malpractice/liability insurance for NICU RN's

[nicu4me]

Just wondered if any of you would share if you have malpractice/liability insurance in NICU and if you had insurance prior to starting in NICU or decided to buy it after you went into NICU and if you did what made you decide to buy it?

Sometimes with paper charting I find it harder because the paper charting is by exception only. Similar to a post I put on about monitor vitals vs full assessments and the times between them. So for example not charted, not done..... you have a baby that is not due to be touched until 10 am (you came in at 7 am - the last nurse did a full assessment and fed the baby gavage or whatever) so there is no documentation at all until you start at 10 am. Many institutions have a behavioural section. They are on a monitor and that obviously has a brain, but do any of you just chart babe sleeping or appears comfortable and the monitor values at the beginning of your shift in hours if they aren't due? If something were to happen (your IV/Piccs, are charted on hourly as well as fluid rates) but nothing else is required unless on oxygen protocol to be charted hourly. Makes me nervous. Also with computer charting it is easier to use the screens to make patient note as to how many times MD was paged or called or no orders, etc. where as the paper charting everthing is visible to MD, harder to write description of.

[RainDreamer, BSN, RN]

they only sue nurses if they know they have malpractice insurance. Litigants pursue the hospital and the doctors' insurance - not the nurses.

Wrong.

[UTVOL3]

I have heard that too that they only persue the RN's that carry malpractice insurance. I am not working right now but I would like a definitive answer to this question.

[NicuGal, MSN, RN]

Boy, a lot of people have their facts wrong. You should carry insurance. The hospital isn't going to cover you if you do not follow policy and procedure to the hilt. As for the IV, IV infiltrates are the most common area to be sued over and hospital usually settle. How do they know that IV was placed incorrectly...that is an assumption. Why didn't anyone look at the IV over that period of hours...so all are at fault.

I work with several legal nurses and they all recommend that we carry insurance, esp in the field we are in as parents have 18 years to file suit and then the child can file up to 21. Want to bank on the hospital covering you over that period of time, esp if you didn't follow PP to the hilt? Also, when you are called for a deposition, you are not asked if you have insurance, and the only time you would reveal that is if you, personally, are named in the suit. Most suits are against the hospital in general, not an individual.

So, if you can honestly say that you follow every policy and procedure to the nines, then don't get it, but my guess is most of us don't or forget to do something.