Legal Nurse Consultant Certificate Program

What is a Legal Nurse Consultant?
A legal nurse consultant is a registered nurse with paralegal training. Legal nurse consultants work with negligence law firms, government agencies, insurance companies and in risk management for hospitals and other medical providers.

They usually work on civil cases involving personal injuries or medical malpractice, but also consult on criminal matters involving injury and death. They use their nursing expertise to review medical records, identify and interview expert medical witnesses, and draft or review contracts, legal documents and memoranda. They can be hired as full-time employees or retained as consultants on particular cases.

Legal Nurse Consultants may not provide legal service directly to the public except as permitted by law.

American Bar Association - Approved

New York State Nurses Association - Approved (319 contact hours)
This continuing nursing education activity has been approved by the New York State Nurses
Association, an accredited approver by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation.
It has been assigned approval code 6Y7QGH-07.

We seek to provide the legal and medical communities with highly qualified nurses with legal training and experience. We also provide nurses with a practical, legally-oriented education with marketable skills and assist graduates in conducting an employment search.

Admission Requirements
Enrollment is limited to registered nurses with a minimum of 60 college credits and one year of clinical nursing experience (other health professionals with degrees may be admitted; please consult the program director).

To apply, please call the Paralegal Studies office at (718) 488-1066 for an interview and bring to the interview a copy of your registered nurse license, a letter of recommendation from an employer describing your nursing experience, college transcript or copy of diploma, a resumé, a one-page essay explaining why you want to enroll in the program, and a $30 check or money order for the application fee.

Policy on Transfer Credit
      The Director of the program or the Dean of the School of Continuing Studies can grant credit for particular courses with similar content which have been completed in another ABA-approved program. Such requests are carefully evaluated, and credit is accepted only if the course is substantially the same, or superior to, the equivalent legal specialty course.
      In conjunction with the stipulations above, a student will only receive transfer credit if he/she can pass the required exam(s) for the course in question. However, in no event is credit granted on the basis of an exam alone; the student must show completion of an equivalent course in an ABA-approved program.
      Finally, under no circumstances will more than a total of 45 hours of legal specialty coursework be transferable.

Certificate Requirements
To be eligible to receive the certificate, you must successfully complete all the courses in the curriculum, as listed below, with a grade of "C" or higher for each course.

There is a $90 lab fee payable at the beginning of the program; there is a $30 certificate fee, payable at the beginning of the last course in the program.

Curriculum
The program consists of 319 hours of instruction:

Introduction to Law: This is an overview of the legal system, basic legal terminology, and the legal nurse consultant profession. (6 hours)

Torts: This component provides a background and overview of different categories of torts, or civil wrongs, with an emphasis on personal injury and medical malpractice. (14 hours)

Criminal Law: New York State Penal Law, Criminal Procedure Law, related statutes, and the most common forms and documents used in criminal practice are explored. Emphasis is on crimes that involve personal injury, death and the related medical records. (7 hours)

Contracts: This component covers the law of contracts, including types of contracts and the elements of a contract, the capacity of various parties to enter into contracts, and the remedies available in the event of a breach of contract. The content and meaning of contract language is explored, as are health care contracts. (14 hours)

Litigation: This component enables students to understand file management, trial preparation methods, and trial and post-trial enforcement methods. Students will also become familiar with the rules of New York procedure and the relevant statutes. Special rules concerning medical malpractice are explored in depth. (112 hours)

Legal Research and Writing: This component covers the manual research systems that are used by legal nurse consultants, and will put these skills to work in practical writing assignments. (48 hours)

Computers in the Law: Students learn how to conduct computerized research, through Lexis/Nexis and various online sources. The emphasis is on medical databases. Some instruction in basic computer skills is also included. (36 hours)

Malpractice and the Legal and Ethical Issues for Nursing: This component introduces students to legal issues, such as informed consent, standard of care, products liability and toxic torts, that may arise while working as a Legal Nurse Consultant (LNC). A considerable focus is put on medical literature and the research involved in finding it, preparation of medical summaries, and the process of preparing a life plan. In addition, it covers medical and legal malpractice, and ethics, as it pertains to the LNC. (63 hours)

Ethics: Students learn to understand the standards of conduct for lawyers and their legal assistants, and recognize potential ethical problems that may arise for legal nurse consultants, both as employees and as independent contractors. (7 hours)

Employment Resources: This component covers: how to write an effective legal nurse consultant resumé and cover letter; how to improve interviewing skills; and how to conduct an organized and effective job search. (6 hours)

Marketplace for Legal Nurse Consultants: This component provides students with skills and strategies for creating and promoting an independent consulting business. Students learn networking skills and receive information about various legal nurse consultant organizations. (6 hours)


Legal Nurse Consultant Schedule
There are 319 classroom hours, leading to a certificate in Legal Nurse Consultant.

PLGX 107 $4,900

Friday Program
Section 1: Fridays, 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
September 26, 2008 - October 16, 2009 (course started)

Saturday Program
Section 2: Saturdays, 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Schedule to be announced.

Convenient deferred payment plans and loans are available for qualified applicants.

For more information, please call (718) 488-1066.