Lisa Ortega, a seasoned authorized nurse guide and founding father of Ortega & Associates, speaks with us on her space of experience on this article. What data and expertise does a authorized nurse guide possess, and what worth can they bring about to a swimsuit?
May you start by telling us about your journey into nursing and what led you to determine Ortega & Associates?
Rising up, I used to be all the time positive I wished to enter healthcare. I select nursing as a result of I felt prefer it allowed me to essentially join with and assist my sufferers. Nursing was not only a job however one thing that aligned with the kind of individual I’m.
All through my profession I used to be promoted into numerous management positions that gave me a deeper understanding of the complexities of the healthcare system. As a nursing chief I developed an curiosity in root trigger evaluation and investigation of scientific errors. This curiosity led me to studying extra concerning the area of authorized nurse consulting, finally acquiring my Licensed Authorized Nurse Guide (CLNC) certification and beginning Ortega and Associates, LLC.
As a DNP, you’ve gotten achieved the best stage of nursing training. How has this educational achievement influenced your strategy to authorized nurse consulting?
As a Physician of Nursing Observe (DNP) I’ve developed a broader understanding of the obligations and scientific expectations of nurses, in addition to the requirements of care. By broader, I might say that as a bedside nurse you’ve gotten data of the essential expectations for offering care to sufferers, the significance of documentation, escalation of issues up the chain of command, and so on. however these are primarily based on particular person conditions.
Nevertheless, as I superior in my training and management roles, I started to grasp extra concerning the ‘whys’ round what we do as nurses, the worth of correct and well timed documentation, coverage and process growth, the training course of and accountability of workers. Then, by way of expertise, I got here to grasp decision-making by numerous ranges of leaders in managing a scientific or disaster scenario. When I’m analysing a case, I’m considering extra broadly as to what was anticipated by the nurse, the group and the healthcare organisation versus what was anticipated simply by the nurse.
May you present a short overview of the providers that Ortega & Associates affords, notably within the realm of authorized nurse consulting?
As a authorized nurse guide, I assist each plaintiff and defence attorneys. I can do that in two methods: both as a guide constructing the case with the attorneys within the background, or as an professional witness. As a guide in these roles, we offer screening providers to find out benefit and assess for alleged damages or accidents, together with figuring out contributory elements. We summarise, translate and interpret medical information, help with discovery, put together chronologies of related medical occasions, talk about and describe the requirements of care, determine deviations from the usual of care, determine problems with tampering with medical information, help with preparation for mediation, arbitration or courtroom, and may even determine and advocate potential defendants.
As a Physician of Nursing Observe (DNP) I’ve developed a broader understanding of the obligations and scientific expectations of nurses, in addition to the requirements of care.
A second sort of service I present is IMEs (unbiased medical exams) during which I attend appointments with sufferers to make sure the Code of Civil Process is all the time adopted by the doctor. I then present a written medical examination report and recording to the attorneys to be used of their case.
Many individuals may not concentrate on the position of a authorized nurse guide. May you shed some gentle on how you’re employed with attorneys and the distinctive perspective you convey to authorized circumstances?
As consultants, we are able to work carefully on constructing an preliminary case. On this scenario I might assessment the medical information and the extent of the occasion and supply a scientific image to the lawyer in a approach they will perceive and ask questions associated to the usual of care.
A novel perspective I convey to the image is that I’ve expertise in acute care, nursing dwelling care and ambulatory settings. I even have expertise as a bedside nurse, supervisor, and a director over a variety of scientific settings together with medical/surgical nursing, telemetry, stepdown and ICU ranges of care. As a scientific director over grownup inpatient providers I can present readability on the usual of care, the anticipated response and scientific decision-making of these concerned within the case. I’ve 12+ years of expertise in quite a few hospital and division of well being providers for big hospital settings.
As an professional witness, I can advise on what a prudent bedside nurse would have achieved in a selected scenario or take a look at a case from a broader lens. For example, I can advise on what practices turned customary throughout the pandemic, how hospitals have been anticipated to file flexes with CDPH, how documentation throughout a disaster modified, what was acceptable scientific oversight or staffing in these conditions, and so on.
