New Legal Nurse Consultant Certificate Program
New Class of Consultant Serves Both Legal and Medical Professions For Immediate ReleaseAugust 4, 2011
Contact: Alan Blake, 271-8904
Concord – The growing complexity of the health care system, and its increasing entanglement with the legal system, has given rise in recent years to a new class of professional: the Legal Nurse Consultant (LNC). LNCs are professional nurses with both clinical expertise and training in the law. They provide an invaluable service to both the medical and legal professions.
This fall, NHTI, Concord's Community College, will become the first school in New Hampshire to offer an on-site certificate program in this new and growing field. Approved by the American Bar Association, the program is designed for experienced Registered Nurses who are interested in becoming Legal Nurse Consultants. With the combined resources of the Paralegal program and the Center for Nursing Professional Development, NHTI is uniquely equipped to provide the legal knowledge and practical field experience LNCs require to evaluate, analyze and offer informed opinions on the delivery of healthcare and resulting outcomes.
LNCs can serve in a variety of settings including hospitals and other health care facilities, insurance companies, law firms, medical malpractice and workers' compensation organizations, and private LNC practices. The responsibilities of an LNC are broad, and include:
- analysis of medical records,
- determining if standards of care have been breached,
- investigation of risk management issues,
- evaluation of medical malpractice claims and workers' compensation matters.
Although a Legal Nurse Consultant can perform many tasks performed by an attorney, legal work performed by an LNC must be under the supervision and direction of an attorney.
For more information about NHTI's new Legal Nurse Consultant certificate program, contact Paralegal Studies Department Head Stacey Peters at (603) 271-7104 or , or Sandra McBournie, Coordinator of the Center for Nursing Professional Development, at (603) 271-7104 or .
NHTI, Concord's Community College, is a fully accredited, public community college serving students, businesses and the community by providing excellent academic, technical and professional education. NHTI offers 63 academic programs to more than 4,500 students. NHTI is a member of the Community College System of New Hampshire.