Nurses Liability Insurance: Yes or No

[Joe V]

"I don't need it, Nurses are never or hardly ever sued". So, does the Nurse actually need Liability Insurance? If so, why?

A couple of questions that should be considered while making this decision would be: "Would my policy provide an attorney to defend me and reimburse me if I incurred costs ... and, "Would my policy include coverage for any disciplinary action taken by the Board of Nursing?"

What do you think?

Does the Nurse really need his or her personal liability insurance?

Do you have one? And, if so, what was the main reason you obtained a policy?

[Bumex, DNP, NP]

I have always carried personal Liability Insurance. I wouldn't trust a facility's malpractice insurance to not throw someone under the bus. I've already encountered some shady business to try and manipulate documentation on events to shift focus of blame. Thorough documentation and malpractice insurance is a must.

[Goldengopher]

Must have and it's cheap

[brownbook]

Exactly the same as having fire insurance for my home. Haven't had a fire in 40 plus years. Probably never will. But I am not going to not have fire insurance. (Yeah, I know my mortgage requires it, but I wouldn't drop it if my mortgage was paid off.)

It is so easy for a hospital to find a paragraph, policy, procedure, that is really stupid and picky, that shows you did not exactly follow the protocol when you harmed a patient. Even if every nurse has been doing the exact same thing for years. Therefore the hospital's attorneys will not advocate for you. They will advise you to get your own attorney.

[nuangel1, BSN, RN]

yes .i have always had my own insurance .its reasonable.i would not trust the facility

[JayHanig]

Well, situations vary. As a hospital RN, I have been involved in two lawsuits. I was named in one of them as a co-defendant. Neither of them amounted to anything but the experience was essentially the same both times: while I'm sure the hospital would have loved to throw me under the bus, they couldn't. Their attorneys could not defend themselves without also defending me. And both times I came away clean. No black marks on my record; none of my cash expended.

Did I have professional Liability Insurance? Not a dime's worth of it. It made me a very unattractive target even for a nuisance suit as you can't get blood out of a rock.

My attitude would be very different today as I have a home that's paid for that I wouldn't want to lose. But at the time, I rented my apartment, my car was 6 years old, and there was nothing I had that they wanted.

So I guess the test I would apply to answering the question would be: do you have anything worth taking? If you do, spend the money. If you don't....

[kjb_lpn]

Even when I began as a CNA, I got my own malpractice insurance. I still have it now - and ironically it's time to renew for me! Haha.

If you're looking, NSO provides mine and it's very affordable.

[JmhATL]

Any recommendations for companies?

[FLORIDA LPN 7]

I am an LPN independent contractor nurse. I work in all types of environments and I'm basically working off my own license so that is why I have the coverage . I have 1 million to 6 million and I only paid like $108 a year but that $108 a year gives me a piece of mind.

[Wolfe24]

I always did until I started working in a military hospital. My logic might be flawed, but it just doesn't seem necessary right now. If I go back to a civilian hospital, I will get a new policy then.

[FLORIDA LPN 7]

Logic understood

[InsuranceGuy]

JmhATL said:

Any recommendations for companies?

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