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

Nurses General Nursing

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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?

Not to quibble with your instructor, but will she cover your expenses if she's wrong.

I'm all for the quibbling if it's going to enlighten me! :)

Specializes in ICU.

i'm a uk rn working for the nhs. my employer covers us whilst we work within the scope of practice. however i also have cover through the royal college of nursing (our professional union) which provides...

[color=#0d00b0]indemnity cover - up to £3 million of financial protection against claims of personal negligence if you are at work or on a placement. includes a 'good samaritan' clause to safeguard you if you go to the aid of someone that needs urgent medical attention when you are outside of work.

http://www.rcn.org.uk/membership/benefits

membership costs £193 a year so is pretty good value really.

i know the employer is supposed to cover us but my attitude is cya.

Specializes in Vents, Telemetry, Home Care, Home infusion.

The Importance of Professional in Managing Risk

The information and knowledge gained should assist nurses in all clinical practice areas to take control and manage the risks within their individual workplace and nursing practice.

Ceu credit no longer available, but good info. Karen

The Nursing Risk Management Series:

These independent study modules are:

I: "An Overview of Risk Management"

II: "The Rewards and Risks of the functional Aspects of Nursing Education, Information systems and Management" and

III. "Ethical Issues and Specific Risk Hazards Faced by Nurses in Their Practice."

http://www.nursingworld.org/mods/arc...2/cerm3ful.htm

How qualified are your 3 close relatives in giving you advice? Are they in healthcare or in the legal field and how much experience have they had with these sorts of things? I think any lay person's response would be "Well, you're ******", but they really don't have any expertise or facts to base their opinion on. They're just someone that you told you were going to court.

Sorry, I left out a rather important phrase in that sentence! It should read "When I went to my three close relatives who are lawyers..."

One prosecutes medical malpractice. So when he told me I was ******, I wasn't too happy.

Specializes in NICU, Post-partum.
I agree that is extremely cheap but my only concern is this: My instructor told me that I cannot be individually sought after in a case if I do not have malpractice insurance but if I do have it, then they can come after me. It was just a side comment she made while discussing something else so maybe I did not understand the situation clearly. Maybe she meant that they would be more likely to go after you if you have your own coverage because they have the chance to get some money off of you whereas they might not bother with you if you don't have coverage.

But I do agree that malpractice insurance is really cheap. It's just difficult to decide what to do.

You need to check with your individual state, because this is where laws are different, depending on where you live.

I live in a state, where if you carry individual associated with your profession, then they cannot go after your personal assets...such as your house, your car, garnish future wages, etc.

However, if you do not, then you are on your own.

Your instructor is perpetuating a myth that has been going around for a very long time.

The corporate attorney that came to our hospital, that represents our hospital, sends out e-mails all the time to us encouraging everyone to carry their own .

One of the reasons malpractice insurance is so cheap for nurses is that nurses are RARELY found to be liable...in sharp contrast to physicians, who pay out the nose.

You need to check with your individual state, because this is where laws are different, depending on where you live.

I live in a state, where if you carry individual liability insurance associated with your profession, then they cannot go after your personal assets...such as your house, your car, garnish future wages, etc.

However, if you do not, then you are on your own.

Your instructor is perpetuating a myth that has been going around for a very long time.

The corporate attorney that came to our hospital, that represents our hospital, sends out e-mails all the time to us encouraging everyone to carry their own malpractice insurance.

One of the reasons malpractice insurance is so cheap for nurses is that nurses are RARELY found to be liable...in sharp contrast to physicians, who pay out the nose.

Wow, seems like a pretty good deal for you guys! I'll have to check out what our state laws are.

Specializes in ICU, ER, EP,.
yes, you always need your own insurance.

the hospital's insurance covers you against malpractice only if you follow policies to the letter.

it does not cover you in the event that you make, an honest, professional mistake.

you don't have to answer questions to the attorney that is trying to sue you either unless you are in courtroom and i can tell you now, that is going to be an irrelevant question because it is not required in any state that i am aware of.

nurses are n-u-t-s if they don't carry it.

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.

Specializes in Ante-Intra-Postpartum, Post Gyne.

Both sides of the argument are very compelling. Are there any legal nurse advisers on here to speak about the subject?

Specializes in ICU, ER, EP,.

The BON standards are:

-what would a reasonable and prudent nurse do in your situation? Did you follow policy?

I'm absolutely comfortable being held to those standards... I'm lacking the feeling the "fear" to the insurance company scare tactics... even after having been there done that... don't have the insurance. So that's IMHO and my exp. and if you feel it helps you sleep at night... have at the cost of it. I'm off to bed. Just wanted to share some real exp. for others to decide if it was right for them... it's not for me.

The worst thing that can happen if you pony up the $$$, is being dragged through a trial because you are an equatable target. think that's fun... ask a L&D RN. But meanwhile it seems to give many a piece of mind, so just buy it then!

I agree that is extremely cheap but my only concern is this: My instructor told me that I cannot be individually sought after in a case if I do not have malpractice insurance but if I do have it, then they can come after me. It was just a side comment she made while discussing something else so maybe I did not understand the situation clearly. Maybe she meant that they would be more likely to go after you if you have your own coverage because they have the chance to get some money off of you whereas they might not bother with you if you don't have coverage.

I'm sure that what your instructor meant was that plaintiffs would be less likely to go after you in court, not that they couldn't just because you didn't have insurance. Think that through for a moment -- if that were the case, every physician in your state would be able to avoid the possibility of being sued simply by not carrying insurance. How likely or reasonable does that sound?

I'm no legal authority by any means, but I have a hard time imagining that there's any state in the US with laws that say you can't be sued for negligence or malpractice simply because you don't have liability coverage ...

I'm sure that what your instructor meant was that plaintiffs would be less likely to go after you in court, not that they couldn't just because you didn't have insurance. Think that through for a moment -- if that were the case, every physician in your state would be able to avoid the possibility of being sued simply by not carrying insurance. How likely or reasonable does that sound?

I'm no legal authority by any means, but I have a hard time imagining that there's any state in the US with laws that say you can't be sued for negligence or malpractice simply because you don't have liability coverage ...

I thought it might be specific to nursing and that was why I found it possible. But at the time I specifically remember she had said they "can't", not that they're less likely. And at the time I thought that sounded good so I wanted to accept it lol. I did realize later though maybe she just said it wrong and she really meant "less likely". She had a habit of just speaking so matter of fact, as if what she said was pure fact. I didn't like her much. She always thought she was right and she could not get over herself. Now I'll start looking for my own insurance.

Specializes in Geriatrics, Home Health.

Around the time I graduated (May 2008), a newspaper near my hometown had an article about a nursing home lawsuit. Family put Grandma in a nursing home, and thought Grandma was being neglected. The story didn't specify the charges. The family signed an arbitration agreement when they put Grandma in the nursing home. Since they couldn't sue the nursing home, they sued all 8 of the nurses.

I've always had my own .

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