Nurse Paralegal

Nurse paralegals developed because of many civil cases involving bodily injury, disease and death. This profession allows medical professionals into the legal profession.

Nurse paralegals specialize in medicine. They have an education or training in medicine and they understand the medical terms and the organization of medical records. Many have an education and background as a nurse.
Nurse paralegals can communicate with medical personal and medical care providers. They know the laws, how to obtain medical records, assisting attorneys in understanding medical issues, and conducting research. Completion of a paralegal training program is important when making the transition from nurse to paralegal.

A nurse paralegal will earn a salary comparable to a nurse, which is higher than the average salary of a paralegal. It's a perfect field for a nurse who wants to make a career change that will build on his or her medical background.
Nurses who are interested in law can also become legal nurse consultants (LCN). There is no course of study to become an LNC. LCN's often work for law firms, insurance companies, or they can work on their own as a consultant. They may aid attorneys in preparing court cases. The average LCN salary is also similar to a typical nurse’s salary.

A legal nurse consultant is a licensed, registered nurse who performs a critical analysis of clinical and administrative nursing practice, healthcare facts and issues and their outcomes for the legal profession, healthcare professions, consumers of healthcare and legal services, and others as appropriate. They have a strong educational and experiential background, so the legal nurse consultant is qualified to assess to standards and guidelines of healthcare practice as it applies to the nursing and healthcare professions.

The number of nurse attorneys, nurse paralegals and LCN's is growing. Nurse attorneys have degrees in both nursing and law and are they are registered attorneys in the state they practice in. Due to their advanced legal degree, their salary is much higher than a nurse.

The need for nurse attorneys, nurse paralegals, and LCN's is increasing due to the growth in medical malpractice lawsuits. Not only do they practice in the legal field, they also educate nurses on how to avoid lawsuits. So if you're currently in the nursing or medical field and you are thinking about a change into the legal profession then, consider a career path as a nurse paralegal, LCN, or even a nurse attorney. It is certainly possible to build off the background you already have.