How an Agency of Nurse Experts can Add Value to the Medical Malpractice Case

Cynthia Tjelle RNC, BSN

Provided by Registered Nurse Xperts, Inc.

Attorneys rely heavily on experts for many cases, and a Registered Nurse can be critical in managing a Medical Malpractice case. One of the most daunting tasks for attorneys, paralegals and LNCs is finding an appropriate expert witness. Many qualified nurses are busy doing their jobs in hospitals, clinics and nursing homes and are “hidden” from view. This, in conjunction with the frequency of the urgency factor in securing an expert, provides a great opportunity for both nurses and attorneys.

While there has been a surge in recent years among nurses to “branch out” into the field of legal-nurse consulting, it still remains difficult to gain experience in making contacts within the field. Nurses do not have the time or established relationships to make themselves available to attorneys. An agency or bank of nurses is the ideal vehicle- a middle ground where nurses are available and where attorneys can obtain the expert for their needs. I can provide resumes for a request with minutes, and have successfully matched and contracted attorney and nurse expert in less than an hour.

Developing a relationship with an agency can dramatically reduce the search time for finding an appropriate expert. Medical Malpractice cases can require a variety of needs:

1. Nurses within a medical subspecialty such as Pediatric Neurology or Aesthetics.
2. All degrees of practice from LPN to Advanced Practice or NP.
3. All degrees of experience from community hospital to Trauma Center.
4. Administrative or Doctorate Level to “at the bedside” clinicians.
5. Legal experience or practice as a CLNC.

Most attorneys prefer some experience with testimony or review, but with an agency the inexperienced nurse has been screened and can also render valuable assistance. Many nurses have extensive backgrounds in a variety of practice settings and can articulately review information and render an opinion on standards of care and practice. In our state of Illinois, it was recently decided in a court of law that only nurses (not physicians) can effectively provide expert opinion as to nursing practice. This standardizes, streamlines and ultimately provides a greater need for the use of nurse experts in MedMal cases.

For the attorney, having a virtual Rolodex of nurse experts inherently saves time and money which provides value to the case and the client.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Cynthia Tjelle RNC, BSN
Ms. Tjelle is a Registered Nurse with certification and background in Obstetrics. She has been an Expert Witness since 2000, an RN since 1989 and is the owner and President of Registered Nurse Xperts, Inc., an agency with over 100 nurses from all backgrounds that can provide expert witness and litigation support services for Medical Malpractice cases across the country.

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While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this publication, it is not intended to provide legal advice as individual situations will differ and should be discussed with an expert and/or lawyer. For specific technical or legal advice on the information provided and related topics, please contact the author.