Legal Nurse Consulting Practices, Third Edition

Over the past generation, the practice of legal nurse consulting has grown to include areas such as life care planning, risk management, and administrative law, as well as taking on a more diversified role in both criminal and civil law and courtroom proceedings. First published in 1997, Legal Nurse Consulting, Principles and Practices provided professionals in the field with an authoritative reference that helped further define and grow their roles. Used in LNC programs across the country, it introduced RNs to the foundations and practice areas of legal nurse consulting. Maintaining the high standards of the previous edition of this bestseller, the current editors have fully revamped this reference to match the education and reference needs of today’s LNC. Adding a wealth of new information, the book has been split into two volumes: Legal Nurse Consulting Principles, designed for students, and Legal Nurse Consulting Practices, a solid professional reference that practicing LNCs will consult again and again. Legal Nurse Consulting Practices provides the professional LNC with a wealth of new content covering processes and legal considerations in a number of areas. It explores forensics work and administrative healthcare law including insurance regulations and fraud. It discusses keys aspects of Medicare, approaches to creating a life care plan, the legal aspects of advanced practice nursing, and key concepts related to pediatrics and neonatal care. The book also describes the competencies and necessary background needed for certification and provides advice on how to advance within the profession. An authoritative reference for practitioners: Includes samples of effective and ineffective cross-examinations Explores evidentiary issues Provides guidelines for setting up an LNC practice Examines the role of LNCs in various fields Reviews the healthcare claims process Discusses case evaluation for a variety of special needs patients Contains review questions at the end of each chapter to refresh practicing LNCs Those wishing guidance on the basics of LNC should check out the companion volume, Legal Nurse Consulting Principles. These volumes are also available as a set.

The Legal Nurse Consultant as Expert Witness; M. Cosby, MPA, MSN, RN, CEN, NE-BC, LNCC, CLCP, CCM, MSCC and T. West, RN, BSN, MBA/HCM, CHN, PHN, LNCThe Expert Fact Witness: Noneconomic Damages Testimony; S. M. Saroff, RN, BSN, MBA, MSCCThe Independent LNC; C. Weitzel, MSN, ARNPLegal Nurse Consultant Practice within a Law Firm; E. K. Zorn, BSN, RN, LNCC and M. Lanz, RNRole of the LNC in Criminal Cases; L. Fernandes, RN, MSNThe LNC’s Role in Healthcare Risk Management; D. M. Curley, RN, BS, BSN, DABFN, LNCC and S. Whidden, MSN, RN, LNCThe Legal Nurse Consultant as Case Manager; V. V. Parisi, RN, CRRN, CLCP and K. R. Kuntz, MSN, RN, CRRN, CLCP, CMThe Role of the Legal Nurse Consultant in the Insurance Industry; D. S. White, RN, BSN, LNCCHealthcare Claims Analysis; H. M. Kennedy, MSN, MBA, RN, BC, LNCCAdministrative Health Law: Governing Health; A. Heydlauff, RN, LNCC, MHSAMedicare Set-Asides; F. J. Provenzano, RN, BSN, CDMS, CLCP, MSCCFraud: Government-Sponsored Health Plans and General Case Evaluations; R. S. Busch, RN, MBA, CCM, CBM, CHS—III, CFE, FIALCP, FHFMAThe Life Care Planning Expert; Nancy LaGasse, RN, MS, CDMS, CCM, CLCP, LHRM, ARM, MSCC and Helen "Heather" McDaniel, RN, LNCC, CNORPediatric Case Evaluation; P. Deaun Jackson, RN, MSN, CRNP, LNC and C. Revzin Merritt, MSN, RN, LNCCNeonatal Nursing; J. Romanow Guidash, RNC-NIC, BSNAdvanced Practice Nursing; W. Bonnar, RN, WHCNP-BC, MSNCritical Care Case Evaluations; Rachel Cartwright-Vanzant, RN, MS, CNS, LHRM, FNC, LNCC; M. Myers-Glower, RN, MSN; and E. Plummer, DL, MJ, RN, BSN, CCRNAmbulatory Care Settings; C. Lacker, RN, MS, LNCC and K. L. Rollo, RN, MSN, SANE-AThe Role of the Legal Nurse Consultant in Preparation of Technical Demonstrative Evidence; D. Miller, BSN, LNCC and N. Angelo Finzar, RN, MNEmployment Law and Occupational Health and Safety, The Role of the LNC; K. P. Buckheit, MPH, BSN, RN, COHN-S/CM/SM, FAAOHN; M. Parker Jones, RN, MSN, COHN-S, CCM; and J. S. Ostendorf, MPH, RN, COHN-S, CCM, FAAOHNWorker’s Compensation Case Evaluation; J. Hand, BSN, RN, CCMSurgical and Anesthesia Case Evaluation; D. Jolly, BSN, RN, LNCC and C. Pytlik, BSN, RN, CRNAIssues in Residential and Community-Based Care; L. E. Fox, MSN, RN, CDDN, CLCP and D. D. Nash, RN, LNCCGlossary; K. A. Morales, RN, C, BSNAcronyms; L. Barber

