I could describe that, at specific times, the patient was not in the ICU and was instead with a team of doctors. I could also describe what the nurse would be expected to do, what they did and why I would have performed the same in the same situation. Could you discuss the importance of continuing education and staying abreast of the latest healthcare regulations and standards in your field? Just like everything else, healthcare is ever-changing. In fact, we cannot change related to the standard of care. A unique perspective I bring to the picture is that I have experience in acute care, nursing home care and ambulatory settings. I also have experience as a bedside nurse, manager, and a director over a wide range of clinical settings including medical/surgical nursing, telemetry, stepdown and ICU levels of care. As a clinical director over adult inpatient services I can provide clarity on the standard of care, the expected response and clinical decision-making of those involved in the case. I have 12+ years of experience in numerous hospital and department of health services for large hospital settings. As an expert witness, I can advise on what a prudent bedside nurse would have done in a particular situation or look at a case from a broader lens. For instance, I can advise on what practices became standard during the pandemic, how hospitals were expected to file flexes with CDPH, how documentation during a crisis changed, what was appropriate clinical oversight or staffing in these situations, etc. The intersection of law and healthcare is complex. What are some of the most challenging aspects of your role as a legal nurse consultant, and how do you navigate these challenges? One of the most challenging aspects as a LNC is being brought into cases late because many attorneys feel they can do the initial work on their own. While they themselves or the paralegal can work through cases, it can save significant time and money to bring in a consultant early to help build the case. Sometimes we are brought in late and the true issue may not be what was initially thought to be the concern. 30 LAWYER MONTHLY AUGUST 2023 Can you share an example of a case where your nursing expertise significantly influenced the legal outcome? I had a case in which the hospital and nurse were brought into the suit due to concerns about appropriate response, escalation of care and notification of the chain of command. After reviewing the case, providing a statement and then being deposed, the case against the nurses was settled. To provide specifics, I developed a timeline of events over a 24-hour period and was able to describe what the nurses were doing at each critical point for a patient with a GI (gastrointestinal bleed). Key qualities for anyone interested in becoming an LNC are being detailoriented, organised and confident in their knowledge of their practice and role.
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