Students enrolled in nursing school often dream about working in various medical settings, but many students don’t realize the number of jobs available for nurses at a law firm. Lawyers spend years educating themselves before taking the bar exam and becoming attorneys, but they don’t have experience when it comes to the medical field. Those lawyers need nurses to help them in medical malpractices cases and other medical cases. Known as nursing legal consultants, these men and women typically need to meet certain requirements before working in this field.
Nursing School
According to the National League for Nursing, there are more than 4,500 nursing programs in the United States. This figure includes diploma, BSN, ADN, Master and Doctoral level programs. Nursing schools prepare students to take the National Council Licensure Examination and for working in different medical settings. You will spend a portion of your time in the classroom, completing assignments and taking tests, but you must also complete a certain number of hours of clinical rotations. You’ll work directly with clients in hospitals and doctors’ offices.
Passing the Board Examination
Before applying for the jobs available for nurses at a law firm, you must take the NCLEX. This test, which the nursing board administers, is mandatory for all practicing nurses. Students register online for the test and agree to pay for fingerprinting and a background check. You then take the test at a testing center in your area, and the board will notify you if you passed the examination. The test asks you questions about what different drugs do, what treatments doctors use and questions about specific types of medicine, including psychological treatments. Until you pass that test, you cannot work as a nurse or a nursing consultant.
Nursing Legal Consultant Job Description
Nursing legal consultants usually work on a part-time basis, but if the law firm specializes in medical cases, the firm might hire one or more workers on a full-time basis. Consultants rewrite documents in simple to understand language and explain complicated medical terms to laymen. They talk with attorneys about how to get their point across in the courtroom without alienating jurors with complicate legal jargon. Many firms look for people willing to work from home. They send their consultants case files, and the consultants agree to research cases, write documents and do other tasks away from the office.
How to Work as a Consultant
Before you look for jobs available for nurses at a law firm, you should ensure that you meet the minimum requirements of the job. These positions typically require that workers have a minimum of three years experience working as a nurse, and some firms require that applicants have five or more years of experience. You must also have strong skills in research, writing and communicating with others. Some states, including New York, let nurses sit for the Legal Nurse Consultant certification examination. While you do need to pay to take that test, it qualifies you to work as a legal consultant on medical cases.
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Finishing your nursing degree can help you find work as a nurse, a nursing administrator or in other medical positions. Many former students also find that there are jobs available for nurses at a law firm near them as legal consultants, but those positions require that applicants have experience and/or certification.