Do you have personal malpractice insurance?

sjoe · Sep 5, 2002

It is a very good idea to carry it if you work directly with any kinds of patients in any setting. It costs $70-$90/year and can save you big bucks if you ever have a problem.

purdue91 · Sep 5, 2002

I have carried malpractice insurance for 15 years. The place you work only covers you for so much. If you own your own home or have anything, you need to carry this insurance. It has given me piece of mind. I've never had to use this, but am glad I have it. The cost is minimal.

JailRN · Sep 5, 2002

I always protect my a$$(etts) . Don't want to loose everything I've worked for. Cheap protection and never had to use it in 30 years of nurssing

LoisJean · Sep 7, 2002

NEVER, I REPEAT, NEVER trust your employer to CYA. Every single nurse, (and nursing student), should carry their own personal coverage.

Peace,

Lois

MollyMo · Sep 9, 2002

If the hospital gets sued they can in turn sue you. Get your own coverage.

LPN & EMT-CT · Sep 9, 2002

I obtained mine when I started nursing 10 years ago and have had it since then and never regetted it since. CYA, CYA, CYA always remember that!!!

kimmicoobug · Sep 9, 2002

umm, a stupid question probably, but why should students have malpractice insurance? I am a student. I don't have a license and my school is covered. However, we are told to not do anything outside of the clinical setting because of not having the license.

Don't get me wrong though, I definitely plan on getting it when I graduate.

sjoe · Sep 9, 2002

So, Kim. during one of your clinicals when you are feeding a patient his/her lunch and that person chokes or has been sent up an inappropriate diet from the kitchen by mistake or..., and has an untoward reaction and that person's family sues the hospital AND you--what protects you? Your school? The hospital? Your instructor?

If your answer is "yes" to any of those three questions, I have a bridge in NYC I'd be happy to sell you....

whipping girl in 07, RN · Sep 25, 2002

Although I have not been sued myself, I have colleagues who have been named in lawsuits. Believe me, if the doctor or the hospital can point the finger at you to keep themselves from paying through the nose, they will. You need to have something to protect yourself and your assets, not to mention the assurance you will be able to afford your own lawyer, if needed, as the hospital counsel will watch out for the needs of the client who is PAYING them before the needs of the nurses they are also representing under the hospital's malpractice insurance. Besides, look closely at your handbook: you're covered by the hospital malpractice insurance only if you are performing within the scope of your job description. So if you do something that might be considered outside your scope of practice, the hospital is completely off the hook and guess where you are? Hanging out to dry! In areas such as critical care and ER, sometimes you do things that could be considered practicing medicine without a license, in which case, the hospital just says, "too bad, you should have stayed within your job description."

I don't mean to sound scary, but I will protect myself. And it doesn't cost that much.

BTW, we were required to carry our own student malpractice insurance in nursing school.

llg, PhD, RN · Sep 25, 2002

I have always carried my own insurance. It's relatively cheap and I say, "better safe than sorry."

While I have never been sued, myself, I have seen several other lawsuits work through the system. Although my various employers have always treated my colleagues well on those occcasions, you never know what might happen tomorrow.

llg

Q. · Sep 25, 2002

I carry it; have since I started.

More and more though I find that employers are requesting evidence of coverage.

Just today...in applying for privileges at the area hospitals where I will be conducting research, they asked for copies of my malpractice insurance coverage.

Hmmm.