A legal nurse consultant ( LNC ) is a registered nurse who uses expertise as a health care provider and specialist training to consult on medical-related legal cases. LNC helps lawyers read medical records and understand medical terminology and health issues to achieve the best results for their clients. Its specialty is relatively new, starting in the mid-1980s.
A legal nurse consultant bridges the gap in a lawyer's knowledge. While lawyers are experts in legal matters, the LNC is an expert in care and health care systems. LNC screen case for achievement, helping discovery; conducting existing medical literature and research; review medical records; identify standard of care; preparing reports and summaries of the extent of injury or illness; make demonstrative evidence; and seek or act as expert witnesses. The legal nurse consultant acts as a special member of the litigation team whose professional contribution is often critical to achieving fair and equitable outcomes for all concerned.
A legal nurse consultant is different from paralegals because paralegals help lawyers provide legal services and often require legal education, while legal nurse consultants are primarily and foremost a nursing practitioner, and legal education is not always a prerequisite. A legal nurse consultant uses the existing expertise as a health care professional to consult and educate clients about specific medical and nursing issues in their case.
Aside from within law firms, LNC can also be found working for government agencies, insurance companies and HMOs, in hospitals as part of the risk management department, and possibly also in independent practice.
The American Association of Legal Nurse Consultants (AALNC), founded in 1989, is a nonprofit membership organization whose mission is to promote the consultation of legal nurses as nursing specialists. The Association also announces the Code of Ethics for practitioners of Legal Nurse Consultants. In 2001, the Association had about 4,000 members, the majority of whom joined after 1994.
There are a number of training and certification courses available for LNC. The American Legal Nurse Consultant Certification Body offers an online exam which is the only LNC certification exam credited by the American Board of Nursing Specialties. Other training and certification programs are available from both commercial and non-commercial organizations. In 2001, the American Bar Association approved 28 LNC programs throughout the United States.
Video Legal nurse consultant
See also
- The nursing portal
Maps Legal nurse consultant
References
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Source of the article : Wikipedia
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