Corrections and Psych enough experience to be LNC?

sarmedic70 · Jul 29, 2011

I am in the LNC course right now, through CLS, as recommended to me by a good friend who is a LNC. The key requirement(s) to do LNC is a strong background in nursing and a thorough understanding of the standards of care, etc. The more experience and knowledge of the nursing process/standards of care one has the more valuable one will be in becoming a LNC. To get the LNCC, minimum 5 years experience as a RN and 2000 hrs of working as a LNC; however, to work as a LNC you do not have to have the certification. My good friend is her own "business" and got started by having done some cases for a couple of lawyers and it developed, for her, from there. I personally opted to go through formal school, albeit not required, because it is so complex (we are dealing with law,and we all know how law is so complex and convoluated). She recommended to me (in that when she started out as a LNC there was essentially no formal school, per se) the Legal Nurse Consulting Principles and Practices (in her day it was one book, now it is broken down into Princples AND Practices). The edition current is #3 and is by Peterson and Kpishke. It is also recommended by the AALNC. Supposedly LNCs are in great demand and work in various settings: legal offices, case managers, risk management, etc. Any place that there could be medical malpractic and the like. The formal course I am taking is on line, via Purdue University, and is approximately 7 weeks in duration. Even though it is not required to take a formal course, I felt it best for many reasons. I, too, am a psych RN currently and have worked Med/Surg, L&D (post partum), some ER. I am sharing what I know for sure up to this point. I have been somewhat just "researching" the job opportunities throughout the US. Where I live, there appears to not be much available; however, I think it is one of those areas that networking is the key. Also, much of what I have been studying is that it would appear that many of the LNCs have developed their own consulting business and contract out their services (such as what my friend has done); however, through networking with various law firms (or checking companies for risk management positions or going to LTCs/Home Health Care agencies and see what is available in case management). Good luck to you. At a minimum, I would recommend you to get the book I mentioned above, THEN you could go to the CLS (oops! Center for Legal Services) and pick a school that does the LNC (from the extensive list provided) if you opt to do a formal course. The cost for the course is VERY reasonable overal. It is jammed pack, but I have found it to be a very good learning experience (and positive one) thus far...........through the PU program. Again, it is very intense and so much information so most of the time I feel as if my head is going to explode (I am also working on my MSN on top of this plus working a full time job, part-time gig, etc.). I am hoping that there truly is a demand out there for LNCs (without having to develop my own independent consulting company........although in this course, there is a section that does tell how to go about it and all the particulars of having one's own consulting business). Additionally, I plan on doing the Legal Nurse Investigator course (or through the CLS just the legal investigator course) to hopefully open up more doors. I need to make a career change, I do enjoy doing research and the "paper pushing" end of things overall, and have strong administrative skills. I am hoping that those skills and what I also have developed as a nurse will be enough to get my foot into the door as a LNC. I would like to focus on the risk management end of it. I have NO desire for case management at all, but that is my own personal preference. Sorry to be such a "chatter box" but hopefully this has given you enough info to arm yourself enough to make informed decision(s). Looking forward to hearing what you end up doing. Well wishes to you! :-)