FAQs
Legal Nurse Consulting
To get started as a Legal Nurse Consultant is to begin learning the skills and tools necessary to practice legal nurse consulting.
Start with watching the Free Webinar, with 1 contact hour, So you want to be an LNC-here is the link: AALNC Member Center. Then take a moment to review the AALNC website for details and educational offerings for New LNCs.
Fast track your onboarding by joining our AALNC Events, with National and Chapter offerings, as most of them are virtual and open to non-members.
No, you do not need to be certified to start practicing as a legal nurse consultant. You do need nursing experience, more than a lay person's knowledge of medical/nursing content to get you started. Also, introductory education on report writing and what a legal nurse consultant can do is very helpful before getting started. View So you want to be an LNC Webinar, free to everyone, and 1 CNE, to know what legal nurse consulting is all about.
The Legal Nurse Consultant Certified (LNCC) is the only ANCC Magnet recognized, nursing specialty board accredited certification for legal nurse consultants. It does require working in the specialty for 2000 hours before taking the exam. Similar to other nursing specialty certifications, like CCRN, PCCN, OCN, CMSRN, NE-BC, etc. We do offer resources for preparing for the exam on our website when you are ready. Find out more on LNCC Certification here.
- Collecting, organizing, and analyzing healthcare records, medical literature, standards, and guidelines
- Identifying record tampering, omissions, and contradictions
- Preparing chronology and/or summary of medical events Interviewing witnesses about the medically related case or claim
- Evaluating cases for one or more of the four elements of a medically related tort claim (duty, breach of duty, damages, and causation)
- Evaluating the merit or defensibility of a medically related case or claim
- Educating attorneys and others about the clinical facts and issues in a medically related case or claim
- Identifying, evaluating, and conferring with expert witnesses
- Serving as liaison to clients, parties, experts, and/or other witnesses
- Drafting medical portions of legal documents
- Collaborating with the legal team on case strategy
- Assisting with the adjudication of a medical-legal case or claim
- Testifying as a nurse expert or fact witness
Since the early 1980s, legal nurse consultants have acted as collaborators and strategists, offering support in medically related litigation and other medical-legal matters in a variety of practice areas including the following:
• Medical malpractice
• Personal injury
• Long term care litigation/elder law
• Product liability
• Toxic tort
• Workers’ compensation
• Risk management
• Life care planning
• Regulatory compliance
• Forensic/criminal
• Civil rights
• Employment discrimination
• Medicare set-aside
As consultants, legal nurses serve as analysts, collaborators, strategists, researchers, and
educators. With their in-depth knowledge of nursing, medicine and the healthcare system, their contributions are recognized in all types of medical-legal cases or claims across all medical legal settings. As such, legal nurse consultants are uniquely qualified and valuable members of the legal team.
• Law firms
• Insurance industry
• Health care risk management programs
• Case management agencies
• Litigation support firms
It is difficult to determine one salary for a legal nurse consultant due to the wide variance of hourly rates. It depends on which state the client lives in, the types of records you would be reviewing, the subject matter of the review, what type of legal nurse consultant work you are doing, and the complexity of the reports requested. The number of hours budgeted and what the attorney is willing to pay is also important factors when setting up your fee schedules.
Talk with a practicing legal nurse consultant in your area, which you can find in the LNC Directory, and discuss the different options for fee schedules and retainers. You may have to test the waters with a rate and see what the reaction is before you are able to set your rates.
Education
As a non-profit membership organization, AALNC prioritizes providing a variety of education for individuals that are new to legal nurse consulting, and those ready to expand their career. Consider utilizing the following tools to begin your LNC career:
- Access on-demand webinars to help begin your legal nurse consulting career, many free to members.
- The AALNC LNC Professional Course is a go-to resource for modules that cover all topics in legal nurse consulting. There is a beginner bundle which might be right for you.
- The Legal Nurse Consulting: Principles & Practice Textbook or eBook, offers an in-depth analysis of the LNC field and serves as a comprehensive and authoritative resource for any LNC
- The Growing Your Practice: Online Resources, Sample Reports, & Tools for the LNC provides resources and tools necessary to start your practice.
- The AALNC Scope and Standards of Practice, is also available for free to members, and outlines the boundaries of legal nurse consultant practice and establishes the professional expectations of those responsibilities.
