What happens to my career as a nurse if I sue a doctor?

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Hi everyone. I'm in a situation where I believe I have been the victim of medical negligence. I have started talking to a lawyer about my potential case. But now I'm wondering, will there be repercussions for my career if I choose to file a malpractice suit? It is not against a doctor or hospital that is in any way affiliated with the hospital I currently work at. Has anyone ever experienced this? Or known someone who has? I'm pretty sure my suit would show up on a background check so future employers would know. Any thoughts on this would be a great help as I try to make this decision.

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Specializes in ICU.

Why would it show up on a background check? This isn't a criminal matter. You weren't arrested. This would be a civil case, not a criminal one. I'm sure plenty of nurses have sued people before and I bet many have gotten new jobs.

The flip side is, don't ever expect to get a job in that health system. If you ever ran into that doctor on the job, he would make things difficult for you to say the least. I would honestly think twice about it. Would the money from the lawsuit ensure your financial future? I certainly hope you have a slam dunk case.

A lot lot of people get angry at the way the are treated and confuse that with negligence so hopefully you are removing your emotions here and this is a true case. I'm just saying make sure it is worth it and that your current job is secure. Hopefully, you will never need to work in this healthcare system.

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Specializes in Peri-op/Sub-Acute ANP.

Be careful you don't win the battle, but ultimately lose the war!

I would have to have been physically messed up pretty bad to pursue action against a doctor (or any other provider) in a community in which I worked.

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Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.

I worked with a nurse who sued an anesthesiologist at the facility she worked in over something that happened during her son's surgery. It was a valid malpractice suit, and she never had any repercussions at her job when she worked there.

I would still proceed with caution though.

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Specializes in Healthcare risk management and liability.

Filing a personal injury lawsuit does not come up in the typical background check. They are, however, a matter of public record and it can easily be looked up in the court files either at the court house or online as the case may be.

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