To get insurance or to not get insurance...that is the question

[Stella_Blue]

Ok so something happened to me today at school that has me thinking. I am currently a LPN and have always carried malpractice insurance throughout my entire career, and you could not convince me otherwise. Well, I am currently in a bridge program working on my RN. Today we were at clinicals, and we were just discussing the end of our day with our instructor. I had brought up something about malpractice insurance and to make sure you always have it. Our instructor highly emphasized that we DID NOT get malpractice insurance. I was baffled by this. She said most RN's she has ever worked with never carried it because it just puts a big red X on your back. She proceeded to tell us that even her ethics professor at her school told her not to get insurance as well. My instructor said that hospitals will cover you under their policy. Now I already knew this, but I also know that hospitals do not have our best interest, they have want to protect their own butts first.

I guess I just wanted to know what is everyone else's take on this? Do you carry malpractice insurance? It seems like it has always been drilled into my head to always have malpractice insurance, and now I have an instructor telling me no! I understand that it can target you, but still. I guess I'm just trying to figure out what I should do when I graduate. Of course, I'm going to watch my P's and Q's and follow protocol, but still I'm human and a mistake could always happen.

[elkpark]

Old school for sure!!!

Not sure what makes the instructor's position "old school" -- we have plenty of younger/newer nurses here who argue the same thing every time the question comes up, and my instructors in nursing school back in the Dark Ages (early 1980s :)) were unanimous in encouraging us to carry our own coverage.

[NicuGal, MSN, RN]

Old school in the thought that the hospital is going to protect you. It is not, if you deviate or veer one iota off of a policy and procedure you are done for. And I have seen patients/families who insist on someone being punished for a slight or imagined wrong doing. Your malpractice insurance will cover you. We had one family that was writing blatant lies about staff and upper management backed them and tried to suspend several co-workers, even though we insisted on them coming to talk to other families etc. the one girl called her insurer who sent a lawyer to meet with her and HR. Needless to say, no suspensions were given.

It is a cover yourself society kids.

[amoLucia]

To elkpark - thank you for validating what so many of us (esp the 'dinosaurs') have been trying to explain for ages re the finger-pointing & blaming that witchhunting healthcare facilities take part in.

To further validate this type of mentality, one needs only to look at the numerous threads/posts here on AN. Nurses &.CNAs are immediately fired just as soon as some family/pt hiccups angrily. Why???? It's the facility's attempt to placate or mollify the angry party from filing any lawsuits.

As NicuGal above commented - it's a CYA society!

[hiddencatRN, BSN, RN]

Such bad advice. No one needs to know you have malpractice insurance, so the notion that it makes you more of a target is BS. Hospitals will cover you under their policy.....if your interest is their interest. What if THEY are the one going after you? Or what if you appear to be the one to throw under the bus to minimize their liability?

I had one teacher who expressed the same opinion but every other nursing instructor I had encouraged us to get it. It's so affordable and why wouldn't you protect your investment in your career?

[apoppyfield, BSN, RN]

You could be sued.... personally. Do you want to give up your home, vehicles? Insurance is $100 per year. I don't know a single doctor who doesn't carry it.

[amoLucia]

When I was is nsg school, way back in the dark ages, my school actually encouraged our obtaining insurance. In fact, we had a senior class visit from an insurance company representative to talk to us about insurance and litigious circumstances. I signed up right after that and haven't missed a year since!

[antania31]

My school reqiured us to carry malpractice insurance. I see it like this..... it doesn't cost alot, so why not covered your hind... Better safe than sorry!

[OCNRN63, RN]

Not sure what makes the instructor's position "old school" -- we have plenty of younger/newer nurses here who argue the same thing every time the question comes up, and my instructors in nursing school back in the Dark Ages (early 1980s :)) were unanimous in encouraging us to carry our own coverage.

Ditto to all that.

[rnfostermom, BSN, RN]

I recall being urged to carry Liability Insurance during a lecture in nursing school. I have carried a policy ever since graduating years ago. I have never told anyone that I have the policy (at work), and I don't know if anyone else I work with carries one. I think it's true that if a lawsuit were filed and I was dragged into it, I would be asked early on by the plaintiff's counsel if I had insurance and then the fact would be out. It might mean that I would be in the lawsuit longer or there would be a payout against my coverage. That may not be right or fair but in my experience, it's just how lawsuits work (I used to be a legal assistant before attending nursing school). I decided that I still like my chances better with legal representation so I wouldn't have to drain my savings trying to pay for a lawyer to fight the suit or keep my license. Besides, I assume I'll need that money to live on if my employer decides to fire me in an attempt to appease the plaintiff!