Benton resident, Victoria Powell, is the first in Arkansas to have earned the Certified Nurse Life Care Planner (CNLCP) credential. By becoming a CNLCP, Victoria has demonstrated not only a solid background in nursing by also the experience, education and involvement in the sub-specialty practice of Nurse Life Care Planning.

Administered by the American Association of Nurse Life Care Planners Certification Board (AACNLPCB), the CNLCP program is a means of identifying professionals who have achieved defined levels of knowledge, experience and education in the area of Life Care Planning.

A Nurse Life Care Planner is a Registered Nurse who uses his/her knowledge, judgement and skills based and the holistic perspective of nursing science in the development of a Life Care Plan. The life care plan is a comprehensive report outlining all future medical needs for an individual with a catastrophic injury or illness. “A patient who has suffered a spinal cord injury has life long needs. These include medical treatment as well as home modifications, medical supplies and repair and maintenance to their equipment” explains Powell. “In order to provide for the cost of these future needs, a nurse life care planner assesses the patient, their home, support system, transportation, mobility and so forth.” Life Care Planning has expanded into the litigation process where attorneys need to fully understand the damages of injuries in their medically related case and determine the future costs.

Ms. Powell is pleased to be the first Arkansas nurse to earn the CNLCP designation. “I have always been have always been interested in the medical and legal fields. Since starting my independent practice four years ago each job and each educational program has seemed to just build on the last. It is fascinating work.”

Ms. Powell owns VP Medical Consulting in downtown Benton where she acts as the lead consultant on a variety of medically related cases such as workers compensation, personal injury, and medical malpractice. She also provides employer and employee education in safety and ergonomics. The firm is available for consultation in both plaintiff and defense cases.

For more information you may contact VP Medical Consulting at 501-778-3378 or on the web at http://vp-medical.com. For more information about the Certified Nurse Life Care Planning credentials or certification board contact the American Association of Nurse Life Care Planners at 888-575-4047 or http://www.aanlcp.org.