Meet a Nurse Attorney
Are you ready to earn your online nursing degree?
Credit: sturti / E+ / Getty ImagesAre you torn between your love of law and healthcare? Thankfully, you can do both. A legal nurse or nurse attorney connects these industries by combining their nursing experience with law knowledge to serve as an attorney in various healthcare matters.
Explore what nurse attorneys do, how to start this professional path, and answers to common questions from an actual nurse attorney.
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Q&A With a Nurse Attorney
Lorie A. Brown, RN, MN, JD, has a passion for supporting nurses. She is truly a nurse for nurses. She obtained her law degree from Indiana University in 1990. Lorie founded Brown Law Office, P.C. in 1999 and began working as a legal nurse consultant and representing nurses and other healthcare providers before licensing boards. She also mentors nurses on how to start their own businesses. Lorie has authored three books, “Law and Order for Nurses: The Easy Way to Protect Your License and Your Livelihood,” “From Frustrated to Fulfilled: The Empowered Nurses System,” and “The Legal Nurse Consultant’s Workbook: Turning Your Nursing Knowledge into a Successful Consulting Practice.” She has two weekly blogs, Your Nurse Attorney and Empowered Nurses.
Q: What are the requirements for becoming a nurse attorney?
A nurse attorney holds dual degrees: a registered nurse (RN) license with some type of bachelor’s degree and a juris doctorate, usually with a license to practice law.
Q: What drew you to a career at the intersection of healthcare and law? When in your nursing career did you decide this was something you were interested in doing?
A: I had no intention of becoming a lawyer. I had obtained a master’s in nursing and thought about getting my doctorate in nursing, but I really did not want to teach. At that time, I was going through a divorce and had a great divorce attorney and thought, “I can do this!” So, here I am.
Q: What is the profile of a typical client you might work with?
A: I work with nurses who are in or could be in trouble with the nursing board, or nurses with potential issues against their nursing license.
Q: What are some of the greatest challenges and rewards of this type of work?
A: These matters take so long before the board and can be difficult. Nurses who make a one-time mistake get in trouble, and resolution becomes a permanent record, where any future employer can find out about previous discipline.
Q: What does the educational pathway look like? Is it more typical for nurse attorneys to start in the medical or legal field?
A: The nurse needs to first obtain a bachelor’s degree, then take the Law School Admission Test (LSAT), apply to law school, be admitted, successfully graduate, and then pass the bar exam to become licensed.
Q: What advice would you give to nurses considering this pathway?
Get some nursing experience under your belt. Check out the American Association of Nurse Attorneys.
What Does a Nurse Attorney Do?
Nurse attorneys use their unique skills to represent and support clients in legal matters. While specific tasks vary by workplace, nurse attorneys collaborate with management to support and protect healthcare professionals and institutions and guide patients seeking legal advice.
Some duties include:
- Testify as expert witnesses
- Represent healthcare workers in court
- Educate non-legal or non-medical professionals
- Review medical records for legal processes
- Analyze personal injury and insurance claims
- Contribute to law journals
- Develop and review risk management policies
- Provide guidance on ethical dilemmas to healthcare workers and administrative staff
How to Become a Nurse Attorney
There are multiple paths to becoming a nurse attorney, but there are milestones everyone in this profession must accomplish. Prepare to take the following steps.
- Earn Your BSN: Nursing school is the foundation of your nursing career, and necessary to pass the NCLEX-RN.
- Take the NCLEX-RN: Pass this exam to work as a registered nurse.
- Gain Nursing Experience: Hands-on experience ensures you incorporate accurate nursing knowledge into your legal practice.
- Take the LSAT: This exam is necessary to enroll in law school.
- Earn your Jurisprudence Degree: Law school is the foundation of your law career, and necessary to take the bar exam in most states.
- Take the Bar Exam: Pass this exam to practice law.
Salary for Nurse Attorneys
According to ZipRecruiter, the average annual salary for nurse attorneys in 2024 is $98,330, with salaries ranging from $40,500 to $192,000. Earnings can vary based on experience, location, nursing education level, certifications, and facility.
Frequently Asked Questions for Nurse Attorneys
Yes, RNs can become lawyers in the United States. Nurse attorneys are trained as both nurses and attorneys.