This exciting program prepares medical professionals for a career in the legal field as legal nurse consultants. Building on your medical education and possible clinical experience, this course provides the RN and PA with fundamental skills necessary to advise law firms, health care providers, insurance companies, and governmental agencies regarding medically related issues and to appear in court as expert witnesses. The course teaches legal concepts related to the health care industry, as well as the role a legal nurse consultant might play in litigation areas such as medical malpractice, toxic torts, product liability, personal injury, wrongful death, criminal law, and workers’ compensation. Any RN or PA interested in entering the legal field can benefit from the education provided by this course. The course is also open to anyone interested in the field of forensic testimony and medical-legal issues, but participants without an RN or PA background might not be able to take the LNCC exam after graduation. Legal Nurse Consultant Certified (LNCC) is a discretionary test separate from this training course that experienced registered nurses graduating from this course may decide to sit for. LNCC test eligibility requirements are discussed during this training course; however, RNs graduating from this course need not take the LNCC in order to practice as legal nurse consultants.
This continuing nursing education activity is approved by the Western Multi-State Division, an accredited approver by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.
Successful graduates will receive a certificate for 42 contact hours of continuing nursing education from The Center for Legal Studies that they may be able to use to fulfill continuing education requirements.
- Define the role of a legal nurse consultant and explain history and evolution of the profession
- Describe 2 major systems of law, the 3 types of law, and the 4 sources of law
- Review the law of Intentional and Unintentional Torts
- Identify liability concerns of healthcare providers
- Analyze the role of the LNC before the trial begins
- Review the methods of obtaining medical records and other evidence that is governed by the Rules of Evidence
- Identify and review the legal documents used to obtain evidence
- Explain informed consent, treatments decisions, and review the liability concerns of health care providers in each
- Discuss criminal law and complex litigation scenarios
- Discuss the history of the Specialty of Legal Nurse Consulting
- Discuss the skills needed for entry into special practice
- Professionalism and Ethics: discuss the standards of practice and performance expected of an LNC
- Identify the 5 responsibilities of a LNC in the litigation process
- Examine the role of the LNC in evaluating Toxic Tort and Criminal Cases
- The damages stage of litigation: Identify the 4 types of damages available and discuss the factors that determine their application to the case
- Recall the evaluation steps taken by the LNC in a professional negligence case
- Identify and discuss the 3 different forms of Alternative Dispute Resolution
- Discuss the LNC’s role in the Law Firm
- Discuss the issues presented to LNCs in the insurance industry
- Discuss the issues presented to LNCs in private practice areas
- Discuss the issues presented to LNCs in Government Service
- Discuss the issues presented to LNCs in Risk Management
- Medical record analysis: discuss the protocol LNCs should follow when receiving medical records
- Legal Writing: Review the writing techniques that will captivate your target audience
- Discuss the literature research process and the methods of research
- Discuss the advantages and challenges of working as an independent LNC
A registered nurse can work as a legal nurse consultant in a variety of different capacities:
- Full or part-time as an employee of a law firm
- Full or part-time as an independent contractor to a law firm
- Full or part-time in the clinical setting and consulting with a law firm, and/or testifying as an expert witness on a part time basis
- Full or part-time as an employee with an insurance company or hospital in risk management
- Students will receive 42 hours of instruction and will be required to prepare assignments and pass weekly quizzes. Successful graduates will be awarded a Certificate of Course Completion from a sponsoring university.
- Successful graduates will also receive a certificate for 42 contact hours of continuing nursing education from The Center for Legal Studies that they may be able to use to fulfill continuing education requirements.
- Students benefit from direct interaction with the instructor and other students by way of email and a discussion board
- This course focuses on Legal Theory and Terminology, Ethics, Litigation Process, Employment Areas, Fundamentals of Legal Writing
- Specific attention will be given to Legal Nurse Consultant Practice in Torts, Crimes, and Contract Breaches
- Students have 7 weeks to complete the online course
- Students e-mail assignments and exams
- Schools offering the Online format - Schedule
- Financial Aid Information
- Once registered, your password and access information will be sent in time for the start of class.
- Order Books Online
- Legal Nurse Consulting: Principles and Practices, 3rd Edition, (2 Volume Set) edited by Ann M. Peterson, EdD, MSN, RN, FNP-BC, LNCC, and Lynda Kopishke, MSN, RN, LNCC, and published by the American Association of Legal Nurse Consultants is available from The Center for Legal Studies Bookstore. Please call 1-800-522-7737 or visit our Online Store.
Highly Recommended Legal Resources:
- WESTLAW legal research access. Please call 1-800-522-7737 for more information. Order online
- Oran’s Dictionary of the Law, 4th Edition.
- Order Books Online