Liability insurance

I continued to carry my individual insurance while I worked for the VA many years ago. I would never work without my own coverage. Just my personal comfort level.

That's not entirely accurate. First, there's no way for a patient or their attorney to know if you have your own insurance. They have to name defendants in a suit before any of that stuff comes up.

Second, your own personal policy (such as that offered by NSO) is typically secondary insurance. It will only take effect after the hospital's insurance has paid out. Most hospitals carry so much insurance that damages/settlements will typically not exceed their coverage. That's why nursing insurance is super cheap. They only way you need coverage if you work for a big hospital is if you grossly overstep hospital policy such that they aren't obligated to cover you. I'm not a lawyer. I have no idea what it would take for that to happen. I'm curious if your personal policy would even cover you if it was that bad.

My 2 cents: Get it if it makes you feel better. You'll probably never use it, but it's like $100 per year for RNs for $1,000,000+ in coverage.

The big plus to your own malpractice policy is access to an attorney that works only for YOU! Believe me, that is super important!

And...no offense but its no one's business whether you carry your own policy. I don't discuss this with colleagues.

It depends on the liability insurance you have, the insurance your employer has, and the nature of the suit. There's not a one-size fits-all answer to what coverage kicks in when.

I was peripherally involved with a civilian suit where my NSO policy was treated as secondary coverage. The hospital ended up settling and I was barely involved.