Nurse Consultant Job Description Template

Nurse consultant discussing patient records with a physician.

Today’s registered nurses shoulder a range of responsibilities, from direct patient care to insurance assessment and malpractice case research to running hospitals and long-term care facilities. They are in demand, highly trained, and have many opportunities and career paths to choose from. As a result, what you need to include in a nurse consultant job description will vary depending on the role you are seeking to fill.

You may be looking for a short-term contract nurse, an occasional “float” or fill-in nurse, a legal nurse consultant who specializes in malpractice investigations, or a highly experienced clinical consultant to advise your staff on care practices. The responsibilities, skill set, and levels of experience and education you include in your job description will depend on what type of nurse consultant you need to hire.

The job description below provides sample job responsibilities and required skills and qualifications for all categories of consulting nurses. For more ideas on what to include in your job listing, read through these nurse consultant job posts.

Nurse consultant discussing patient records with a physician.

Nurse Consultant

[Intro Paragraph] Your nurse consultant job description should begin with a short paragraph or a bullet list aimed at selling your workplace to potential candidates. You’ll also want to emphasize the setting in a way that makes clear the role you are seeking applicants for. Whether you are you looking for a nurse consultant to work in a hospital, insurance company, law firm, or research lab, emphasize the benefits that set your work environment apart from the others. Is the role in a corporate setting with daytime scheduling and room for growth? Does it involve direct patient care or cutting-edge research in a mission-driven setting? By focusing on what makes your setting special, you will increase your chances of appealing to an RN who is looking for the opportunity you are providing.

Nurse Consultant Job Responsibilities:

  • Provides healthcare consultations and technical advice by investigating malpractice claims, identifying and locating witnesses and experts, and preparing case notes and summations for attorneys and other team members.
  • Completes investigations for attorneys, physicians, insurance and accreditation organizations, health professionals, private investigators, injured patients and third parties to help determine fault and/or presence of malpractice.
  • Provides risk-prevention methodologies to healthcare providers and other institutions.
  • Develops medical malpractice claims information by investigating hospital, nursing home, physician, and nursing negligence claims.
  • Provides unbiased opinions to determine merits of legal or accreditation actions.
  • Provides medical records information by completing initial review and liability assessment, identifying health care providers, and preparing releases and letters to obtain complete medical records (including x-rays, charts, and billing information).
  • Organizes, chronologically summarizes, analyzes, and indexes medical records and billings, and transcribes handwritten chart/record notes to prepare a timeline of events, and creates tables, charts, and graphs to illustrate data for use in the preparation of documents that are then reviewed by expert advisory panel.
  • Reviews medical documents to identify, locate, and interview potential witnesses, including medical personnel.
  • Prepares suggested lists of deponents and then schedules and summarizes depositions for review by attorneys as part of preparation of preliminary and final witness lists.
  • Researches backgrounds of potential experts by obtaining and reviewing CVs.
  • Consults with medical experts in appropriate areas of expertise for defense and/or plaintiff.
  • Completes medical research needed in medical investigations and lawsuits by utilizing personal knowledge, experience, reference library, and internet, defining and interpreting medical language and procedures and medical hospital and/or office policies.
  • Aids attorneys and other team members with case presentations by preparing summations, slides, spreadsheets, charts, and graphs based on investigative findings.
  • Maintains legal and accreditation compliance by adhering to policy positions concerning federal, state, and local regulations, and Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) standards and anticipates emerging issues.
  • Improves quality of case by studying, evaluating, and re-designing processes.
  • Updates professional knowledge by participating in educational opportunities, reading professional publications, and participating in professional organizations.
  • Listens to patients’ health concerns to assess needs and eligibility for care.
  • Helps patients navigate healthcare plans and options.
  • Reviews claims from customers and healthcare providers on behalf of insurance companies.
  • Works in various departments to provide patient care, including administration of medication and procedures, as needed.

[Work Hours & Benefits] In this section of your nurse consultant job description, you need to sell the position the way your opening paragraph sold your workplace. Using a salary tool that allows you to input job title and location, you can either provide a competitive and appropriate salary range, or confidently state that the salary is generous for your area. If you’re trying to attract candidates from outside your community you might mention attractive perks, such as signing bonuses, paid relocation, student loan repayment, low- or no-deductible medical benefits, 401(k), and opportunities for professional development.

Nurse Consultant Qualifications/Skills:

  • Nursing skills
  • Listening skills
  • Research and inquiry skills
  • Critical reasoning and care assessment skills
  • Excellent verbal and written communication and documentation skills
  • Excellent planning, time management, and organizational skills
  • Familiarity with electronic medical records (EMR)
  • Supervisory and/or managerial experience

Education, Experience, & Licensing Requirements:

[Call to Action] End your nurse consultant job description with a call to action (CTA) that encourages interested applicants to fill out an online application or submit a resume and cover letter.

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Writing a detailed job description targeted to the skills you’re seeking in a nurse consultant is the first step. Now you need to connect with highly trained professionals ready to apply their skills and contribute to your organization’s mission. Take the next step with Monster and get your next job opening posted for free.