Why are some so adverse to obtaining malpractice insurance?

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Specializes in Complex pedi to LTC/SA & now a manager.

At the time of application we were informed that we needed to purchase and provide a certificate of insurance prior to start of our clinical experience. So we have had 4-6 months to save and purchase insurance. Of course many waited until the last minute. The governing body of the school has decided to only accept NSO as the malpractice insurance provider. Some students are upset because NSO requires you to be insured at your current level of certification and will issue a rider for free to cover you as a nursing student. Many classmates are nursing assistants & home health aides, and are upset that they are being "forced" to get malpractice insurance for their current work. (I've heard MANY times that well the job covers me for malpractice, why should I have to get my own.)

Even with administration & instructors tolling the virtues of personal malpractice/liability insurance, people are still upset about getting personal coverage. I even had personal liability/malpractice insurance when I worked as a volunteer EMT. (Came in handy though I was never named in a suit I was called more than once for a deposition about the call sheet & the carrier helped protect my interest. (driver 1 suing driver 2 insisting that the call sheet would prove that it was all driver 2's fault kind of thing.))

Especially in a litigious society, why would anyone be so adverse to protecting their own interests?:confused:

(Personally I put a small amount of money aside until I had enough to pay for the policy, starting when we were informed that it was a requirement and which company was acceptable. They happily gave me a quite so I knew how much it would cost.)

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Specializes in CNA.
Especially in a litigious society, why would anyone be so adverse to protecting their own interests?:confused:

Please go take a look at the thinking of cigarette, vaccine, and climate change deniers and then see if you still have this same question.

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Specializes in Complex pedi to LTC/SA & now a manager.

I get your point, especially the vaccine deniers (always an interesting though often heated "debate". I guess it ultimately will roll down to if you want to proceed within this particular program you get the insurance as required. If you don't want to purchase the insurance, then you are free to withdraw.

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