As an RN do you have your own pvt malpractice insurance?

[squatmunkie_RN]

I'm a new grad so bear with me! The hospital covers you from malpractice right? But aren't their situations where the hospital's insurance won't cover you? Is it smarter to get your own insurance in addition to the hospital?

[BabyLady, BSN, RN]

that is false, in a deposition which is sword in, the discovery phase, your lawyer may "object" but you must answer any and all questions and you are not in a court of law! this is the fact finding stage, and it's not fun. the judge decides if the lawyers may bring the issue up in front of the jury during different closed door meetings... but the court reporter, will be documenting every answer for the judge to review.

wrong!!!!

discovery (and feel free to look this up), is information relevant to the case.

that doesn't mean that you can ask someone any question you want...it must be relevant to the case.

having private malpractice insurance when your state does not require you to have it is not considered relevant to any case...that is a personal choice!!!!!!!

feel free to call the corporate attorney at your hospital to verify the information.

also, you can refuse to answer any question unless the judge or arbitrator requires you to answer the question...and if you are smart, you won't be answering anything without an attorney present.

[blonde1]

we were always told to have our own insurance by our instructors because no matter what your jobs insurance and lawyers can always say its her fault we had nothing to do with it. then what your stuck and lose everything. always carry your own insurance its real cheap for the year its under $200 yes for both RN's and LPN's

[muffylpn]

FYI as an LPN in a hospital I carry my own malpractice ins

[tejas-nurse]

Any recommendations for malpractice insurance in Texas?

[ge104042]

As long as you are practicing w/i your scope, you're employer coverage is plenty to protect you. Gettting your private insurance is like a big yellow sign "here's Waldo come sue me". I've privately asked our Risk Manager and she agrees that getting your own insurance is an invitation for malpractice. Horror stories such as succesfully collecting against your insurance for your mere presense in the floor/unit during the event is worrisome enough. And be countersued by your own insurance company to collect from you is another.

Believe it, you will be found (that you have malpractice coverage) when they want to. I've given deposition twice in 29 years and each time I was asked by both sides ( I just happen to work that day) if I have my own coverage and each time I said no. And each time my employer settled. Again I was just working that day and not even involved with the patient directly.

[silmas RN]

I am a RN Paralegal and work for a plaintiff's firm. I'm not giving advice, just stating a few opinions from my practice. If an RN is involved in a case of medical malpractice, I list his/her name on the Petition for Damages, as well as the name of the facility. In depositions, your place of birth and the high school you attended are usually irrelevant to a case, but these types of questions were asked in every deposition I have attended or read. During a deposition your attorney can only object to the form of the question. You are sworn in and therefore must answer. A former co-worker was sued and supposedly covered by the hospital's insurance. They paid the damages and she thought it was over and done with until they sued her to get their money back. Think about it.

[Hancock330]

In addition to coverage for what I do at the hospital, my malpractice insurance covers any advice I give away from work. If I tell a Mom whose child has a temp of 100 that she should encourage fluids and see a doctor if the child doesn't get better or if the child gets worse -- and the Mom only remembers that I said to encourage fluids and there's a bad outcome for the child, the Mom can sue me for malpractice -- and my insurance will cover me. The hospital would have no reason to cover me in such a situation -- and I'm pretty sure that all of us give that kind of advice from time to time. And the nurse who believes that he/she never goes outside of his/her legal scope of practice works at different places than where I've worked. The pressures to violate hospital policies/procedures or to "slightly" exceed the scope of practice are legion. I just feel better knowing that if I'm named in a suit there will be a lawyer there trying to save MY insurance company that million dollars of coverage I have. And I don't miss that less than $120 a year I pay for the coverage. Oh, and I've done this since I graduated from my BSN program in 1969. :)

[Altra, BSN, RN]

Some questions to ask yourself.

Have I ever seen a patient's family act out of misplaced anger/grief?

Is it possible that I could ever be delayed in reassessing a patient with a change of condition because I am dealing with a similar situation with one of my other 4, 5, 6, 10, etc. patients at the same time?

Is it possible that my charting on a patient could ever appear contradictory because I am required to document very similar information in multiple places?

