Hello, I am new to the allnurses community and stumbled across this section on legal consultant nursing. This is a field I am extremely interested in but I have no idea where to start. Growing up I always planned on being a lawyer, but life events prompted me to consider my "calling" in nursing...so this would be the perfect blend!
I have done a vast amount of research on legal nursing thus far and feel a bit stuck. I am a recent graduate (December 2011) with my BSN and RN license in TN ( compact state). I have worked in a level III NICU in northeastern tennessee since graduation (Only 7 months) and am considering getting a PRN job in an ED/trauma center to expand my experience. My concern is that by the time I have a decent amount of experience to have any amount of expertise in nursing, legal nursing will be so saturated that I won't be able to get my foot in the door. I am looking to do anything I possibly can right now to boost my chances of being worth anything to the legal world in the future....but I have no idea what to do :/
I am definately a "self-taught" sort of person, so the over-priced courses all over the internet have no appeal to me....I do plan on buying the Practices and Principles book available and working on self-study, as well as taking the self-study modules offered by the AALNC. I will also be trying to write and publish to build up a CV and try to develop myself as a viable resource. Is there anything else I can do at this point in my career? I know that with so little nursing experience I have a long ways to go, but would like to do all I can ASAP. Is there a way to market myself as a limited LNC? Such as simple MR reviews, etc...or are there any other ways to start small just to begin gaining experience?
Any and all advice is extremely welcome and appreciated!