Frequently Asked Questions About Malpractice Insurance For Nurses

Main Category: Nursing / Midwifery
Also Included In: Litigation / Medical Malpractice
Article Date: 11 Nov 2008 - 3:00 PDT

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How much malpractice insurance is enough for dermatology nurses? According to Carolyn Buppert, a health care attorney, the answer is "as much as you can get and afford."

In the 'Medico-Legal Forum' column in the October 2008 issue of Dermatology Nursing, Buppert notes there are too few cases against dermatology nurses to offer guidance specific to the specialty. She presents three malpractice cases against nurse practitioners to give readers an overview of circumstances, jury awards and settlements.

When picking a policy, Buppert says nurses should ask such questions as "What does the policy cover?" "What is excluded from coverage?" "Is the policy 'claims made' or 'occurrence'?" and "How long have you been writing policies for nurses?"

Buppert also suggests that to avoid malpractice lawsuits, nurses should not provide services or advice outside the work setting or outside their scope of practice or expertise. Nurses should also base a diagnosis on commonly accepted guidelines within the practice and document everything carefully so all actions are justified. (Frequently Asked Questions, and Answers, About Malpractice Insurance; Carolyn Buppert; Dermatology Nursing; October 2008; Dermatology Nursing ).

Dermatology Nursing is the official journal of the Dermatology Nurses' Association (DNA). The journal is nursing's premier skin care resource and contains state-of-the-art, peer-reviewed articles on all aspects of skin and wound care.

Dermatology Nursing