- A few universities offer legal nurse consultant programs and classes, along with other for-profit organizations. Just be sure to vet the programs to be sure they are what you are looking for.
Certification vs. Certificate
Certification as a Legal Nurse Consultant Certified (LNCC®) shows nurse colleagues, clients, employers, and others in the medical-legal system that you are knowledgeable, experienced, and committed to the specialty of legal nurse consulting. Learn more about becoming an LNCC® here.
The Legal Nurse Consultant Certified (LNCC®) is the only board accredited nursing specialty certification for legal nurse consultants, which is also recognized by ANCC Magnet. It does require a minimum of 5 years as a Registered Nurse, in the United States, with an unrestricted license, and working in the specialty for 2000 hours before taking the exam. Similar to your other nursing specialty certifications, like CCRN, PCCN, OCN, CMSRN, NE-BC, etc. It is not a certificate program.
The LNCC® examination process and practice requirements can be found here.
A certification is an earned credential that demonstrates the holder’s specialized knowledge, skills, and experience, while a certificate is typically an educational offering that confers a document at the program’s conclusion. The LNCC® is the only legal nurse consulting credential accredited by the Accreditation Board for Specialty Nursing Certification (ABSNC) and recognized by ANCC Magnet. To learn more about certification versus a certificate, click here.
Events & Networking
AALNC has a nationwide network of more than 1000 members and 6 local chapters. Find more information about our Chapters here. To search for upcoming chapter events in your area, click here.
There are many ways you can network with other LNCs involved in AALNC beyond your local chapter. We have a multitude of opportunities including joining one of our SIGs, monthly LNC Lounges, attending LNC Jumpstart, and the Annual Forum which is our biggest networking opportunity of the year.
You can also participate in professional networking via a free subscription to LinkedIn. Our AALNC group on LinkedIn has 4,500+ members and there are frequently public discussions between LNCs looking for nurses in certain areas or specialties.
AALNC does have a mentorship program! This program is designed to enhance the skills of novice legal nurse consultants, to inspire and empower them to achieve their full potential in the legal nurse consulting career path. If you are interested in being a mentor or mentee, you can find more information here.
In addition to local chapter events, AALNC hosts events like the Annual Forum and other virtual and in-person opportunities, such as LNC Jumpstart. Please visit our events pages for the most up to date information on these offerings.
No. AALNC welcomes everyone to join! A member and non-member registration fee is available.
AALNC Membership
AALNC is the premier standard in legal nurse consulting and becoming an AALNC member allows you to broaden your professional network, build connections in a community of legal nurse consultants and legal nurse experts, and grow your knowledge and skill set as a legal nurse consultant. Learn more about the benefits of becoming an AALNC member here.
The AALNC Community and Shared Interest Groups (SIGs), which are a member benefit, set AALNC apart from other nursing specialty organizations. AALNC is a very welcoming and supportive community with many opportunities to connect, network, and learn about being a legal nurse consultant.
As an AALNC member, you'll have access to a wide range of networking, education and online resources that will help you grow as a legal nurse consultant. Additionally, you'll receive discounted pricing for education, access to the AALNC Community, and to attend AALNC events, such as the Annual Forum and LNC Jumpstart.
Networking as a Legal Nurse Consultant is imperative to your success in your first few years. AALNC provides numerous ways to connect with other legal nurse consultants from around the country through our shared interest groups, monthly LNC Lounges, and our AALNC Chapters.
You can ask AALNC! We're happy to assist in answering any questions you may have about legal nurse consulting throughout your career. Simply contact AALNC Staff at info@aalnc.org or by phone at 810.309.1748.
Also, you can contact any of the AALNC Board of Directors, we have Directors at Large that cover each state. Find your specific Director here and reach out to them for a conversation on what is next for your legal nurse consultant career.
Attorneys
Attorneys hire LNCs for a multitude of reasons, including the LNC’s experience, resourcefulness and knowledge. LNCs offer attorneys their extensive knowledge of healthcare standards to identify the strengths and weaknesses of cases. Learn more about why you should hire an LNC here.
Before hiring an LNC, you should consider their experience, education, professionalism, and involvement with the LNC community. To learn more about hiring a LNC, click here.
Utilize the AALNC LNC Locator® to find local LNCs in your area. Link is currently under construction and will be back soon.
To read attorney testimonials on the value of an LNC, click here.