Legal nurse consultant

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Hi, everyone. I just joined this site and found posts about legal nurse consulting but the forum is kind of outdated. Anyone who can tell me how they are doing as a legal nurse consultant?

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Having a successful Legal Nurse Consulting business, like any other business venture is a long and difficult road. Getting hired by a law firm as an LNC will give you the most consistent use of your LNC education, but the pay is consistent with other areas of nursing pay or maybe slightly higher. The perception of high pay with huge incomes propergated by some LNC courses is purely advertising, and not a reality.

I am an RN of 30 years, and an advanced practice Nurse Practitioner and SANE nurse of 28 years. I expanded my education to include certification as an LNC 6 years ago. I currently own a successful business because LNC services are PART of a bigger business vision.

I provide NP consulting services, which I offer to individual physicians, corporations and individual practices, contracted SANE services to hospitals, home visits, nursing and patient educational programs and packages, natural health maintance consultations, LNC services, Expert Witness services, and mental health counselling.

Most nurses have strong educational and experience based backgrounds, which in themselves can be focused into business ventures. For those of us interested in the intersection of law and medicine/nursing, LNC education is one more building block in our nursing history, and one more service we can offer as business owners.

I often encourage nurses to build a business based primarily on their nursing background. Other areas of nursing interest can then be added as business pillars as we pursue them.

Spend time researching all there is to know about starting your own business. There is a wealth of free quality advise on the web. The S.C.O.R.E. website is a great place to start.

Do not be fooled by advertising techniques. If something looks too good to be true, then it probably is. Taking a more realisitic and studied approach to business building will keep you from being disappointed.

I wish you the best of luck in your ventures. Please feel free to email me at [email protected] if you would like to continue this discussion.

Pat

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Hi, I came across a site where a book to know about LNC (legal nurse consultant) is for sale and I guess it is from LNC center. Is it possible to practice as a legal nurse consultant by just self study and not go to companies offering the course at a very high price? How can an RN carry the title Legal Nurse Consultant? Is there a state agency to get a cerfication for one to carry that title (LNC)?

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Specializes in air & ground ambulance.

Sorry but the state boards of nursing jumped on the LNC before I knew about it. You have to take an accredited course and take an exam, then you get a certificate. Good Luck

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Specializes in Neurology/Adult Psych/Case Managment.

That's an other good subject to talk about it.... Politics, money and power... Anything new?

By the way some accredited courses are not as expensive as commercial... I'm not mention names but you know who... If you working in Forensic Nursing, Case Management... this certificate and knowledge you gain adds up.... Please take to consideration if you start working as LNC and then decide to go back to floor nursing/ make sure there is no conflict of interest involved... other wise no job for you!!! Please correct me if I'm wrong but that is my understanding of most malpractice cases.

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Thank you so much for the input. I am considering Case Management. Just thinking of diversity from clinical setting to an office setting. Is working in an Insurance Company for the case manager position easy to learn?

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Specializes in med-surg, post-partum, ER, psychiatric.

Clarification on LNC: Do NOT have to have certification (LNCC) to work as LNC nor take a formal course; however, word to the wise, I personally feel it is best one does take a formal course. To have the LNCC certification, per the Association for Legal Nurse Consultants, minimum 5 years nursing experience and 2000 hrs actual experience in doing LNC work. Once those quals are met, then have to sit for the test, pass it, and meet whatever additional requirements per individual State Nursing Board mandates (will vary from state to state). I would steer clear of some of these advertised LNC courses (per advice of a very good friend who has been a LNC for years and has her own business). In taking her advice, I checked LNC courses via recommendations of the Association and was advised to go to the Center for Legal Studies of which offers on line LNC courses. I took mine through Purdue University. All are approximately 7 weeks in duration and require active participation and weekly testing. It is intense but VERY good. CLS will have an extensive list of major universities/colleges offering on line LNC courses. Keep in mind that this does not product CERTIFICATION (can only obtain that by sitting for the LNCC board) and does not make you an LNCC (so it is advised to NOT use LNC as part of one's "title"); however, it makes one more marketable in getting involved in doing LNC work (and also it provides outstanding information as to what all entails in starting one's own consulting practice). The cost is extremely reasonable (especially when compared to some highly publicized/advertised LNC-producing courses of which I shall not name here, but everybody has seen especially this one particular one constantly advertised in various professional nursing magazines/journals and is extremely costly). Also, the "bible" used for the LNC (and was also recommended to me by my friend) is the Legal Nurse Consulting Principles and Practices (it is now TWO books vice what used to be one), and the updated version is the 3rd Edition. Authors are: Peterson and Kipishke. It is also "blessed off" by the American Association of Legan Nurse Consultants (AALNC). I purchased my books through Amazon.com vice through the CLS (it was less expensive). Unfortunately, much to my dismay, it is not available in the Kindle or Nook format YET. this is the same book that my friend used when she first started in LNC (and before any sort of formal education was offered). LNC is a relatively new career field for RNs. The AALNC web site has some fantastic information/history centered on LNC. I have been doing this LNC course AND working on my MSN (plus full time job and part-time job). It is intense and so much information packed into 7 weeks, but my experiences in doing this on-line course through CLS has been very positive and supportive. I am doing it through Purdue University; however, as I mentioned previously, CLS will have a listing of the various schools one can choose (price is all the same as is the duration of the course). Also, once I complete this course, I plan to pursue the Legal Nurse Investigator course (or just take the Legal Investigator course via CLS). It is highly recommended one have the LNC done before getting into the LNI. At any rate, the info provided is what I was provided via the AALNC and those who are actively working as LNCs. I have not pursued my particular SBN for my state to see if there are additional requirements (for when I eventually pursue the LNCC); however, to work as a LNC, one does NOT have to have certification, formal education (although it is smart to have it), etc. Just a very good and solid knowledge of the nursing process/standards of care, etc. since TONS of research will be done into medical records et al for mal practice cases and so forth.

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