Malpractice Insurance for registered nurses – why is it so important?

Malpractice Insurance for registered nurses – why is it so important?

If you’re a nurse, chances are you’ve questioned whether or not you need your own personal malpractice insurance coverage. No healthcare profession is error-proof, and mistakes can happen, even to the most careful nurses. Yet, a large number of nurses don’t have Nursing Malpractice Insurance coverage. There are many reasons nurses opt out of individual Professional Liability Insurance – most of these are myths. 

Nursing Malpractice Insurance protects nurses against claims related to professional activities, such as injuring a patient or administering the wrong medicine. To win a malpractice case, it must be proved that the healthcare professional, such as a nurse, failed to provide the approved standard of care and has caused damage to the patient as a direct result.

Nobody plans for these things to happen, but sometimes they do. When it comes to purchasing Nursing Liability Insurance, you will never regret having coverage.

Now, let’s set the record straight. 

Myth 1: “I follow the rules, this won’t happen to me.”

Perceived bad advice or injury as a result of your actions is all it takes for someone to sue you, even if it’s incorrect. Regardless of whether or not the allegations are true, the legal expenses sustained throughout the process of proving your innocence can cause significant damage.

Myth 2: “I don’t need a personal Nursing Liability Insurance policy because I’m covered by my employer.”

Clinical settings, such as hospitals, generally offer professional liability insurance coverage to their employees for activities within their scope of employment. However, consider these key points:

Ask your employer what the policy restrictions are, what the coverage includes and if you have to pay a deductible. In purchasing your own Nursing Liability Insurance policy, you are guaranteed someone will act in your favour should the situation arise.

Myth 3: “Only physicians and surgeons need Professional Liability Insurance.”

Like physicians and surgeons, nurses are held to a certain standard of care. While doctors are sued more often than nurses, the role of the nurse involves a  substantial amount of responsibility. For example, failure to document or medication errors, can lead to a malpractice lawsuit.

Myth 4: “I’m more likely to be sued if I have my own Nursing Liability Insurance policy.”

There is no way for a patient to know if you are individually insured until after the lawsuit has been filed. In the event that a malpractice lawsuit is brought against you and you don’t have individual Nursing Liability Insurance, you may find yourself limited by the restrictions of your employer’s coverage. 

Malpractice cases are complicated and they can be both emotionally and financially stressful. When it comes to Professional Liability Insurance for nurses, it is always better to be safe than sorry. Speak with one of our experienced brokers today to protect your peace of mind.