A nurse attorney holds multiple degrees: one in nursing and one in law. Nurse attorneys take their health experience and bring it to the courtroom, representing patients, healthcare providers, health companies, and even government agencies.
Many lawyers practicing in the health arena don’t have medical experience themselves, but a nurse attorney knows both worlds and can provide valuable insights to their clients and colleagues. While most nurse attorneys leave the bedside, they continue to care for patients through advocacy and promotion of safety and improved practice throughout the health field.
Where Do Nurse Attorneys Work?
Many nurse attorneys work with other lawyers in law practices, but they may also work independently by starting their own businesses. Nurse attorneys can be found working in these settings:
Consulting firms
Freelance writing
Government bodies like the Department of Health
Insurance companies
Law firms
Private practice
Universities
Sometimes nurse attorneys bring their law expertise to the health sector itself. In the healthcare world, nurse attorneys can work for:
Clinics
Hospitals
Insurance companies
Medical equipment companies
Pharmaceutical companies
Professional nurses’ associations
If a nurse attorney works independently, they may choose to work from home, but many open small offices. The work of an attorney requires in-person meetings, and office space provides a level of professionalism that can draw clients.
What Does a Nurse Attorney Do?
A nurse attorney spends their days in multiple locations, and can work on many types of cases, including:
Criminal cases
Family law
Medical malpractice
Medicare benefit disputes
Social Security benefit disputes
Personal injury
Products liability
Toxic torts
Worker’s compensation
Nurse attorneys argue their cases in a courtroom. But they also spend much of the day gathering evidence, interviewing patients, and collaborating with other members of the legal team.
Nurses who become attorneys can also choose to work behind the scenes in law. They can review medical records to resolve insurance claims and write for legal or medical journals. Many hospitals bring on nurse attorneys to bring their expertise to risk management.
If employed by a hospital, nurse attorneys may be called upon to educate the team on the legalities that affect them, and promote best practices. Nurse attorneys can serve as expert witnesses and can also move into politics, lobbying for positive change in healthcare.
At the bedside, nurses must learn fast how to effectively communicate with their patients and their patients’ families. Nurse attorneys use this same skill every day to speak with clients, patients, and colleagues to flesh out every detail and ensure all evidence is thorough and correct.
Nurse attorneys must be able to educate their clients on the law surrounding their cases. They must also know how to use legal precedent to support their clients’ claims. The critical thinking skills learned by a nurse continue to hold importance as a nurse attorney, as legal cases can be complex and require solid strategy.
How Do I Become a Nurse Attorney?
The first step to becoming a nurse attorney is to become a nurse. Candidates must graduate from an accredited nursing program with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). Once graduated, a nurse can apply for nursing jobs as a graduate nurse (GN).
Soon after graduation, GNs need to take the state licensing exam, the NCLEX-RN. After they pass this standardized test, their title will change to registered nurse (RN). Once a nurse finishes their orientation on their unit, they may take their own patients and practice independently.
Most nurse attorneys choose to get several years of experience before pursuing their law degree. If a nurse plans to work in healthcare law, experience in that field can prove invaluable. When a nurse is ready to make the jump, they can take the Law School Admission Test (LSAT). Once a candidate passes their LSAT, they may apply to law school.
Law school takes two or three years to complete, depending on how much time the student can devote to their studies. Once a nurse completes law school, they will graduate with a Juris Doctor (JD) degree. After graduation, they will need to take their state’s bar exam.
After a nurse attorney passes their bar exam, they can be licensed as an attorney in that state and can begin practicing law. Another option for licensing is the UBE or Uniform Bar Exam. Similar to nurse compact licenses, in which nurses may be licensed in multiple states, the UBE allows a nurse attorney to apply for reciprocity in several states at once.
How Much Does a Nurse Attorney Make Per Year?
In the United States, registered nurse (RN) salaries average $81,220 per year as of 2022, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). This amount can vary depending on your work setting and the cost of living in the area. The low-end average was $61,250, and the high-end was $129,400.
Lawyers’ average annual salary was $122,960, according to the BLS. Nurse attorneys can expect to make a salary somewhere in between these two, although the number may be much closer to a lawyer’s salary.
Nurse attorneys will earn more or less depending on the area they live and work. For example, a nurse attorney can charge more on the west coast and New England, but these areas also have a higher cost of living.
The BLS projects the need for attorneys will grow 10% from 2021 to 2031, which is more than the average for all other occupations. Older nurse attorneys are beginning to retire, and this will leave more room in the profession for those looking to jump in.
What Are the Benefits of Being a Nurse Attorney?
People who need to hire nurse attorneys have had a tough time, and have often been injured in a medical situation. Or perhaps a family member has suffered an injury at the hands of a trusted medical professional. All medical professionals make mistakes, but sometimes legal action is called for.
Nurse attorneys have the experience and insight to help these people. They are experts in not one, but two fields: medicine and law. This deep well of knowledge can provide peace of mind for people looking for justice.
A nurse attorney can work in many different settings. They can spend a lot of time in a courtroom, or they can take a backstage role in a hospital risk management setting, for example. Nurse attorneys have a lot of career choices, which can give them professional and financial freedom.
Are Nurse Attorneys in High Demand?
Healthcare is changing. The baby boomer generation is entering their twilight years, and with aging comes an increased burden on the healthcare system. With a nationwide nursing shortage and growing numbers of medical errors, nurse attorneys will be needed for much of the near future.
The healthcare system in the US is also becoming more complex with frequent new regulations applied to health systems. Law firms and patients alike will need professionals who know both fields and can bridge the knowledge gap between them.
Additional Resources About Becoming a Nurse Attorney
To learn more about becoming a nurse attorney, these additional resources may help:
NursingEducation strives to provide information that is up-to-date and unbiased. By engaging professionals from multiple healthcare perspectives, we ensure our content contains accurate information that helps our readers.
We have combined decades of experience teaching, publishing research, and working with patients in all fields of medicine to create accurate and straightforward online education. Once written, each article undergoes a rigorous peer-review process to bring you the highest quality, most comprehensive content possible.
Our writers receive feedback from reviewers to clarify content, prevent misleading statements, and identify areas that would benefit from more information. Our subject matter experts and reviewers generally work full-time in their professions and work for NursingEducation part-time.
