Insurance for Nurses

Great idea to get your own liability insurance, even if your employer has a policy on you too.

Carry your own malpractice insurance for your own piece of mind. It's worth the $89-104/ year just to know that you won't lose everything if you are involved in a lawsuit. And no, families DON'T go after only the people with insurance; if something goes wrong and you are involved, they can still come after you no matter how poor you are if they are angry enaough.

The facility where you work probably does not cover you if YOU are negligent. Good reason to have your own ins. I got mine thru homeowner's as add on to that policy

Every practicing licensed nurse should cover themselves with their own malpractice insurance. Facilities cover you while you are employed by them- but alot of times the lawsuits do not make it through the paperwork phase until you have moved on to somewhere else. Until today-I was to testify in Federal Court about a gentleman that fell and broke a hip a year and a half ago. (I was DON in the facility until about 9 months ago). I got a call at 3pm today that it was settled out of court. The trial was tomorrow!!

More and more attorneys are advertising to represent pts and families in malpractice suits against not just the facility- but also the actual caregivers. In the above mentioned suit- the man that fell was only a resident in the facility for 12 days...I didn't even remember what he looked like!!!

Never rely on your facility to provide an attorney (you may want to chose your own anyway) or to cover any settlement for you. I do some legal consulting and cannot emphasize enough how important it is for you to cover your own behind. Never do anything that you have to stop and question yourself about. (i.e. "This dose seems high", "I've never seen it done like this before", "This could have a negative effect", etc...) If you are asked to do something that you are not comfortable with- you have the right to refuse to do it and request that your supervisor or even the ordering physician do it. You cannot legally be terminated for using your "best professional nursing judgement."

Attend all the seminars and workshops about documentation that you can. Even if you only walk away with one tip on legal documentation- it is worth your time.

Enough lectures- please get your own insurance!!!

Klare

scroll!!! there have been many threads on this topic in the past.

me :)