malpractice insurance

Shamrock, BSN, RN · Sep 30, 2003

Get it. It's so inexpensive and if, (God forbid), you are ever named in a lawsuit, the defense will be working in your best interest and no one elses!!

gwenith, BSN, RN · Sep 30, 2003

Would you believe that our union is our malpractice insurer??? Gives you a real incentive to become a member. Makes sense too as they handle our legal issues.

llg, PhD, RN · Sep 30, 2003

I would never be without it. I don't think that "they are more likely to sue you if you have insurance" argument is very true. How would a family know?

Also, if I ever DO get sued, a want a lawyer in MY corner, not the hospital's corner ... and I want coverered if I am sued for something I do when I am not actually working at the hospital. I want the insurance to protect my assetts in ANY and ALL possible events, not just the perfect "while working for the hospital" scenario.

Finally, I want insurance because I want my patients to receive adequate compensation should I ever make a mistake. We are all human and mistakes are possible. If a bad one happens, I don't want it to become a fight between me and the patient about which one of us has to give up our house. We should both be able to maintain decent standards of living -- which means a decent settlement for the victim that preserves my financial health -- and that is only possible with malpractice insurance.

I think we owe it to our patients to have insurance. You would never hire a contractor to work on your house who didn't have insurance. You would never hire a cleaning service, moving company, painter, etc. who didn't have insurance. Why? ... becaue we expect such professionals to compensate us fairly in the event there is a problem. The public should expect as much of nurses.

llg

stella123 rn · Sep 30, 2003

When I was in school, our instructors drilled in our head that we needed malpractice insurance. If there is a lawsuit, the hospital will then turn around and sue you after they have been sued by a patient. I am surprised how many people at my hospital do not carry it. I do though. I keep it to myself. I told someone once and they were like "why? That's a waste of money." Whatever...

Todd SPN · Sep 30, 2003

All good responses and here is one more reason. If you don't have insurance you can still be sued and end up working the rest of you life paying off what was awarded in court.

sjoe · Sep 30, 2003

"Would you believe that our union is our malpractice insurer??? Gives you a real incentive to become a member. Makes sense too as they handle our legal issues."

and

"Also, if I ever DO get sued, a want a lawyer in MY corner, not the hospital's corner ... "

You need your OWN insurance, regardless of unions or employers. The attorney's task is to minimize loss to his/her employer (whether that is a hospital, a union, or an insurance company), by the way, it is NOT to be in your corner, except to deal with the financial end of things, up to the limits of the policy.

An attorney or insurance company or union might choose to settle in a case where you were not actually at fault, in order to minimize the potential financial loss, and it would be on your BON record, not as "not guilty" or "charges unsubstantiated," but as "settled out of court," which does not look good for you. You can do NOTHING about this. It is not a choice you have the power to make.

With that said, I have my own malpractice insurance. Less than $100 dollars a year for $1M/$6M coverage. There are two basic kinds, by the way:

1) you are insured only so long as you continue to maintain coverage. i.e. if you had insurance throughout 2001, and a case was initiated against you in 2003 for something that happened in 2001, but you had stopped your insurance in 2002, you would NOT be covered. Or

2) you are insured for any event that happened during the period that you maintained an active policy, no matter when a suit was later filed, and thus would be covered in the above example. (This is the kind I would recommend, of course.)

Nurse89 · Sep 30, 2003

tsgarman, my take..I have always had malpractice insurance and wouldn't ever be without it. I also have additional insurance since I have my own home and other assets. I just added another 20,000 onto my auto insurance premium for my vehicles. I like the added assurance that I am covered when I am not "on duty"also..just my preference.

Since you asked, yes, I think you should get the insurance.

Tweety, BSN, RN · Sep 30, 2003

The union or the hospital that insures you will have the hospital's reputation and financial situation to consider first and foremost. You are expendable. If you have your own insurance, then your own interests are being looked after.

Question of anyone in the know. Do lawyers know what nurses are insured? Is there a published list of insured nurses so they know who to go after?

itsnowbegun · Oct 1, 2003

what malpractice insurance do you all have?

renerian, BSN, RN · Oct 1, 2003

Get it. It is cheap. renerian

sjoe · Oct 1, 2003

"what malpractice insurance do you all have?"

Nurses service organization has served me well, and at low cost. http://www.nso.com is their web site.

Disclaimer: I am not employed by NSO and have no financial iterest in this company, other than being a customer.