Senior EditorsAnn M. Peterson, EdD, MSN, RN, CS, LNCC, president of Ann M. Peterson & Associates, received a diploma in nursing from Boston City Hospital School of Nursing, a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, a Master of Science in Nursing, and a Doctorate in Higher Education Administration. Dr. Peterson is an experienced legal nurse consultant working with both defense and plaintiff attorneys on medical malpractice, nursing negligence, personal injury, and criminal cases. She has a background in health care administration and advanced clinical practice, has held an academic appointment as an assistant professor at the graduate level, and has multiple publications to hercredit. She is a current member of AALNC and the past president of the Rhode Island chapter of AALNC. She has also served on the Massachusetts Nurses Association (MNA) Congress on Nursing Practice and the Blue Ribbon Commission on Health Policy and Legislation, and is a panel member of the Massachusetts Medical Malpractice Tribunal.Lynda Kopishke, MSN, RN, LNCC received her diploma in Nursing from St. Francis Hospital School of Nursing in Wilmington, Delaware. After many years of successful practice, Ms Kopishke returned to Wilmington University, where she obtained a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science in Nursing. She became certified as a legal nurse consultant in 2000. She served on the Board of Directors of the American Association of Legal Nurse Consulting at both the local and the national level. She is past editor of the Journal of Legal Nurse Consulting, a reviewer for the second edition of Principles and Practices, and a published author and national speaker on topics associated with nursing and legal nurse consulting. She operates an independent consulting business, Forensic Matters. Ms Kopishke has been admitted at trial in several states and at the federal level as an expert witness in standards of nursing care as well as in life care planning. She is a nurse educator, researcher, and strong advocate for nursing practice.Associate EditorsTeddylen A. Guffey, MHSA, BSN, RN, LNCC, has worked clinically in both nursing and health care administration for 15 years before entering the field of legal nurse consulting. In the years since, Ms Guffey has worked as an independent legal nurse consultant (LNC) and as a professional staff member of the law firm team, assisting in the provision of medical malpractice representation and litigation services. In addition to having her Master’s Degree in Health Services Administration, Ms Guffey has authored numerous articles on various topics ranging from health care rationing to the business realities of the LNC’s role within the field of Law. She served 5 years on the board of the Phoenix Chapter of the American Association of Legal Nurse Consultants as president, vice president, past president, and program chair and has given numerous presentations locally and nationally concerning risk and medical malpractice management within the health care field. Currently, Ms Guffey is the principal of Guffey & Associates, PC, a law firm specializing in providing business, legal, and risk management services to physicians. She continues to work in the field of legal nurse consulting, risk management, and medical–legal business consulting. Marilyn R. Mason, RN, LNCC has practiced as a legal nurse consultant since 1986. She has worked in both plaintiff and defense litigation, holding positions within law firms as well as practicing in an independent consulting capacity. Her clinical experience includes emergency room, psychiatric, medical–surgical, and administrative nursing. Ms Mason is currently employed at Winer & McKenna, working in the areas of personal injury, medical malpractice, products liability, and employment law. She received her nursing diploma from Barnes Hospital School of Nursing in St. Louis and her bachelor’s degree in health administration from St. Mary’s College in Moraga, California. She is a registered nurse through the California Board of Registered Nursing. Ms Mason has published in national journals and spoken to and consulted with nurses, paralegals, and attorneys, at both the national and the local levels, on medical issues in litigation. She has been a member of the San Francisco State University Faculty, teaching and advising for the legal nurse consulting certifi cate program. She is a founding member and past president of the American Association of Legal Nurse Consultants (AALNC) and is certified by the AALNC in Legal Nurse Consulting (LNCC).Luanne Trahant, MSN, RN, LNCC has been a legal nurse consultant for over 9 years and is the co-owner of Consulting Concepts of Louisiana, Inc. She has been a practicing registered nurse for over 17 years in multiple nursing and administration settings, including medical surgical nursing, orthopedics, rehabilitation, long-term care, home health, hospice, pediatrics, intensive care, cardiology,and psychiatric care. Mrs. Trah