LEGAL NURSE CONSULTANT 2018

DISTINGUISHING FEATURES OF THE CLASS

An employee in this class serves as a consultant on legal matters to Suffolk County Health Department physicians and seeks to diminish malpractice losses and Workers’ Compensation losses by identifying contributory factors and developing corrective programs. Duties involve a combination of professional nursing expertise and legal knowledge. Work requires independent judgment and initiative, and is reviewed through conferences, reports and evaluation of effectiveness. Does related work as required.

TYPICAL WORK ACTIVITIES

Responds to inquiries on legal matters from physicians;

Reviews and interprets charts, records and incident reports from malpractice cases to identify cause of problem and develops in-service training programs to prevent recurrences;

Assists the County Attorney’s Office or outside counsel in the handling of medically-related litigation by providing an analysis of health care facts, issues and outcomes;

Prepares chronologies of medical events and compares and correlates them to allegations;

Conducts surveys of departmental health care providers on safety-related issues and develops procedures to avoid injuries;

Conducts in-service programs for health center staff members to address and correct problems;

Advises health centers on handling of subpoenas, legal issues and record requests;

Reviews all legal correspondence received by the Department;

Serves as an advisor on issues relating to confidentiality of patient records to staff developing computerized record keeping systems.

FULL PERFORMANCE KNOWLEDGES, SKILLS, ABILITIES AND PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS

Good knowledge of the principles and practices of nursing; good knowledge of legal documents, legal terminology and the general course legal proceedings on malpractice and Workers’ Compensation cases; ability to interpret and evaluate medical records and arrive at sound conclusions; ability to analyze practices and procedures, identify weaknesses and propose corrective action; ability to express oneself clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing; ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with attorneys and departmental professional and administrative staff; physical condition commensurate with the demands of the position.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

OPEN COMPETITIVE

Graduation from a New York State or Regionally accredited college or university with a Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing; and,

One year of experience as a Registered Nurse; and,

Successful completion of a Legal Nurse Consultant certificate program given by a New York State or Regionally accredited college or university.

NECESSARY SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

At the time of appointment and during employment in this title, candidates must possess a Professional Registered Nurse’s License, issued by the New York State Education Department.

At the time of appointment and during employment in this title, candidates must possess a valid Legal Nurse Consultant certificate.

01/01/02

SUFFOLK COUNTY

Competitive

RR1/27/03