One increasingly popular area for nurses to go into, usually after their MSN, but sometimes even after their BSN is to practice in the law field as consultants about the practice of nursing.
Usually it is a good idea to have about 3 to 4 years of experience before considering this field. There are a couple different areas of the legal side of nursing that you can enter into.
The most straightforward, and one that requires minimal training, is that of legal nurse consulting. As a legal nurse consultant, your job would be to review medical records and see if any professional negligence has occurred in any case. Legal nurse consultants may be required to appear in court to help a jury in medical cases. They bridge the gap between the medical field an the judicial system. They may be found practicing in law firms, government offices, insurance companies, hospital risk management departments, and consulting firms.
Another nursing specialization, that is related to the legal field is a nurse legislator. Nurse legislators are involved in the public sector and work with with local, state, or federal governments to affect public health legislation. Though this area does not require any extra degrees you will want to have significant (5+ years) of experience before considering this area.
The final specialization that involves both nursing and law is that of a nurse attorney. Nurse attorneys have degrees in both nursing and law. They may be involved in legal practice (in law firms or solo practice) or they may be involved in helping shape healthcare policy. They are also sometimes found in insurance companies and in the educational field.
Overall, the legal side of the nursing field is an exciting and fast growing area. The salary packages tend to be higher than regular nursing and if you are interested in leaving the actual hands on practice in nursing than the legal field of nursing is for you. Take a look at some schools and request some information for a better idea.
