The Journal of Legal Nurse Consulting Volume 21 ▲ Number 3 ▲ Summer 2010 ▲ Evidence-Based Practice for the Legal Nurse Consultant ▲ Case Management Consent: A Requirement ▲ Sharpen Your Writing Skills, Part II ▲ Low Back Pain (Part II, Surgical) ▲ A Global Influence in Hospital Accreditation American Association of Legal Nurse Consultants The Journal of Legal Nurse Consulting 401 N. Michigan Avenue Chicago, IL 60611-4267 Purpose 877/402-2562 The purpose of The Journal is to promote legal nurse consulting within the medical-legal 312/321-5177 community; to provide both novice and experienced legal nurse consultants (LNCs) with Fax: 312/673-6655 E-mail: [email protected] a quality professional publication; and to teach and inform LNCs about clinical practice, Web site: www.aalnc.org current legal issues, and professional development. Manuscript Submission Editor The Journal accepts original articles, case studies, letters, and research. Query letters are Bonnie Rogers, DrPH COHN-S LNCC welcomed but not required. Material must be original and never published before. A FAAN manuscript should be submitted with the understanding that it is not being sent to any other journal simultaneously. Manuscripts should be addressed to [email protected]. Board of Directors President Manuscript Review Process Karen Huff, BSN RN LNCC Submissions are peer-reviewed by eminent professional LNCs with diverse professional backgrounds. Manuscript assistance can be provided upon request to the editor. Accep- President-Elect Sharon K. McQuown, MSN RN LNCC tance is based on the quality of the material and its importance to the audience. Past President Suzanne Q. Langroth, BSN RN LNCC Secretary/Treasurer The Journal of Legal Nurse Consulting is the official publication of the American Association Marianne Hallas, RN BS MBA LNCC of Legal Nurse Consultants (AALNC) and is a refereed journal. Journal articles express the authors’ views only and are not necessarily the official policy of AALNC or the editors of the Directors at Large journal. Information for authors is available from the editorial office of The Journal of Legal Nurse Barbara Boschert, RN BSN Consulting. The association reserves the right to accept, reject or alter all editorial and advertising Beth Diehl-Svrjcek, RN MS CCRN NNP CCM LNCC material submitted for publication. Elisabeth Ridgely, BS RN LNCC The content of this publication is for informational purposes only. Neither the Publisher nor Dawn Williams, RN BSN LNCC CLCP AALNC assumes any responsibility for any injury and/or damage to persons or property arising Elizabeth Zorn, BSN RN LNCC out of any claim, including but not limited to product liability and/or negligence, arising out of the use, performance or operation of any methods, products, instructions, or ideas contained in the material herein. The reader shall assume all risks in connection with his/her use of any of the The Journal of Legal Nurse Consulting Editorial Board information contained in this journal. Neither the Publisher nor AALNC shall be held responsible Bonnie Rogers, DrPH COHN-S LNCC for errors, omissions in medical information given nor liable for any special, consequential, or FAAN, Chair exemplary damages resulting, in whole or in part, from any reader’s use of or reliance on this Kathleen Ashton, PhD APRN BC material. Kara DiCecco, MSN RN LNCC The appearance of advertising in the The Journal of Legal Nurse Consulting does not constitute a Patricia Fedorka, PhD RNC guarantee or endorsement of the quality or value of such product or of the claims made for it Holly Hillman, MSN RN by its manufacturer. The fact that a product, service, or company is advertised in The Journal of Lori Hinton, PhD BS RN Legal Nurse Consulting shall not be referred to by the manufacturer in collateral advertising. For Mary O’Connor, PhD RN advertising information, contact [email protected] or call 877/402-2562. Eileen Watson, EdD RN MSN ANP GNP LNCC Copyright ©2010 by the American Association of Legal Nurse Consultants. All rights reserved. Beth Diehl-Svrjcek, RN MS CCRN NNP For permission to reprint articles or charts from this journal, please send a written request CCM LNCC, Board Liaison noting the title of the article, the year of publication, the volume number, and the page number to Permissions, The Journal of Legal Nurse Consulting, 401 N. Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611-4267; [email protected]. Staff Executive Director The Journal of Legal Nurse Consulting (ISSN 1080-3297) is published quarterly (Winter, Spring, Kaye Englebrecht Summer, and Fall) by the American Association of Legal Nurse Consultants, 401 N. Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611-4267, 877/402-2562. Members of the American Association of Legal Managing Editor Amie Shak Nurse Consultants receive a subscription to The Journal of Legal Nurse Consulting as a benefit of membership. Subscriptions are available to non-members for $165 per year. Back issues are $20 for members and $40 per copy for non-members. Orders for back issues are subject to availability and prices are subject to change without notice. Replacements because of non-receipt will not be made after a 3-month period has elapsed. Back issues more than a year old can be obtained through the Cumulative Index to Nursing & Allied Health Literature (CINAHL). CINAHL’s customer service number is 818/409-8005. Address all subscriptions correspondence to Circulation Department, The Journal of Legal Nurse Consulting, 401 N. Michigan Avenue, Suite 2200, Chicago, IL 60611- 4267. Include the old and new address on change requests and allow 6 weeks for the change. The Journal of LEGAL NURSE CONSULTING▲ ▲ Volume 21 Number 3 Summer 2010 Features *Evidence-Based Practice for the Legal Nurse Consultant ......................................................................... 3 Lori A. Lukinovich, RN MSN LNCC (Corresponding Author) Jennifer Couvillon, PhD RN Evidence-based practice (EBP) is a model that is being used across healthcare disciplines in order to consistently achieve quality outcomes in patient care. EBP guides interventions by seeking out the best available evidence; its methods provide instruction to the practitioner for evaluating the quality and suitability of evidence. The goals of EBP as well as its methods have applications for all aspects of patient care, but can also guide the practice of nurses outside of the direct patient care environment. Legal nurse consultants (LNCs), in particular, can utilize the concepts embodied in EBP to improve the work product they provide to clients. This article will discuss the process of EBP as well as its applications to the practice of the LNC. *Case Management Consent: A Requirement ........................................................................................... 8 Jeanine H. Hinkle, RN BSN MBA The following article explores informed consent related to case management services. Clients often feel vulnerable during times of illness and informed consent can help to empower them to make their own decisions regarding their healthcare. Case managers should obtain informed consent from their clients before beginning case management services and ensure that clients understand this is a voluntary decision that impacts the healthcare plan. Case managers must discuss all elements of informed consent to provide the client with an understanding of the continuous process of case management. Sharpen Your Writing Skills, Part II ...................................................................................................... 11 Pat Iyer, MSN RN LNCC Developing strong writing skills will increase the communication level needed to convey important information. The legal nurse consultant (LNC) will find that well-written reports will increase the value of the work product and ultimately reduce the workload by having a polished, accurante, and credible report. Departments Editorial ..............................................................................................................................................................2 Bonnie Rogers, DrPH COHN-S LNCC FAAN Clinical Maxim ..................................................................................................................................................14 Low Back Pain (Part II, Surgical) Kara L. DiCecco, MSN RN LNCC References and Resources ...............................................................................................................................21 Surgical Back (Disc Herniation) Kara L. DiCecco, MSN RN LNCC Questions and Answers ....................................................................................................................................22 A Global Influence in Hospital Accreditation Kara L. DiCecco, MSN RN LNCC Professional Practice, Trends, and Issues ......................................................................................................25 Advanced Practice Registered Nursing: Licensure, Education, Scope of Practice, and Liability Issues Eileen Watson, EdD RN MSN ANP GNP LNCC Holly Hillman, MSN RN *These articles have been selected for inclusion in the 2010 JLNC Nursing Contact Hour Program. Participants of the program will be able to earn nursing contact hours for completion of an online post-test about this article. See detailed instructions at the conclusion of the article. Journal of Legal Nurse Consulting • Summer 2010 • Volume 21, Number 3 • 1 Help us Increase our Expertise by Serving AALNC’s Journal of Legal Nurse Consulting Dear Colleagues, This message is to ask you if you