University of the Virgin Islands (UVI) professor and program chair for the School of Nursing Dr. Celia Nurse has made history as the first certified legal nurse consultant (CLNC) in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Legal nurse consultants are registered nurses who use existing knowledge and expertise as healthcare professionals along with specialized legal nurse consultant training to consult on medical related legal cases.
“I hope to remind all nurses in the territory that, in nursing, the more education you have, the more options you have and the more you can positively impact quality patient centered care on broader scales,” said Dr. Nurse.
“On behalf of the faculty, staff, and students at the School of Nursing, I wish to extend our congratulationsto Dr. Nurse on this accomplishment,” said Dr. Mary Beverely Lansiquot, dean of the School of Nursing. “I have no doubt that the knowledge gained from this certification course will enhance the content related to the legal aspects of nursing in delivery of the courses she teaches. As an alumna of the UVI School of Nursing, Dr. Nurse makes all UVI alumni proud.”
According to LegalNurse.com more than $1.3 million attorneys in the United States work closely with legal nurse consultants as the nursing and healthcare system experts on litigation teams. Achieving certification as a legal nurse consultant enhances the credibility of the services provided by nurses on litigation teams and the certification is recognized by attorneys nationally. Legal nurse consultants are also able to provide consultation services with pharmaceutical and insurance companies, hospitals, and other medical-related organizations.
On litigation teams, the legal nurse consultant bridges any gaps present in attorneys’ knowledge relevant to healthcare and healthcare processes. The attorney remains the expert on legal issues while the legal nurse consultant is the expert on nursing and the inner workings of the healthcare system. The contributions of legal nurse consultants to malpractice suits can positively impact quality improvement efforts in healthcare and nursing practice.
“Dr. Celia Nurse is an extraordinary nurse. I have worked with her for three years now,” said Dr. Vivian Palmer-Lewis, assistant professor of nursing. Her name as well as her character is best delineated by this quote, ‘NURSE: Just another word to describe a person strong enough to tolerate anything and soft enough to understand anyone.”
Dr. Nurse has a decade of experience as a registered nurse. She holds a Master of Science in nursing education degree and a Ph.D. in nursing with a concentration in healthcare administration. For more information contact, the Public Relations Office at pr@uvi.edu