Do You Have What It Takes to Be a Tissue Viability Nursing Expert Witness?

A Guide to becoming a Tissue Viability Nursing Expert Witness

Expert witness work in tissue viability nursing is about more than sharing opinions, it’s about providing trusted, evidence-based insight that can withstand legal scrutiny and contribute to fair, informed outcomes. If you're a senior Band 7+ Tissue Viability Nurse, you likely already have the clinical foundation. But how do you know if this kind of work aligns with your skills and goals?

At Apex Experts, we regularly speak to nurses who are curious about expert work but unsure whether they’re “ready.” This guide offers a practical checklist to help you assess if becoming a nursing expert witness is right for you and show how we support you every step of the way.

Do You Have the Right Clinical Experience?

• Are you a Band 7 or above?

• Do you have at least 10 years post-registration experience?

• Are you currently practising in tissue viability, wound care, or related leadership?

If the answer to those questions is a "yes" then you could be exactly who we are looking for! Expert witnesses are expected to speak with authority on standards of care. This means your professional foundation must be solid. You’ll be asked to provide commentary on the decisions, actions, and omissions of other practitioners, so your credibility must be unquestionable.

Are You Confident in Assessing Standards of Care?

You don’t need to be perfect - but you should be familiar with:

• Best practices in wound care and prevention

• When to escalate concerns or refer

• What reasonable care looks like under pressure

• How to distinguish between poor practice and system failure

  
  

If you’ve ever been involved in incident reviews, audits, or clinical supervision, you likely already use the skills needed to assess care critically and fairly.

Are You Comfortable Writing Structured Reports?

Clear, structured writing is a vital part of expert work. But you don’t need to be an author - we provide full support to help you use our templates, and we are more than happy to review reports with you if needed. You’ll be great at this if you:

• Write incident reports or statements for your Trust

• Keep comprehensive, well-structured clinical notes

• Have contributed to root cause analysis, safeguarding reports or audits

• Can explain your reasoning clearly and objectively

Can You Work Independently, But With Support When You Need It?

Expert work is self-directed. You manage your own time and schedule. At Apex Experts, you’re never left to figure it out alone, we:

• Handle all client liaison, case logistics and deadlines

• Provide secure platforms for document sharing

• Offer full training in CPR 35 and medico-legal reporting

• Check in regularly and provide mentoring

• Ensure you’re paid within 30 days of invoicing, even if clients delay

  
  

You get professional autonomy without isolation, and the support you need to be able to focus on the clinical side of things.

Are You Impartial, Objective, and Resilient?

Expert witness work isn’t about supporting one side, it’s about stating what happened and whether the care met accepted standards. You’ll need to:

• Set aside bias and look only at the evidence

• Be prepared to give an opinion that may be unwelcome to either side

• Feel confident in defending your view, based on clinical reasoning

• Remain respectful, fair and consistent in your assessments

  
  

It’s not about being perfect - it’s about being principled.

Are You Looking for Meaningful, Flexible Work?

Whether you're looking to enhance your income, broaden your professional impact, or transition into a more flexible role, expert witness work offers:

• High-value, purposeful work that informs real decisions

• Flexible case-by-case engagement - on your schedule

• Remote working, from wherever you choose

• Ongoing professional development

• A sense of contributing to safer, better care across the system

  
  

It’s not a full-time job, it’s a high-impact role you can fit around your life.

Final Score?

If you’ve answered “yes” to most of these questions, then you likely already have the core

attributes of an excellent expert witness. And if you’re unsure about any areas, that’s exactly what we’re here for.

How We Help

At Apex Experts, we don’t just recruit - we support. You’ll benefit from:

• Free expert witness training

• Report templates, writing guidance, and feedback

• Secure document transfer systems

• Transparent case allocations

• Reliable admin support and invoicing

• A professional, well-respected team around you

  
  

Ready to Take the Next Step?

Get in touch! We'd begin with a no-pressure conversation to help you explore whether this role aligns with your goals and availability. There’s no obligation, just a professional discussion to help you make an informed choice.

Please feel free to email us at info@apexexperts.co.uk or visit www.apexexperts.co.uk and fill out our Contact Us form.

You’ve spent years building your knowledge—now is the time to use it in a new way.