About Legal Nurse Consultant Training

A legal nurse consultant makes an average of $100 per hour. This intrigues many RNs to extend their education to become one. However, the process of becoming one may deter many people from obtaining the initial training. Surprisingly enough, one may train to become a legal nurse consultant with less than six years of formal education.

Job Details

The responsibilities of a legal nurse consultant center on using his or her medical knowledge with medical related legal issues. This nursing specialty may require the nurse to speak as an expert witness at a hearing or deposition. Mainly insurance companies, law firms and hospitals hire legal nurse consultants.

Experience

While the education aspect of entering into this profession is a huge factor, nurses must first gain valuable nursing experience in a high-stress area of medicine; this includes emergency care or surgery wards. The American Legal Nurse Consultation Certification Board states that a person must work as a nurse for at least five years before entering into the legal nurse field.

Schooling

A person must first take the necessary steps to becoming an RN, which includes earning a bachelor's degree and taking the NCLEX-RN examination. Generally, this takes four years to complete; however, accelerated nursing programs are available, which require as little as three years to complete. After completing the necessary steps to become an RN, a prospective legal nurse consultant must work as an RN for at least five years, and then he or she may take the next step in the training process. The American Association of Legal Nurse Consultants (AALNC) offers the course in an online program. After completing the required modules, which cover medical malpractice, duties of an expert witness and worker's compensation laws, he or she may take a certification test from the AALNC once 2,000 hours of legal nurse consulting experience is met.