Certified legal nurse consultants (LNCs) are nurses who use their medical knowledge and training in bridging the gap between the medical industry and the judicial system. LNCs usually assist attorneys by interpreting, researching, and analyzing medical-related cases.
However, their services are not only valued in the litigation area. For example, insurance companies may employ them as claims adjusters or medical bill auditors. The other environments a certified legal nurse consultant can work for aside from law firms, and insurance companies are government offices, consulting firms, and HMOs, as well as independent practices.
Roles and Responsibilities of a Legal Nurse Consultant
Although LNCs may work in different work environments where they will need to fulfill different tasks, they all still have the same core roles and responsibilities. The most common ones are the following.
- Reviewing and investigating medical records of a case
- Educating their colleagues about the medical facts surrounding a case
- Preparing the chronologies and summaries of medical fact reports as well as exhibits and other pertinent evidence to be used in a trial
- Providing data, opinions and facts based on evidence as an expert witness when called upon by a lawyer
Becoming a Legal Nurse Consultant
To be an LNC, you first need to be a licensed registered nurse and have a minimum of five years clinical experience as a nurse. After that, you can undergo an LNC training program, where you will be taught about trial preparations and medical case research and investigations.
Before enrolling in any training programs, do make sure that it has accreditation by the American Association of Legal Nurse Consultants. After completing the training program, you may then take the LNCC certification.
LNCs work with physicians, patients and lawyers and act as the bridge that connects two diverse fields as they provide medical counsel regarding legal issues. There is no doubt about the importance of their role in any legal team.