How To Become a Legal Nurse Consultant feat. Abigail Stanley

career

Nov 15

As nurses, we’re often led to believe that our career options begin and end at the bedside.

The idea of stepping outside the hospital or clinic seems almost impossible — after all, it’s what nursing school primarily trained us for, right?

But what if you could take your nursing knowledge and experience and apply it in a completely different way, one that allows you to work fewer hours, earn more, and still make an impact without ever setting foot in a hospital?

That’s exactly what Legal Nurse Consulting offers.

Aaand if you’ve never heard of legal nurse consulting, you’re not alone. In nursing school, this career path is barely mentioned, if at all (I certainly never heard it mentioned in school). But for those who are ready to step outside traditional nursing roles, becoming a legal nurse consultant could be the career move you need in your life.

I recently sat down with Abigail Stanley, a highly successful legal nurse consultant who has built a thriving legal nurse consulting business with multiple 7-figure annual revenue years and worked on some of the most high-profile cases in the country. Abigail has done it all, from starting her business without formal training to, more recently, creating a second business where she coaches new legal nurse consultants on everything she’s ever learned in this industry.

But she didn’t start out knowing everything about legal nurse consulting. In fact, like many of us, she had never even heard of it until one random conversation that changed the entire course of her career. 🤩

Abigail's story is not just about how she became a legal nurse consultant — it's about how any nurse, with the right mindset and determination, can step into this lucrative and fulfilling field. Whether you’re looking for more flexibility, a higher income, or just a change from the grind of bedside nursing, her journey offers valuable lessons for anyone considering this career path.

In this blog, you’ll discover how Abigail took the leap into legal nurse consulting, the challenges she faced, and her expert advice for nurses who are ready to make the transition themselves.

Your Roadmap To Becoming a Legal Nurse Consultant

Like many of us, Abigail’s initial reaction to legal nurse consulting was disbelief. “You should totally look into legal nursing,” a fellow nurse told her one day during a random shift. Abigail admits she had never heard of it and thought the suggestion was a joke. She tells me, “I seriously thought it was fake.”

But this lack of awareness for legal nurse consulting isn’t unusual. After her shift, she dove into research and was surprised to find that nurses all over the country were doing this work. It turns out, nurses have incredible value beyond the clinical setting — and lawyers are eager to tap into that expertise.

Starting Without Certification

So while there are legal nurse consultant certification programs available, Abigail’s success story proves that you don’t need formal credentials to start working in this field.

For those interested in formal credentialing, there is the Legal Nurse Consultant Certified credential offered by the AALNC. But there’s a catch — to qualify, you’ll need over 2,000 billable hours in legal nurse consulting before you can even think about getting certified!

If you think about it, that’s a similar process to other nursing certifications. Abigail explains that, for instance, as an OR nurse, you would need at least 2,400 hours of experience in the operating room before you could sit for the exam to become a Certified Perioperative Nurse (CNOR).

So, if the lack of certification has been holding you back, don’t let it! You don’t need it to get started — just your nursing license and the confidence to dive in.

Of course, Abigail does acknowledge that the learning curve can be steep. “If you want to shortcut your success and save yourself a lot of trial and error … learning from someone who’s been there is easier,” Abigail says, referring to the training program she co-created to help nurses build their legal nurse consulting businesses, but ultimately, “you just have to start — certified or not.”

Building a Legal Nurse Consultant Business: From Side Hustle to Full-Time Career

In the early days of her legal nurse consulting business, Abigail balanced her consulting work with her 12-hour shifts as an operating room nurse. “At first, I was working less than four hours a week on my business,” she says, while she just focused on getting her name out there. But as time passed, the cases started flowing in consistently. Within the first year, she was able to drop one of her 12-hour shifts. By year two, she was making the same income as she was as a full-time nurse.

“I could have walked away a full year earlier than I did,” Abigail says, but like many of us, she was hesitant to leave the stability of bedside nursing. It wasn’t until year four that she left the hospital setting completely. And when she did, her business took off. “I should have walked away sooner because as soon as I did, and I was able to put my sole focus on the business, it blew up.”

Abigail’s journey started with a focus on medical malpractice, personal injury, and workers' compensation — areas she specialized in for the first nine years of her business. Later she added mass torts to her caseload, which are the kinds of cases you hear about on TV — the lawsuits involving dangerous drugs, defective products, or environmental hazards.

Abigail eventually hired a team of nurse subcontractors to help with the workload, enabling her to take on high-profile mass tort cases. “I’ve worked on the 9/11 lawsuit, Boy Scouts of America, Clergy Sex Abuse, Roundup, Johnson & Johnson Baby Powder, and dozens more litigations,” Abigail says. These cases often impact thousands, even hundreds of thousands, of people across the country and require a team of nurses to review medical records and provide expert insights.

