What is a nurse attorney?
A nurse attorney is a person who is both a nurse and a licensed lawyer: they hold a nursing license and a law degree (JD) and have passed a state bar exam. A legal nurse consultant is different: a nurse who advises lawyers but is not one.
Two routes
Nurse attorney: earns an RN, then a JD (about three years full time), then passes the bar. Legal nurse consultant: an RN with training in legal work, often certified through the American Association of Legal Nurse Consultants. No law degree is required.
What they do
Malpractice and personal injury cases, health care regulation and compliance, nursing board defense and risk management. The BLS reports lawyers in a separate category from nurses, so we have no wage figure here.
Pay and projections: Bureau of Labor Statistics. NCLEX figures: NCSBN. Enrollment: AACN. Sources and years are ondata sources.