Legal Nurse Training

Overview

By combining nursing and legal skills, legal nurse consulting is a unique field of study and practice. There are many cases in the United States that involve personal injury and medical malpractice. Various programs are available at qualified educational institutions, where a registered nurse (RN) can study to become a legal nurse consultant. The legal nurse training educates you in bridging the gap between medical and judicial system. Legal staff in law offices or in corporations uses legal nurse consultants to assist with medical-related cases and perform research. The roles and responsibilities of the legal training profession include reviewing medical records, educating colleagues, investigating cases, preparing for trials, and testifying as an expert witness.

Many colleges offer legal nurse consulting training as a certification programs. Certain colleges also offer bachelor's to doctorate degree in legal nurse consulting. The duration of the certification program may range from seven weeks to 12 months depending on the university or school at which you wish to study. The curriculum of the legal nurse training includes legal nurse consulting, civil litigation, principle of tort law and medical liability, medical records summary and review, health care risk management, workers compensation, and legal research writing.

Benefits

There is a growing demand for legal nurse counselors in recent times. The probability of a registered nurse who legally trained getting a job is pretty high when compared to one who is not. There are opportunities for freelance work or full-time staff positions with law firms, insurance sectors, and banks as a legal nurse consultant.

Costs

The expenditure of legal nurse consulting training generally depends on the university or schools at which you wish to study. Also, it depends on the degree or certification you choose to study. For an online course for associate's degree, the cost can range around $70 to $200 per hour. And for the bachelor's, you can expect a fee of $7,000 to $12,000 per annum on an average. You may have to shell out around $3,000 for a certification course. This includes only the tuition fee. Other expenses include cost of uniform, study materials, and equipments.

Schools

There are many universities in the United States of America that offer program in legal nurse consulting. Kaplan University, Capital Law School, and Sullivan University are some of the colleges which provide legal nurse consulting programs.

Testing & Preparation

Unlike other degrees, there are no examinations required for becoming a legal nurse consultant. However, you should have an active RN license with a minimum of 5,000 hours of clinical experience and a bachelor's degree in nursing.

Financial Aid

The financial aid is usually available in the form of a scholarship, grant, or loan. Federal Student Aid and USA Funds provide financial aid and scholarships for deserving students. You can also apply for loans in the banks such as Sallie Mae. First Generation Student Scholarships are special scholarships that are available for those who are first generation college students in their family.