Nursing Malpractice Insurance

Most hospitals and care facilities which employ nurses carry insurance policies meant to cover the facility in the event of a malpractice lawsuit. To an extent, such malpractice insurance policies also cover the employees of the facility. However, the first goal of such policies is to protect the hospital or other organization as a whole, rather than the individual employees.

Because the hospital’s insurance may not be sufficient to cover individual employees, more and more nurses are choosing to purchase their own nursing malpractice insurance. It actually makes good sense to purchase additional professional liability coverage. After all, most people would agree that insuring things like a house and a car are just good common sense. Professional liability insurance protects a medical professional’s career, which can be seen as their most important asset.

Nursing Malpractice Insurance - Why Do You Need It?

Some nurses mistakenly believe that carrying additional nursing malpractice insurance will actually make them susceptible to malpractice claims; however, there is no truth to this misconception. The truth is that any patients treated by the nurse have no way of knowing that that health care professional carries additional insurance coverage. Therefore, carrying their own insurance policy provides the nursing professional with a high degree of peace of mind, without necessarily leaving them vulnerable to spurious lawsuits.

Some nurses think that because they are a competent, confident professional, they do not need malpractice insurance. However, anyone working in the health care field who regularly comes into contact with patients should have this coverage. Accidents and mistakes can occur occasionally, and even when they don’t, it’s possible for a patient to sue for malpractice. Whether the nurse is sued for negligence by act or omission, or whether they are sued wrongfully, a malpractice lawsuit is an expensive undertaking.

Nursing Malpractice Insurance

Nurses who do not have nursing malpractice insurance will find that they are responsible for expenses like attorney and court costs. In addition, they may have to miss work while the case is ongoing, resulting in lost wages. Even if the nurse wins the court case and is proved to not have been negligent, they are still responsible for attorney fees and court related expenses.

With malpractice insurance coverage, it’s a very different story. With such insurance, the nursing professional can afford to hire an experienced, reputable attorney and pay all related courtroom costs. They may also have coverage for lost wages , lending enormous peace of mind under trying circumstances.

Last modified: May 15, 2011

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