Defend and Protect Your Nursing License

There are still too many uninsured nurses and no insurance means that the nurses are financially responsible and that can costs thousands. I have posted blogs on all three of my blogs relating to the importance of nurses purchasing malpractice insurance with a regulatory coverage rider, but I continue to speak with nurses that have not purchased insurance. [See "Good Nurses Don't Need Insurance", "My Employer will Pay", "My employer has insurance", "Malpractice Insurance will get you sued", and more (see my blog entries).

All nurses providing patient care should carry their own malpractice insurance. Not only does the insurance provide legal representation for a lawsuit, but also for an investigation before the Board of Nursing. Nurses that have insurance that receive notice of a complaint before the BON are so relieved to know that they do not have to find the monetary resources to pay for an attorney to represent them before the Board.

The pros of malpractice insurance far outweigh the cons (having to pay for the insurance and that having insurance can keep you in a lawsuit). I have addressed these misconceptions previously (see my previous blog entries on all three of my blogs). When deciding on a malpractice policy, be sure that they pay enough to cover the hourly rate of an attorney (usually over $200 an hour, the more liberal the better for you), that there is a high ceiling (at least $15,000 per occurrence) and that allows you to pick the attorney you want.