Can someone answer any of my questions???

I have worked as an RN for 2 years and in the direct nursing field for 8 years. I have an interest in becoming a Nurse Paralegal, but I do not know the best way to go about this. I work in Massachusetts and saw a Legal Nurse Consulting Program at Northeastern University, which is an intense 12 week program costing around $2500. Interested in becoming a Nurse Paralegal, I contacted an attorney who hires Nurse Paralegals. He told me that from his experience, the Northeastern University program is a waste of time. He also said that I should get hands on experience working in a law firm reviewing cases. I have no legal experience and I do not know if a lawyer would be interested in training me in this field.

1)How do I get experience in this field?

2)What types of experience do I need?

3)Am I too inexperienced in the nursing field?

4)Will an attorney allow me to work with them and review cases so that I can get legal experience? ......

5)If so, which type of attorney should I focus my time in contacting?

6)Upon contacting this attorney, what can I do at present experience level to help his law firm and still get Nurse Paralegal experience as well?

7)What college course should I also focus on learning (I currently have not studied any law course yet, but would like to...and I'm not sure which course to start focusing in on first)?

8)How much do Nurse Paralegals make per/hour on average, or is it per/case?

-- Greg (z84pn22@charter.net), April 07, 2001

Answers

Question 2)What types of experience do I need?

If you are going to be in the legal field you need to learn how to do research on your own.

-- Lynn Goltz (lynngoltz@aol.com), April 08, 2001.

Lynn doesn't everyone post to get responses and ideas from the other forum members? We all could do our own research on any given subject posted on this forum. We could also do without your snotty remarks. Sorry i am unable to help you Greg.

-- Marie (imacountrygirl4ever@yahoo.com), April 12, 2001.

After 10 years as an R.N. I also wrote a letter to a local nurse- paralegal firm which hired out to review charts for local attorneys. I was dissed, told that if my 10 years had been in an ICU or ER then I just *might* be able to start interveiwing with attorneys who *might* take pity on my ignorance and train me-understand that a large part of my job duties for those 10 years had been reviewing charts...My husband the paralegal-turnned -atty points out that this is an overcrowded field, you probably will make less than you did as a nurse and will have to put in nights & weekends when a case is going to trial..Advice-Look into accredited paralegal programs. Don't pay too much or sign away your life. Once you have paralegal certification, start interviewing-preferabl;y at firms that handle malpractice or are run by dr/lawyers or nrs/lawyers. And good luck- there are 3 lawyers for every legal job in FL-not applicants for every opening...

-- Mitzi Giles (Egiles2@prodigy.net), April 13, 2001.

Ask any legal assistant and one of their primary responsibilities is research for the lawyers. In the legal field documented research, listing sources and references is a primary requirement - just saying "someone said" does not hack it in a court of law.

-- Lynn Goltz (lynngoltz@aol.com), April 15, 2001.