Insure Your Nursing Career
The majority of nurses I speak to do not have malpractice insurance; they do not realize that malpractice insurance typically provides licensure defense before the Nursing Boards.
EVERY nurse providing patient care or affecting patient care decisions should carry malpractice insurance. I am always so surprised that other professions carry malpractice insurance but nurses routinely do not carry career insurance.
It is extremely risky and dangerous to represent yourself before the Board, so it is crucial that all nurses obtain legal representation. You need an attorney whether you are guilty or not. The Board does not think you are guilty just because you have an attorney. I have seen too many nurses end up with harsher license restrictions because the nurse represented herself/himself before the Board.
What can a nurse do today to plan for a potential investigation by the Board? Purchase malpractice insurance!!!! Be sure the policy contains licensure protection or a rider to cover any actions before the Nursing Board. By buying malpractice insurance with licensure protection, a nurse not only obtains legal representation for a lawsuit but also for legal representation before the Board of Nursing. But, remember that you cannot buy insurance for an incident that has already occurred. The insurance must be in place before an occurrence (works just like other forms of insurance).
It costs money to defend yourself against a lawsuit or an action by the Nursing Board. Even if you are innocent, you will still have to defend yourself. The costs include legal fees, consultant fees, expenses, expert fees and more. It is cheaper and provides peace of mind regarding your finances to have malpractice insurance.