Nurse consultants are often employed by law firms, pharmaceutical companies, nonprofit health organizations and private companies to prepare reports and review medical documents. Because most nurse consultants are self-employed, they are free to set their own rates to suit their education, experience and skill.

Evaluate the rates for other nurse consultants in your area. Find out other nurses' rates by contacting professional nursing organizations, hospitals, clinics and law firms that employ nurse consultants.

Consider your level of education. You will be able to charge higher fees if you have a master's degree or additional credentials in business, law or medical administration.

Base your charges on your level of expertise. Consider how many times you have worked as a nurse consultant, prepared reports as an independent contractor or served as an expert witness.

Vary your rates based on the complexity of the work you are performing. You may wish to charge a higher rate for highly technical projects or ones that require extensive outside research.

Determine whether you want to charge an hourly rate or flat fee. Some nurse consultants give their clients both options, offering flat-fee services for long-term projects and hourly rates for tasks such as court appearances, research and open-ended document reviews.

Include your out-of-pocket expenses. Lists all of your expenses related to consulting, such as costs for photocopying, mileage to meet with clients, long-distance telephone calls, and notary public fees.