Salary Legal Nurse Consultant

First, check out the “career pages” on the websites of the medical error companies and CNL consulting firms you are interested in. There are many online resources available for job search, including nursing social media sites, career sites, and dedicated nursing career sites like our own job site nurse.org. The AALNC adds a detailed breakdown of professional responsibilities in this interdisciplinary career. Overall, nurse legal advisors are health professionals who work as part of a legal team, often acting as medical experts and assisting lawyers and other professionals. They interpret patient diagrams and diagnoses; Analysis of relevant medical information; Preparation of chronological case histories and medical discussions for legal documents; assist in assessing damage; assessing an applicant`s medical needs and costs; interview clients and help identify experts; provide consulting services; and even testify in court. CNL works in a variety of strategic roles, dealing with litigation issues such as workers` compensation, risk management, civil liberties, personal injury, medico-legal and criminal matters, medical malpractice and workplace discrimination, to name a few. Consulting with a legal nurse can be a rewarding and rewarding career, both professionally and financially. To be a successful CNL, world-class medical research skills, analytical and problem-solving skills, excellent communication skills (written and oral) and the ability to juggle multiple priorities while maintaining professional and personal calm must be developed. The increase in the number of newly registered registered nurses and baby boom nurses who are keeping their jobs due to the poor economy has created downward pressure on registered nurses` salaries. This is especially true for less experienced nurses who want to improve their careers both financially and through promotion. Legal nurse consultants, who act as expert testimony, charge between $250 and $400 per hour. With one of the most affordable certification programs for nurse consultants, Florida Atlantic University attracts nurses from all over the country. The online program requires an active registered nurse license and three years of clinical nursing experience, so only experienced nurses can apply.

This eight-week program also has 33 continuing education credits and prepares nurses for the certified exam as a legal nurse consultant. The cost alone makes it a good option, both for the certificate and for continuing education credits. Of course, not all statutory care advisors will maintain the same type of routine tasks throughout their careers. There are certain tasks that legal nurse consultants perform relatively regularly, including the following: Your third option is to outsource to other legal nurse consultants. In this option, you will work with other nurse legal consultants or other types of nurses you have hired to handle their cases. They will probably do some of their fees in case you do the work for them. Contractors may earn more money than in-house nurse counselors, but less than nurse counselors who practice independently and work directly with lawyers. You should rely on other legal nurses to get work for you.

As a result, your workload will not be as regular as you would like. Certification in this area shows that you have achieved a level of proficiency measured by a national exam and opens the door to other opportunities. Nurse legal consultants can look forward to an ever-changing career as trends in medical and legal practice continue to evolve. The Louisiana State University New Orleans Legal Practice course is fully online and self-paced, meaning nurses can complete the course as quickly or slowly as they want. The 10-module course also counts as 100 CNE credits that nurses earn at the end of the course. At the end of the modules, nurses also receive a certificate of completion. Students also have the opportunity to complete a two-day preceptory, an active legal counsel show in New Orleans, Louisiana. The combination of price, exposure, flexibility, and CNE capabilities makes it a great option. For registered nurses who are considering other career options and prefer to work in a healthy environment, counseling nurses is an exciting way to change careers and positively impact their salary. The institute`s survey found that consultants charge different fees for different law firms, with an average of 10 to 15 percent deducted for law firms that hire them for large volumes of cases. The majority of legal advisors report a fee increase of 2-5% per year. The median annual salary for registered nurses was $75,330 per year in May 2020, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

BLS does not disclose salaries for legal nurse consultants, but Payscale reports that their average annual salary in 2020 is $77,773, or $49.47 per hour. Professional certification for legal nurse consultants is not required by law but, as mentioned, can be useful for career advancement. The AALNC offers certification of certified nurses for this specialty. To write the 200-question exam, candidates must be licensed in good standing in nursing, have practised nursing for at least five years, and have at least 2,000 hours of experience advising nurses in the five years preceding the application. The field of statutory nursing advice is unique and therefore difficult to predict demand. Carefully research your local market and the potential opportunities it offers, including the density of employers and potential customers discussed in the third part above. In summary, the professional qualifications and responsibilities of nurse legal consultants vary, and potential CNL is advised to approach educational programs or industries of interest to see what they can offer. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual salary for registered nurses in 2014 was $66,640 ($32.04/hour), compared to a statutory nurse consultant salary of up to $150/hour. Those seeking a career in legal nursing counseling should have experience in the medical field and knowledge of pathophysiology, pharmacology and current standards of care for various disease processes. They should also value the defence of patients` rights.

Interest and knowledge in the field of law is encouraged. As a legal nurse consultant, you have three options when it comes to deciding how you will work. Your first option is to find a full-time or part-time job. This type of legal nurse is called an in-house legal nurse consultant or staff member. In-house legal nurse advisors cannot be experts. It would be a conflict of interest because they cannot be impartial in their opinion on the witness stand, because they may fear losing their jobs. It may not be a real fear, but counsel for the opposing side would certainly paint a nice picture for jurors. They may be able to help interview experts, but independent nurses network more frequently and can find those experts. In this type of legal nurse consultation, you can earn an hourly wage of $20 to $60 per hour. But you can also expect additional benefits offered with the job.

The compensation and benefits of this option would likely be similar to comparable independent care stations in your area. Finally, some CNLs work full-time in their legal advisory roles, while others may do more traditional care jobs while earning additional income at the same time, providing CNL services on an hourly or part-time basis.