RN accepted into (JD-LAW) program NEED ADVICE.

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Hi ALLNURSES,

I am a 41 y/o RN who has recently been accepted into JD program for 2007. :studyowl:

I plan to use my earned RN/MBA and future Juris Doctorate degree to boost my future career plans and switch from General Nursing to Strategic Marketing/Risk Management arena.

A) Average starting salary for newly minted RN/JD's?

B) Best career options for RN's in the legal field (Healthcare law, Risk Management, Healthcare Administration, and/or Malpractice)?

C) Suggestions on law student internships for RN's?

D) What type of VOLUNTEER experience should I seek?

E) Any additional advice???

Best regards,

jek2839, RN-USA Licensed: :typing

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Specializes in Peds, GI, Home Health, Risk Mgmt.

Dear jek,

I advise you to reconsider whether you really need to go to law school (unless they're giving you a full-ride scholarship to do so) to accomplish your career goals, as you already have an MBA. I am an RN who went to law school (and am still paying off my student loans), so know whereof I speak . . .

In the legal world, your RN background won't count for anything salary-wise. You'll get to start at the bottom of the pay scale with all the other new attorneys, and that may very well mean making less money as a new attorney than you did as an RN.

The new attorneys who get the best paying jobs are those who graduated in the top 5 or 10% (grade-wise) of their law school class--the grade competition in school is VERY INTENSE. Your first year in law school will determine what sort of law career you will have, as your initial GPA will be very hard to overcome if it's not stellar.

RN JDs can find employment in many area of law that tap all their training: insurance defense work, plaintiff's personal injury, healthcare law (the busines side of healthcare--federal laws, real estate law, contract law), malpractice law, federal legal employment in areas that concern healthcare, state legal employment in areas that concern healthcare (e.g. state attorneys general representation of nursing board and other professional boards), and insurance companies.

I worked as an attorney for 4 years before returning to healthcare (more $, more job opportunities). My RN classmates from law school who have had successful careers as attorneys work in healthcare law; one was working in hospital administration before law school and had contacts that got her a job as a attorney, and the other got an intern job during law school with a good healthcare law firm, which then hired her as a new attorney.

You do not need to go to law school to work in healthcare risk management. Having some legal training is helpful, but not mandatory. Most of the healthcare risk managers are RNs, most of whom are not paralegals nor attorneys. It's just a matter of getting your foot in the door. HCA has an excellent training program for its risk managers and lots of risk management support from its insurance company.

Having an RN and an MBA already makes you attractive candidate for all sorts of healthcare administration positions (including marketing) and medical insurance company positions.

I hope this is of some help. If you have other specific questions, you are welcome to contact me directly offlist.

HollyVK, RN, BSN, JD

Hi ALLNURSES,

I am a 41 y/o RN who has recently been accepted into JD program for 2007. :studyowl:

I plan to use my earned RN/MBA and future Juris Doctorate degree to boost my future career plans and switch from General Nursing to Strategic Marketing/Risk Management arena.

A) Average starting salary for newly minted RN/JD's?

B) Best career options for RN's in the legal field (Healthcare law, Risk Management, Healthcare Administration, and/or Malpractice)?

C) Suggestions on law student internships for RN's?

D) What type of VOLUNTEER experience should I seek?

E) Any additional advice???

Best regards,

jek2839, RN-USA Licensed: :typing

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Dear jek,

I advise you to reconsider whether you really need to go to law school (unless they're giving you a full-ride scholarship to do so) to accomplish your career goals, as you already have an MBA. I am an RN who went to law school (and am still paying off my student loans), so know whereof I speak . . .

In the legal world, your RN background won't count for anything salary-wise. You'll get to start at the bottom of the pay scale with all the other new attorneys, and that may very well mean making less money as a new attorney than you did as an RN.

The new attorneys who get the best paying jobs are those who graduated in the top 5 or 10% (grade-wise) of their law school class--the grade competition in school is VERY INTENSE. Your first year in law school will determine what sort of law career you will have, as your initial GPA will be very hard to overcome if it's not stellar.

