Nurse Paralegal
A nurse paralegal is a registered nurse who had decided to move into the the realm of law to assist attorneys, insurance companies, and corporations as an expert in the medical field. A nurse paralegal should have already attained their Registered Nurse (RN) designation and have had several years of experience as a nurse before transitioning into the position of a nurse paralegal.
Nurse paralegals are often employed by law firms or insurance companies that have a large number of cases pertaining to the medical field. A nurse paralegal will be able to understand medical terminology, diseases, treatment processes, and other medical related issues much better than a paralegal with no medical experience. A nurse paralegal will be able to quickly understand medical reports, insurance claims, and other medical specific documents. A nurse with a paralegal certificate will also be able to use their medical experience and law education to find pertinent medical information more efficiently.
If a law firm or corporation values the experience of a registered nurse and often deals with medical related cases, then a nurse paralegal will likely be able to earn more than their paralegal counterparts. If you are a nurse paralegal, then you should highlight your background in the medical field and illustrate how your medical expertise coupled with your paralegal education will be able to help the prospective firm.
Some registered nurses who choose to transition into law bypass the option of becoming a nurse paralegal and choose, instead, to become a Legal Nurse Consultant. Legal nurse consultants are often independent contractors who work with clients on medical-related cases. Nurse consultants often command a higher salary than a nurse paralegal because their duties revolve around their expertise in the medical field, rather than many paralegal duties that may be administrative in nature. Law firms and corporations may choose to work with a legal nurse consultant rather than a licensed medical doctor because doctors usually charge much more per hour for consultation services than legal nurse consultants.
As with any type of legal professional, whether one is a nurse paralegal or legal nurse consultant, the more education and training you receive the better. Many registered nurses who decide to become a nurse paralegal or a legal nurse consultant will go back to school and obtain a paralegal certificate. A paralegal certificate introduces an RN to the world of law and gives him or her the opportunity to pair their medical knowledge with the application of law. In addition to a paralegal certificate, many will choose to increase their credibility by earning a Certified Legal Assistant (CLA)/Certified Paralegal (CP) or Registered Paralegal (RP) designation. Legal nurse consultants will find that these additional credentials will speak highly of their education and professionalism.
If you are nurse considering the move to nurse paralegalism or legal nurse consulting, then you should consider taking some law classes to see if law is a field that you would like to work in. Many nurse paralegals and legal nurse consultants find their work in bridging medical and legal knowledge very satisfying.
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