Alternative Nursing Careers: Law

Being a Legal Nurse Consultant has gotten a lot of hype over the past few years mostly because it appears to be a profitable line of work. All the fan fare has unfortunately turned it into something it may not be and overshadows all the other interesting and just as lucrative careers nurses can pursue in the law industry. Legal Nurse consulting will not be overlooked in this article for those who may be interested. It just won’t take the cake like it always does. So, along with Legal Nurse Consulting, nurses interested in law usually go into Healthcare Risk Management, become Attorneys with a specialty in healthcare, or become Nurse Paralegals.

Healthcare Risk Management

Risk Managers are usually employed in hospitals but there are a few companies out there that provide consultancy services. Nurses interested in a career in Risk Management do not require any specialized licensing or training but it is highly advisable to have your BSN and obtain a certification from the American Society for Healthcare Risk Management. Many nurses enter the Healthcare Risk Management field through the hospital they already work.
Healthcare Risk Managers are usually responsible for identifying and controlling risk in clinical settings, developing standards for patient safety, maintaining compliance with HIPPA, OSHA and JCAHO standards.
Here is a list of job titles in Healthcare Risk Management along with compensation:

Gross Annual Salary by Title

Director/Manager of Risk Management $80,244-$79,168
Risk Manager $68,239-$64,000
Vice President of Risk Management $131,080-$125,000
Risk Management Coordinator $55,870-$53,500
Consultant $86,270-$80,000
Risk Management Analyst/Staff $62,481-$60,000
Claims Manager/Director $80,983-$79,000
Source: American Society for Healthcare Risk Management (ASHRM) – 2004 Compensation Survey for Healthcare Risk Management Professionals

Resources:

• American Society for Healthcare Risk Management
www.ashrm.org


Nurse Attorney

Becoming an attorney requires successfully completing law school. As some people know, law school is three years, can be expensive and is usually full time. Besides that little issue, healthcare attorneys are rarely unemployed in our litigious society and find themselves in high demand. Nurses who become attorneys can work in a law firm, start their own practice or work in hospitals in the Risk Management department. Either way, compensation varies greatly depending on where your paycheck comes from but I doubt you’ll be eating Ramon Noodles for long.

Resources:
• A must read article…Healthcare Law: A Career Guide by David Ahearn Attorney Advisor
http://www.law.harvard.edu/students/opia/docs/guide-health-law.pdf
• The American Association of Nurse Attorneys
www.taana.org


Legal Nurse Consultants

Legal Nurse Consultants do not require further education or certification. You call a law firm and ask if they need your services or if your lucky, a lawyer will call you (not very likely unless you’re the one being sued). Legal nurse consultants review medical records and help attorneys decide whether professional negligence occurred in a given case. Disability or Workers' Compensation cases may require a similar review. The consultant might help the attorney prepare for a deposition of the plaintiff or the physician, perhaps by familiarizing them with medical or nursing terminology. Finally, the legal nurse consultant can testify as an expert witness at a trial. To improve your credibility, you may want to obtain certification through the American Association of Legal Nurse Consultants, get yourself some business cards and a brochure describing your nursing experience. Other than that, it’s all legwork selling yourself. Compensation varies greatly. Some have to settle for $15 per hour and some may get the whopping $150 per hour that’s been all the hype.

Resources:

• American Association of Legal Nurse Consultants
www.aalnc.org/


Nurse Paralegal

Paralegal nurses have been around for about 20 years. A nurse paralegal is employed in law firms, HMO’s, Insurance companies and government agencies. They assist in interpreting and understanding medical issues and may draft pleadings, conduct legal research and handle other legal issues. Compensation is usually the same if not slightly less than a typical nursing job in a hospital but you have the luxury of nights, weekends and holidays off. Training as a paralegal is required and consists of either a Nurse Paralegal Certificate, 2 year or 4 year degree.

Resources:

• A must read article: From Bedside to Courtroom by Shirley Kawa-Jump
http://www.medhunters.com/articles/fromBedsideToCourtroom.html

• Paralegal Associations
http://www.paralegalgateway.com/associations.html