. Does anyone happen to know if there is an accelerated path to obtain the JD or would I have to start at ground zero, so to speak? I am sure that law school would be a huge commitment and would like to make a well-informed decision. I find this discussion board offers so much information from people that have been through similar experiences and I would love to hear from you. Thanks, in advance, for any information you can provide.

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