The Reality Behind Nurses in the Court
Written by Maroun Tarabey
February 10th, 2025
The world of nurses is one of variety - from taking care of high-risk geriatric patients, and assisting in code blues, to even working in private clinics outside the hospital environment, one can say that nurses are present in every crevice of modern healthcare systems. Despite their high importance in the medical field, they do not have high medical malpractice rates, averaging about less or equal to 0.5% of nurses internationally committing high-level medical malpractice1. “How could this be possible?” One might ask how this is possible and the answer lies partially in the hard work of legal nurse consultants; to answer your potentially shocked-induced question, yes, nurses can work in law, too. Their work helps clear cases of medical malpractice not only in nursing but in all fields of medicine.
Legal nurse consultants - Nurses in suits, or something more?
Legal nurse consultants work in legal environments, assisting attorneys in many medical cases as witnesses2. Among these include acting as sources of testimony in medical malpractice, personal injury, or workers’ compensation cases, helping resolve these cases directly2. However, it equally goes beyond this under many circumstances. For instance, these consultants become primary sources of information and important perspectives in cases involving criminal acts, where they would review the causes of death/the mechanism of the crime. They are equally responsible for verifying medication records for patients in certain studies where the information is pertinent.
Although they equally have a multitude of other more minor roles (including educating legal professionals on medical matters, locating evidence, and presenting it in trial, among other things that are mentioned here), their main roles necessitate vast knowledge of legal paraphernalia, as well as in medical techniques and analysis, which makes their job rewarding and fulfilling.
That’s great and all - but how do I enter such a daunting field?
Not to worry, the information is all here! From start to finish, you must:
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Obtain a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from an accredited university.
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Pass the NCLEX exam to become a Registered Nurse (RN)2.
Technically speaking, the requirements end here. However, there are unofficial “official” requirements that are essential. Some of these include:
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Obtaining years of experience to garner wisdom for any cases you might eventually handle.
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Obtain a master’s or certificate (or both) in forensic nursing to discover more about the legal process, and legal implications in medical cases that are taken to higher courts of law.
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Although it does not currently exist in Canada, efforts are being put into developing a certification exam in Canadian circles, which could become a required step in becoming a legal nurse consultant in the future3
Where do legal nurse consultants work?
As the field is quite niche, work locations are sporadic and sparse. However, that doesn’t limit the career opportunities in this field at all, with many hiring locations.
One of the biggest organizations helping nurses enter this career would be the Legal Nurse Consultants Association of Canada (LNCAC). This organization provides educational resources about the job that helps nurses enter the field, while equally giving them networking opportunities.
Typically, legal nurse consultants work specifically in private consulting, law firms, insurance firms, and health care organizations offering legal support, as well as in solo legal practices as independent contractors4. They may also work in government offices, insurance HMOs, and patient safety advocacy groups5
What salary can I expect for this profession?
According to Zip Recruiter, the average salary for someone in legal nursing consultation is approximately $81,1956
Am I a good fit to work as a legal nurse consultant?
You’d have to ask yourself if you’re interested enough in law and medicine to pursue this as a career. However, I can inform you of the typical qualities found in people entering this field7
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Critical thinking, as well as clinical knowledge - being able to apply the knowledge of human anatomy, physiology, as well as medical techniques in a broad range of cases. The latter is important to properly conduct the job when analyzing different medical cases.
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Legal knowledge. As someone partaking in legal matters, it is important to understand legal processes thoroughly.
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Communication skills, which are important in the education of others.
However, I would argue that the greatest skill needed for this career is empathy. To be able to not only empathize with the clients you’ll be working with, but equally to put yourself in the shoes of others with similar expertise to solve a variety of cases. Either way, your job goes from one isolated in an office to one helping others directly, understanding them and, most importantly, listening to them.
Till next week!
Footnotes
1 Papinaho, O., Häggman-Laitila, A., & Kangasniemi, M. (2021). Unprofessional conduct by nurses: A document analysis of disciplinary decisions. Nursing Ethics, 29(1), 131-144. DOI: 10.1177/09697330211015289.
2 Duquesne University (2022, July 26). What Is a Legal Nurse Consultant? Duquesne University. https://onlinenursing.duq.edu/blog/what-is-a-legal-nurse-consultant/
3 LNCAC (n.d). Who We Are. Legal Nurse Consultants Association of Canada. https://lncac.com/who-we-are/
4 American Institute of Health Care Professionals (n.d). Role Of The Legal Nurse Consultant. AIHCP. https://aihcp.net/role-of-the-legal-nurse-consultant/
5 Eagle Gate College (2022, August 5th). How to Become a Legal Nurse Consultant. EGC. https://www.eaglegatecollege.edu/blog/how-to-become-a-legal-nurse-consultant/
6 ZipRecruiter (2025). Legal Nurse Consultant Salary in Ontario. ZipRecruiter. https://www.ziprecruiter.com/Salaries/Legal-Nurse-Consultant-Salary--in-Ontario#:~:text=As%20of%20Feb%208%2C%202025,%2Fweek%20or%20%246%2C766%2Fmonth.
7 LNC Accelerator (n.d). Essential Skills Every Successful Legal Nurse Consultant Needs. LNC Accelerator. https://lncaccelerator.com/essential-skills-every-successful-legal-nurse-consultant-needs/