NANUET, N.Y., March 12 /PRNewswire/ — A new school created by the Washington Online Learning Institute prepares registered nurses for careers as Legal Nurse Consultants (LNCs), a profession that provides guidance to lawyers through medical training and legal knowledge. Founded in 1999, WOLI is accredited by the Middle States Association (MSA) of Colleges and Schools Commission on Secondary Schools and is the nation’s longest established, Internet-based school for paralegals.

The WOLI Legal Nurse Consulting Certificate Program provides registered nurses with an extensive knowledge of medical claims litigation and medical malpractice issues and is designed to prepare graduates for careers as LNCs. The certificate course, taught by qualified attorney professors, begins every four weeks and takes seven months to complete. Tuition includes a full set of textbooks, 24/7 access to WOLI Interactive Online Classrooms, downloadable audio lectures and access to Westlaw(R). Financial assistance programs are available.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the primary role of a Legal Nurse Consultant is to evaluate, analyze and render informed opinions on the delivery of health care and resulting outcomes to legal professionals. This is a particularly valuable service to law firms, insurance companies and corporations involved in personal injury and medical malpractice issues, a segment that comprises 25 percent of all legal cases in the United States.

The National Nurses in Business Association (NNBA) forecasts a strong demand for LNCs, based on the shortage of registered nurses, the need for an alternative to the high cost of using physicians as legal consultants and the proven effectiveness of nurse consultants in the industry. According to the NNBA, typical earnings for a full-time LNC are about $125,000 a year; hourly rates range from $100 to $250.