RN JDs can find employment in many area of law that tap all their training: insurance defense work, plaintiff's personal injury, healthcare law (the busines side of healthcare--federal laws, real estate law, contract law), malpractice law, federal legal employment in areas that concern healthcare, state legal employment in areas that concern healthcare (e.g. state attorneys general representation of nursing board and other professional boards), and insurance companies.

I worked as an attorney for 4 years before returning to healthcare (more $, more job opportunities). My RN classmates from law school who have had successful careers as attorneys work in healthcare law; one was working in hospital administration before law school and had contacts that got her a job as a attorney, and the other got an intern job during law school with a good healthcare law firm, which then hired her as a new attorney.

You do not need to go to law school to work in healthcare risk management. Having some legal training is helpful, but not mandatory. Most of the healthcare risk managers are RNs, most of whom are not paralegals nor attorneys. It's just a matter of getting your foot in the door. HCA has an excellent training program for its risk managers and lots of risk management support from its insurance company.

Having an RN and an MBA already makes you attractive candidate for all sorts of healthcare administration positions (including marketing) and medical insurance company positions.

I hope this is of some help. If you have other specific questions, you are welcome to contact me directly offlist.

HollyVK, RN, BSN, JD

************************************

Thanks HollyVK, RN, BSN, JD

You have opened my eyes to what to look forward to as an RN seeking a JD degree.

I agree that there is a lot of risk associated with seeking the JD degree as an RN and I have considered your suggestions/comments and the advice of others and I have chosen NOT TO ATTEND the ABA approved law school that I was accepted into.

I was going to use my RN/MBA and the JD degree as a stepping stone to upper level Health Care Risk Management and to help gain a position as an Assistant Professor in Nursing/Business. I did not want to seek a research Doctoral (PhD, Ed.D, or DBA) degree.

If in the future I lose my mind and decide to attend law school it will be an evening non-ABA law school (i.e., Birmingham School of Law), because it is a pretty cheap program.

I will seek admission to an ONLINE Health Care Risk Management or paralegal program to enhance my Health Care Risk Management skills.

Thank you, Thank you, and Thank you some more. :yeah: :bowingpur

Best regards,

jek2839, RN

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Peds, GI, Home Health, Risk Mgmt.

Jek,

Anyone feeling the siren call of healthcare risk management should start by joining the American Society for Healthcare Risk Management (ASHRM), a branch of the American Hospital Assn. They provide reference books, training programs, and certification in healthcare risk management.

Law school is an expensive, time-consuming adventure best reserved for those who actually want to practice law (and don't mind associating with attorneys on a daily basis). :no:

Good luck with your career path

HollyVK RN, BSN, JD

************************************

Thanks HollyVK, RN, BSN, JD

You have opened my eyes to what to look forward to as an RN seeking a JD degree.

I agree that there is a lot of risk associated with seeking the JD degree as an RN and I have considered your suggestions/comments and the advice of others and I have chosen NOT TO ATTEND the ABA approved law school that I was accepted into.

I was going to use my RN/MBA and the JD degree as a stepping stone to upper level Health Care Risk Management and to help gain a position as an Assistant Professor in Nursing/Business. I did not want to seek a research Doctoral (PhD, Ed.D, or DBA) degree.

If in the future I lose my mind and decide to attend law school it will be an evening non-ABA law school (i.e., Birmingham School of Law), because it is a pretty cheap program.

I will seek admission to an ONLINE Health Care Risk Management or paralegal program to enhance my Health Care Risk Management skills.

Thank you, Thank you, and Thank you some more. :yeah: :bowingpur

Best regards,

jek2839, RN

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Jek,

Anyone feeling the siren call of healthcare risk management should start by joining the American Society for Healthcare Risk Management (ASHRM), a branch of the American Hospital Assn. They provide reference books, training programs, and certification in healthcare risk management.

Law school is an expensive, time-consuming adventure best reserved for those who actually want to practice law (and don't mind associating with attorneys on a daily basis). :no:

Good luck with your career path

HollyVK RN, BSN, JD

***********************************************

HollyVK,

Thanks for the great advice.

I always learn something new on allnurses.com

Best regards,

jek2839, RN

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