The intersection of legislation and healthcare is complicated. What are among the most difficult elements of your position as a authorized nurse guide, and the way do you navigate these challenges?
Some of the difficult elements as a LNC is being introduced into circumstances late as a result of many attorneys really feel they will do the preliminary work on their very own. Whereas they themselves or the paralegal can work by way of circumstances, it could actually save vital money and time to herald a guide early to assist construct the case. Typically we’re introduced in late and the true challenge will not be what was initially considered the priority.
Are you able to share an instance of a case the place your nursing experience considerably influenced the authorized consequence?
I had a case during which the hospital and nurse have been introduced into the swimsuit resulting from issues about acceptable response, escalation of care and notification of the chain of command. After reviewing the case, offering a press release after which being deposed, the case towards the nurses was settled.
As an professional witness, I can advise on what a prudent bedside nurse would have achieved in a selected scenario or take a look at a case from a broader lens.
To offer specifics, I developed a timeline of occasions over a 24-hour interval and was in a position to describe what the nurses have been doing at every important level for a affected person with a GI (gastrointestinal bleed). I may describe that, at particular instances, the affected person was not within the ICU and was as an alternative with a group of docs. I may additionally describe what the nurse could be anticipated to do, what they did and why I might have carried out the identical in the identical scenario.
May you talk about the significance of continuous training and staying abreast of the most recent healthcare rules and requirements in your area?
Identical to every part else, healthcare is ever-changing. Actually, we can’t change quick sufficient. As a frontrunner in healthcare and a LNC it’s of the utmost significance to remain abreast of latest regulatory necessities to make sure requirements of care practiced are in alignment. Regulatory modifications are sometimes the results of security occasions that change observe. These new regulatory requirements are what all nurses, suppliers and healthcare amenities are required to be in compliance with always.
What key qualities do you imagine are important for somebody who desires to pursue a profession in authorized nurse consulting?
Key qualities for anybody interested by turning into an LNC are being detail-oriented, organised and assured of their data of their observe and position. Being detail-oriented is vital as a result of it’s usually the smallest particulars that may make a distinction in a case, but these can usually be missed. Organisation is vital as a result of these circumstances usually contain hundreds and hundreds of pages (whether or not paper or pdf) to weed by way of, organise and perceive to assist a case. Lastly, confidence is vital since you will need to have the boldness to speak with attorneys and verbalise confidently what you as a nurse know to be the usual of care.
How do you see the sphere of authorized nurse consulting evolving sooner or later, and what position will Ortega & Associates play on this evolution?
Makes use of and roles for LNCs will proceed to evolve, and never solely in lawsuits – it has already began to evolve into mediation and arbitration. There at the moment are LNCs employed by firms which have excessive harm charges to guard the corporate or decide if an harm was possible brought on by a office challenge and was not a earlier medical situation. I feel as time goes on and extra folks perceive the work a authorized nurse guide can do, there can be further work for which one can present helpful providers.
Lisa M Ortega, President
25876 The Outdated Rd #181, Stevenson Ranch, CA 91381, USA
Tel: +1 661-237-0732
E: lisaortega@ortegaandassociates.com
Lisa Ortega is the proprietor and president of Ortega and Associates in Santa Clarita, CA. With greater than 15 years in healthcare and a variety of scientific and management expertise, Lisa supplies consulting providers on any case the place well being, sickness, or harm is a matter, together with however not restricted to: medical or nursing malpractice, private harm, product legal responsibility, poisonous torts and office harm. Lisa holds a Doctorate in Nursing Observe, a license from the Board of Registered Nursing as a Registered Nurse and Medical Nurse Specialist, and a certification as a Authorized Nurse Guide.
Ortega and Associates is a California-based legislation agency specialising in healthcare issues. The group possesses years of expertise in nursing and medication, in addition to in depth coaching within the authorized elements of healthcare. Their capabilities embody screening medical-related circumstances, eliminating the time and expense of non-meritorious lawsuits; analysing medical information together with insurance policies, procedures and requirements of care; creating experiences and chronologies; figuring out and finding professional witnesses; attending unbiased medical exams and offering detailed experiences, and extra.