Have I ever made a decision, within my scope of practice, that another nurse disagreed with? (pick any situation: whether/when to call a physician, pain medication administration, prioritization of Patient A's needs over Patient B's, whatever) Are we both "prudent nurses" and yet we disagree? Is it therefore possible to operate within my scope of practice and according to the facility's policies and still be found to have made a less than stellar decision on patient care?

Do I think that a hospital or other employer will find it cost-effective to pay attorneys 2-3 times my annual salary to vigorously defend me?

Is it possible that on some day of my life, with no ill intent or lack of skill or knowledge, I could simply make a mistake?

[edrnbailey]

The hospital does not cover individual nurses for malpractice. The institution has malpractice insurance to cover itself. In most states a nurse cannot be named as primary defendent. The hospital must also be named. That being said, an individual nurse is not covered under an institution's policy. The institution is covered. If it is determined that a nurse deviated from policy and procedure or standards of practice then the institution will sever the nurse from their action. Then it is the nurse's responsibility to carry malpractice insurance or risk it.

Never depend on your place of employment to carry or cover your Liability Insurance. It is a reality that if the hospital's attorney can show blame, liability, neglect, or any other word you want to call it, on the nurse's actions they will. It is their job to represent the institution not the individual. You are responsible for your own council and your own liability coverage. Liability insurance can be found relatively inexpensive. The NSO offers reasonable coverage for less than $100/yr. Information and response cards can be found in most professional journals. You can also purchase insurance from individual insurance companies. These are more pricey as a whole though. It is up to the individual to decide which way to go. the only thing concrete is the need for coverage. Many, many moons ago, when I was a senior nursing student, we had a malpractice attorney come to our class and give an inservice/lecture. One of the statements he made that day has always stayed with me... He stated that in today's society and culture it is not a matter of IF you are sued during your career as a nurse but a matter of WHEN. Another fact he shared with us is that you do not have to actually do anything wrong or be guilty of wrong doing in civil court for the jury to find judgement against you. Emotion is a powerful thing and juries are human. There have been actual jury poles where the juror stated that they knew the defendents did not do anything "wrong" but the plaintiffs had suffered so much that they felt they deserved something. Not exactly fair but true. This is something that we all have to live with. It is better to have the liability insurance and never need it than to need it and not have any coverage.

Hope this helps you a litte. Good luck with your nursing practice. And to end up on a more positive note, the best way to defend yourself against litigation is to know your policy and procedures for your institution and your standards of nursing practice and ALWAYS, 100% of the time, never deviate, from those guidelines. By doing this you develop and establish your own professional practice standards that throughout the course of your career can actually be used as a defense if needed.

[kbrn2002, ADN, RN]

Yeah. The hosp will say they have you covered. But if you were an ins co and had to choose who to throw under the bus, the hosp who pays the premiums, or some nurse, what would you do?

Not necessarily true...a prosecuting law firm would much rather go after the person with the money [the hospital] than an individual nurse [you]. On the other hand, a lawsuit can name as a defendant both your employer and yourself and your employers malpractice insurance will not likely cover your individual liability. If you are still able to get malpractice insurance at low student/new grad rates jump on it! Always a good idea to cover you own butt if the worst case occurs. But as mentioned in another post there is no need to tell your employer that you have your own coverage, why announce that you have the means to settle a suit? That sounds like an invitation to be "thrown under the bus" by your employers insurance company attorneys to me!

[kbrn2002, ADN, RN]

as soon as the excrement hits the rotary oscillator

Love it!! Made me laugh, which was unexpected in a serious thread. That is the first time I've heard it put that way!

[bradleau]

Get your own insurance. It will cover you for loss pay, time off for court issues and other things including attack by patients. I have not worked for two years, but was recently called about a case that was more than 2 yrs old. I doubt anything will come of it as I only witnessed the PCA syringe replacement. I did not do any care for

this patient. But I was called in anyway as my name showed up in the computer files that cross referenced with the case. I have always had insurance of my own, and never needed it. It is so inexpensive that it is well worth the cost. As a new nurse, you may feel more safe if you carry your own.