For Abigail, these high-impact cases are where she feels most fulfilled. “You’re still using your nursing knowledge to make a difference in the world,” she says, highlighting that nurses have a critical role to play in these large-scale legal battles.

Legal Nurse Consulting Roles: Finding Your Fit

There are three primary roles nurses can take on as legal nurse consultants:

Consulting Expert

The consulting expert role involves working entirely behind the scenes, offering general nursing knowledge to assist attorneys in understanding the medical aspects of a case. This is often the most approachable role for nurses entering the field because it doesn't require highly specialized knowledge in a particular area. Instead, your broad nursing experience gives you the ability to clarify medical records, identify potential issues, and summarize findings that are crucial to a case.

Subject Matter Expert

In contrast, a subject matter expert (SME) is hired for their in-depth knowledge in a specific area of nursing. For example, if you’ve spent years working in labor and delivery, ICU, or operating rooms, you could be hired to provide your insights on cases that fall within your specialized field. This role is particularly valuable in complex medical cases where detailed, expert-level understanding is required to break down specific medical processes or practices.

Subject matter experts are typically called upon to analyze medical records, policies, and procedures related to their field of expertise. While this role is still behind the scenes, it requires a higher level of specialization. Attorneys may need you to explain not just what happened, but why it matters based on industry standards or best practices in your area of expertise.

Testifying Expert

The testifying expert role is the most specialized and high-stakes option for legal nurse consultants. Testifying experts are hired to offer their professional opinions in court, usually related to their specific nursing specialty. This role requires not only a deep understanding of your field but also the ability to communicate clearly under pressure, as you’ll be subjected to cross-examination by opposing attorneys.

Testifying experts often command the highest fees due to the complexity and risk involved in presenting their expert opinions under oath. But, Abigail cautions that this role is not for everyone. It can be intimidating, and it requires confidence in your knowledge as well as the ability to stay calm and collected in the courtroom. “It’s not for the faint of heart,” she says, “because the other side’s job is to discredit you.”

Where To Start?

There’s nuance in each of these roles, from the types of cases you work on to how you interact with attorneys. Legal nurse consulting can be highly tailored to your strengths and preferences, which is why it’s important to explore these options thoroughly before deciding which path suits you best.

In fact, the intricacies and nuances of these legal nurse consultant roles deserve their own in-depth discussion. But for the most part, most nurses, Abigail says, fall into the consulting expert category, where they provide generalized nursing insights. While if you do have expertise in a specific area, you can work in all three roles, if that interests you.

Abigail’s Advice for Aspiring Legal Nurse Consultants

One of the biggest challenges for new legal nurse consultants is figuring out how to approach and connect with attorneys. It can feel super intimidating at first, especially when you're transitioning from bedside nursing into a more formal, legal setting. But according to Abigail, the key is understanding that attorneys are just people too — and they looove to talk about themselves (like most of us do 😜).

Focus on Building a Human Connection

“When talking with attorneys, let them do more of the talking,” Abigail advises. Attorneys often enjoy discussing their cases and processes, so one of the best ways to connect with them is by showing interest in their work. “Ask them about the most interesting case they’ve ever worked on or any strange medical details they’ve encountered. They love those questions because it gets them talking about their own experiences.”

The worst thing you can do is come across as if you’re trying to sell yourself too aggressively. Abigail notes, “I’ve seen nurses go up to attorneys and say, ‘I’m the CEO of ABC Legal Nurse Consulting,’ and immediately lose the connection. Attorneys don’t want to hear that. Instead, just say, ‘I’m a nurse, and I can help you with the medical aspects of your cases.’ It’s really about offering your expertise as a solution to their problem, rather than pushing a sales pitch.”

Position Yourself as a Solution

The key to these conversations is highlighting how you can save them time and help them with complex medical issues in their cases. "Some cases have over 50,000 pages of medical records," Abigail explains. "How long would that take an attorney to go through? Nurses can get through it much faster because we know exactly what we’re looking at. That’s where you add value."

You may come across attorneys who already have a nurse on staff. In these situations, Abigail suggests positioning yourself as an additional layer of support. “I’ve been around long enough to know that there are influxes in cases. Their in-house legal nurse consultant or medical reviewer might get overwhelmed. You can offer to take on the extra work to prevent burnout for their current staff.”

Keep It Conversational, Not Salesy

When it comes to marketing, Abigail stresses that you’re not there to be a salesperson. "Nurses get scared of the word ‘marketing’ because they think they have to sell something, but that’s not the case. It’s about making a human connection."

