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How to Become a Nurse Paralegal: Duties, Requirements, and Things to Know
Apply the expertise you’ve worked hard to earn as a nurse to a new career at the intersection of health care and law as a nurse paralegal.
Embrace a new career path beyond the bedside as a nurse paralegal
Nurse paralegals play a vital role in both the legal and health care fields. They bridge the gap between complex medical information and the legal process, helping attorneys and clients understand health care issues in cases such as medical malpractice, personal injury, and workers’ compensation claims.
If you have a passion for nursing and an interest in the legal system, becoming a nurse paralegal (or exploring the related career of legal nurse consulting) could be a great fit.
Job Duties
What is a nurse paralegal?
A nurse paralegal is a Registered Nurse (RN) who works on health care law matters under the supervision of licensed attorneys. The nurse paralegal works as part of a legal team, typically in a law firm, corporate legal department, insurance company, or government agency.
In addition to reviewing and interpreting medical records, nurse paralegals perform traditional paralegal duties such as legal research, drafting documents, organizing case files, and assisting attorneys in court. Their role is fully integrated into the legal process, and they often have ongoing responsibilities across multiple cases.
What are the job requirements for a paralegal nurse?
To become a nurse paralegal, you will need a nursing degree, your registered nurse (RN) licensure, and paralegal training, which can be earned either through a certificate program or a degree.
Duties of a nurse paralegal
Nurse paralegals help investigate and provide their professional opinion regarding legal matters that involve health or medical issues. This may include malpractice lawsuits, health insurance claims, workers’ compensation claims, and personal injury lawsuits, among others.
Some of the primary duties of nurse paralegals include:
- Review medical records, including medical charts, diagnostic tests, and other health care documents to identify information relevant to a legal case.
- Identify standards of care and help legal teams identify where medical care may have fallen below accepted standards.
- Prepare detailed medical chronologies, summaries, and timelines for legal teams.
- Educate legal teams on medical terminology, procedures, and conditions.
- Research, evaluate, and assist with the retention of medical experts.
- Assist in finding medical experts for testimony and preparing them for trials.
- Support attorneys at trial by preparing medical exhibits, fact-checking, tracking developments, and compiling documentation.
- Serve as a communication bridge between legal teams and health care providers.
Where do nurse paralegals work?
Nurse paralegals often work in law firms and insurance companies. However, you can also find nurse paralegal jobs in hospitals, insurance companies, and government agencies, such as public health or law enforcement.
Become a licensed RN and consider paralegal training
If you aren’t already, you’ll need to be a licensed RN to work as a nurse paralegal.
To become an RN, you typically need two to four years of schooling, depending on the program you choose. You can choose associate or bachelor’s degree pathways in nursing, which can take approximately 2-4 years to complete, depending on how much credit you can transfer and if you elect full- or part-time study.
After you’ve earned your nursing degree, you must pass the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN). This exam assesses your knowledge and readiness to practice nursing safely. Once you pass the NCLEX-RN and meet your state’s licensing requirements, you will be a licensed RN and be qualified to obtain a job, gaining hands-on clinical nursing experience.
Complete paralegal training or certification
In addition to a nursing degree and RN certification, you’ll need specific legal knowledge and skills to become a nurse paralegal. You can build a comprehensive body of knowledge and skills in an associate or bachelor’s degree in legal studies program. A legal studies degree offers a strong foundation in topics such as legal research, torts, civil litigation, contract and family law, and more.
You can earn an Associate of Science in Legal Studies in as few as 20 months, and a Bachelor of Science in Legal Studies in only 36 months.
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Comparison to Legal Nurse Consultant
Nurse paralegal vs. Legal Nurse Consultant (LNC): What’s the difference?
Whether you want to work as part of a legal team or consult as a medical-legal expert, there are opportunities to bring your clinical knowledge into the legal field.
Both nurse paralegals and legal nurse consultants are registered nurses who use their medical knowledge to support legal work. However, their day-to-day responsibilities, work settings, and levels of legal involvement differ.
What is a legal nurse consultant?
A Legal Nurse Consultant (LNC) is different than a nurse paralegal, although their roles can overlap. Similar to a nurse paralegal, an LNC is a registered nurse who applies their nursing knowledge and expertise in the legal field. They provide insights to attorneys, insurance companies, and other legal entities. The legal nurse consultant usually operates as an independent consultant or through a consulting firm, brought in on a case-by-case basis to provide specialized medical insight. LNCs review and summarize medical records, advise on standards of care, identify and prepare medical experts, and educate legal teams on clinical issues.
Some key duties of an LNC include:
- Organize and analyze medical records and litigation materials.
- Perform and summarize medical literature searches.
- Educate on case-relevant medical issues.
- Conduct client interviews.
- Support attorneys in developing case management and trial strategy.
LNC certification
You can earn certification as a legal nurse consultant by taking an exam offered by the American Legal Nurse Consultant Certification Board (ALNCCB). To qualify for the exam, you must have a nursing license and at least 2,000 hours of legal nurse consulting experience.
As a Legal Nurse Consultant Certified (LNCC), jobs may be available in both remote and in-person settings, including legal firms, insurance companies, and hospitals.
Choosing your path
If you enjoy being part of the legal process and want to combine medical expertise with legal research and case management, a nurse paralegal role might be right for you.
If you prefer providing independent expert analysis and focusing exclusively on clinical matters, legal nurse consulting could be a better fit.
Either path allows you to use your nursing background in a rewarding new way, while making an impact on both patient advocacy and the pursuit of justice.
If you’re ready to combine your passion for patient care with an interest in law, start your path to become a nurse paralegal today!