A Certified Legal Nurse Consultant is a registered nurse (RN) who provides consultation and expertise to medical legal cases. Due to the complex nature of the United States healthcare system, it is impossible for attorneys to have sufficient knowledge about nursing care, standards and protocols when reviewing medical malpractice cases. A Certified Nurse Legal Consultant pairs years of healthcare experience with a deep understanding of policy and procedure to educate and support attorneys.
What do Certified Legal Nurse Consultants Do?
Certified Legal Nurse Consultants are experts in their field. Their greatest strength is in their ability to educate about standards of practice in nursing as well as all facets of nursing and health care delivery. Their extensive knowledge base allows them to quickly identify when care provided was appropriate or inadequate. CLNC’s are essential to all phases of the litigation process.
Specifically, CLNC serve to:
- Screen cases for merit: Provide brief opinion reports on the merit of a case in order to inform an attorney’s decision as to whether or not to pursue a case
- Review medical records: define applicable standards of care, review and analyze medical records related to the case for adherence to and deviations from the standard of care; summarize, translate and interpret medical documents
- Prepare documentation: Assist in developing cases by organizing medical records and providing in-depth reports and chronological timelines for care rendered
- Develop case: Assist with discovery and identification of additional documents vital to case preparation. Assess alleged damages and identify contributing factors. Identify and recommend potential defendants. Assist in exhibit preparation.
- Attend patient interviews or independent medical examinations: gather more information about care received and whether patient needs were met.
- Research: Recognize authoritative medical literature and standards of care, conduct literature searches and apply to case
- Review legal documentation: review, summarize, analyze, and respond to other expert witness reports and depositions.
- Prepare testimony: prepare expert witness reports, serve as an expert witness in area of expertise
- Educate: Present well-communicated, veritable information to not only the attorney-client but to opposing attorneys, jurors, plaintiffs and defendants, and judges when providing expert testimony
Impact of Certified Legal Nurse Consultants
Certified Nurse Legal Consultants act as the first line of defense against nonmeritorious cases clogging up the legal system. CLNC’s can quickly and accurately assess medical cases for their credibility and provide expert opinion on the merit of a case, thereby preventing attorneys from pursuing cases that lack value or may be fraudulent, all at a fraction of the cost of physician consultation.
In addition, CLNC’s represent and speak for the nursing profession, lending credibility to the nursing community and resulting in improved quality of care by holding all nursing practice to recognized standards. They assure that the legal system uses medical and nursing information from authoritative sources accurately, calling out misrepresentation when appropriate. The work of a CLNC promotes justice for patients, the health care professionals and the care system.
Reach out today to discuss how Brennan Lee and Associates Nursing Consultants can enhance your attorney practice! Work product available upon request.