Again, Abigail suggests finding common ground with the attorney by asking about their current processes: “Who reviews your medical records now? Do you do it yourself, or does someone else handle it?” This opens the door for you to explain how you can provide value without coming across as pushy.

Once you’ve had the initial conversation, follow up with something tangible. Abigail recommends offering to send a sample of your work: “Let me email you an example of one of my work products.” This simple offer demonstrates your capability and interest in helping without feeling like a hard sell.

Use LinkedIn To Network

In addition to in-person connections, LinkedIn can be a powerful tool for building your network. Abigail points out that attorneys often won’t engage publicly on LinkedIn posts, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t paying attention. “They won’t like or comment on your posts, but they’re watching,” Abigail explains. “If they’re interested, they’ll reach out to you directly via message or email.”

Her biggest advice for LinkedIn? Keep your profile professional, focus on sharing relevant content, and don’t get discouraged if you don’t see immediate engagement. “LinkedIn is a great way to connect with attorneys without being pushy. Just remember, your goal is to demonstrate your expertise and make it clear how you can help.”

Leverage Testimonials and Referrals

Abigail also highlights the importance of testimonials in growing your business. “Once you get an attorney-client, it can snowball really quickly. Attorneys trust each other, so if they’ve had a good experience with you, they’ll recommend you to their colleagues. I’ve had attorneys who will literally market my services for me just by word of mouth.”

She advises asking for testimonials from your attorney clients and even requesting email introductions to other attorneys. “Think of it like how you would find a plumber or electrician. You’d ask around for recommendations first, right? Attorneys do the same thing. They ask each other, ‘Who have you used on medical reviews?’”

The Power of Persistence and Patience

Entering the world of legal nurse consulting can feel overwhelming, but Abigail emphasizes the importance of persistence. "You’re going to hear ‘no’ sometimes, and that’s okay. It’s part of the process. There are over a million attorneys out there, so if one says no, just move on to the next. You have to come at it with the mindset of ‘whatever, next,’ and keep going.”

Remember, building a successful legal nurse consulting business is all about creating connections, showcasing how you can solve problems, and being persistent. And over time (as Abigail experienced!) you’ll start to see the snowballing and rewards of all your work.

The Importance of Mindset & Overcoming Self-Doubt

One of the biggest hurdles for nurses entering the world of legal consulting is mindset. Many nurses struggle with imposter syndrome because we’re used to the structure of clinical roles, and the idea of calling ourselves “experts” can feel intimidating.

But Abigail reiterates that nurses have the expertise that attorneys need, and emphasizes, “You are good enough because of the two letters already behind your name — RN.”

Attorneys aren’t looking for legal experts — they need your medical expertise to help them understand the cases they’re working on. Nurses need to realize that they already have the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed in this field. 🤯

So, Why Should Nurses Consider Legal Nurse Consulting?

Abigail’s journey shows that nursing is an INCREDIBLY versatile profession, with opportunities far beyond bedside care! For nurses looking to make a difference in a new way, legal nurse consulting offers an enormously rewarding, flexible career.

“I still feel like I’m making an impact on the world,” Abigail says. Whether you’re just starting out or have decades of nursing experience, legal nurse consulting could be the career path that allows you to leverage your skills in a fresh and fulfilling way!

If you’re ready to explore this field, remember that you already have the value attorneys are looking for. As Abigail says, “You are the expert, and you already have what they need.” 🥳

Abigail Stanley, RN, LNC is the founder and president of Nurses Still Care LLC, a nationally recognized legal nurse consulting company, founded in 2011, and the co-founder and president of Legal Nurse Secrets LLC, founded in 2023. Abigail has devoted her entire career to helping others. She began her career in 2008 helping patients as an operating room nurse.

As her side gig legal nursing company grew, she left her hospital nursing days behind, swapping out helping patients for helping plaintiffs. For the past 13+ years, Abigail and her team of legal nurses have used their nursing knowledge to make a positive impact on the world by assisting lawyers on over 25,000+ cases.

Over the years, Abigail has seen hundreds of nurses use their incredible nursing knowledge to live life on their terms, through the best kept nursing secret, legal nurse consulting. And in 2023, Abigail co-founded, Legal Nurse Secrets, a company created by nurses for nurses, teaching a simplified proven formula to launching and growing a successful legal nursing business quickly. This new direction is Abigail’s way of giving back to the industry that has given her so much.

You can find her FREE e-book about legal nurse consulting here: https://www.legalnursesecrets.com/legal-nurse-money-guide-tiktok

You can find her social media accounts here:

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@legalnursesecrets?lang=en

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/99189941/admin/feed/posts/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/legalnursesecrets/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61554522935376