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Legal Nurse Consultants

The Career Path for a Legal Nurse Consultant

Legal nurse consultants are medical contributors on a legal team. They use their expertise as health care professionals plus specialized training to consult on medical-related cases. Legal nurse consultants assist attorneys in reading medical records and understanding medical terminology and health care issues, but they may also work with insurance companies, hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, clinics, and government agencies either as an employee or on a contractual basis.

Preparation Path

Attain a BSN

Pass the NCLEX and become an RN

Work at least five years as an RN with 2,000 hours of legal consulting

Take the Legal Nurse Consultant Certified (LNCC) exam and become certified

Typical Tasks

  • Helping legal professionals interpret records and charts
  • Understanding medical terminology
  • Assisting with discovery
  • Testifying as an expert witness
  • Identifying standards of care
  • Preparing reports and summaries about an illness or injury

Employment Settings

  • Law firms
  • Government agencies
  • Insurance companies
  • HMOs
  • Hospital risk management departments
  • Independent practices

Annual Salary Range

$55,092 – $211,399

Certification

RN, Legal Nurse Consultant Certified (LNCC)

Education Requirements

BSN

Ready to start your path to becoming a legal nurse consultant?