This is a great forum!!

Life care planners are nurses, vocational rehab counselors, Physical therapists that develop a document that projects future needs for catastropic injury cases. These can be work related, birth related etc etc (Traumatic brain, traumatic birth, spinal cord . burns or even smaller one like fusions). The referral is made by the atty or insurance. Basically it is a picture of the life of the person...no stone is left unturned every activity of daily living tool, medication , therapy, surgery that will be expected in the future is documented and it is indicated how amny times for how many times. The Life care planner works with all disciplnes of the healthcare team so develop the document. It is then submitted to an economist who projects costs for everything. Many times if the case is going to court the life care planner is deposed by the opposing side to explain her plan and its projections and many times both sides have life care planners. The document helps to guide insurance cos and attys in settlements..it is a pretty huge undertaking but rehabilitation plays into it much as it does in workers comp just much more intense. I have been consultling with a large ins co that insures many hospitals as far as risk..they use LCP a lot in med mal cases where there is significant damage and they have said that when I am ready they will put me through mock depos and use me in this capacity..I am excited but like I said ..it will be awhile!! Erin

John

I browsed your website..very nice. The best thing about being a nurse is that there are so many arenas in which you can use both your skills and your knowledge. I think the reason why there aren't more nurse entepreneurs is due to the fact that there is a certain assumption that nursing is a subservient type role...not true at all!! Many times I think we forget that the knowledge we have from both education and experience is priceless and that it really is not public knowledge. Many times I think we, in the profession, short change ourselves. I just reviewed a case for the defense that was in litigation and after reviewing it..I was like, "Duh" but as I told the adjustor and the atty this is what I know..reading and interpreting a medical chart is like second nature to most nurses. They both indicated they had wished I had been involved earlier since I was able to clarify many points for them. The key is to remember how valuable we are and then have the guts to go out and show others just that!! Erin