As in all occupations, human error occurs. When the job deals with sick people, however, these errors can be fatal. One accident can result in litigation that can leave a nurse bankrupt due to the large sums involved in medical malpractice suits. A common error, for example, is in giving the right medication to the right person. Medications errors, while unintentional, can result in fatality. Even if the litigant does not prevail, costs of defense are high and litigation and appeals can take years to resolve, during which time the nurse is sometimes prohibited from working. Malpractice insurance for nurses is, therefore critical in today’s highly litigious society.

If the nurse is not negligent following the error, malpractice insurance for nurses will protect these professionals from undue financial hardship due to these errors or allegations of such. Nursing liability insurance requires the nurse to pay a monthly premium. In exchange the policy will cover the costs of defending a nurse who is accused of creating harm to a patient due to their own error. Although nursing malpractice insurance is required by state law in many states, is always prudent to purchase a policy to protect both the nurse and the patient from experiencing financial hardship as a result of errors made.

Nurse malpractice insurance typically does not cover the costs of criminal prosecutions, but instead is targeted toward civil claims for monetary damages. Nurse malpractice insurance usually covers only the period during which the policy is active, however, many companies will allow you to buy a “tail” which will cover a limited time frame either before or after the policy was in effect.