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Abstract: 

Approximately twenty years ago, the nursing profession gave birth to a new specialty: the legal nurse consultant. While not the typical “hands-on” part of the nursing profession, this role has allowed registered nurses to show the world that nurses are much more than a single-focus entity. Nurses not only use their knowledge of disease processes, but also their penchant for organization, evaluation, and implementation - i.e. the nursing process - to advocate for patient rights through the legal process. Professional nurses also possess knowledge of nursing standards and the ANA Code of Ethics. This new area of practice allows the legal nurse consultant to retrospectively assure adequate nursing practice standards, nursing process, and professional ethics are utilized in the provision of quality patient care.

Keywords: critical retrospective analysis, code of ethics, AALNC, Certification, NACLNC, AIHCP, AALNC

Affiliations:  1: Health Plan Appeals of Nationwide Insurance; 2: Ohio State University.