Professional Liability Insurance For Nurses – Important Facts
A professional liability insurance is a requirement for all nurses. This protects the nurse from untoward situations that may happen. Moreover, this protects the health care provider for the costs of legal and board action which can be very expensive. You have to face the undeniable fact that legal actions, although unwanted, can be a part of every health care professional’s career. It is something looming at all times due to sensitivity of what you are handling: human life. There could be errors that you’ll commit (unintentionally) and this is the thing that Professional Liability Insurance is intending to defend.
However some employers provide insurance to staff, it’s a wise idea to carry one on your own. It is a small price to pay to shield your career and prevent you from the huge cost of legal fees. There are cases when employers really do not pay the premiums although they guarantee their nurses that they have covered their professional insurance. Or sometimes when the liability or the cost of legal action gets too big, insurance firms refuse to pay out the amount like what went down in a legal battle in Massachusetts. Even though this is a unique case still we saw that this could in fact happen.
What could really happen once you are performing your duties? Even simple day to day can be a cause of legal action. Having that said, health care professionals should be very careful when performing their duties.
You can be sued if you happen to make a mistake while observing a patient or if someone else think that you did. This may be very simple if you look at it however the course of action could be huge and expensive. You might be innocent but still you may be taken to court to prove that you are innocent of the charges.
Someone claims (employer or other party) that you made a mistake in reporting or recording patient’s details.
A doctor will claim that you made a mistake or misunderstood his directions.
A patient or relative claims that you have provided inadequate patient care.
You are already off duty but you still helped someone with an injury or any health situation (although you mean well)
Having that said, you need to equip yourself with the right knowledge regarding Professional Liability Insurance. First, be sure that your employer is actually providing you with this insurance and that it stays active at all times. You could have them provide you with written verification which they do purchase malpractice insurance and provide you with the limits or what are included in that coverage. Next is you also need to purchase your own insurance. You should get this depending on where you work or where you live and what your specialization is. There are several of insurance companies these days. Make sure you shop around first before settling to one.
Another thing you should consider what is the difference between occurrence and claims made. Briefly, occurrence refers to the actual time the alleged malpractice took place while claims made refer to the actual time the claim is communicated to you including retroactive coverage for prior activities. Ensure that what is covered in your policy are the ones that you actually need.
These are just a few of the things you ought to remember while on duty. Law suits can happen. That’s the reason why making sure you are properly covered with Professional Liability Insurance is vital in the performance of your job as a nurse.
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