​We all know that everyone makes a mistake some time, even the seasoned professional. So, do you, the traveling healthcare professional need to consider purchasing your own professional liability insurance? The consensus seems to be a resounding yes across the board. First of all, you do insure your car, you do insure your home, so why not your career? And policies seem to be very affordable at around $100 and up per year. That's the cheapest insurance I've heard of and the benefits of having your own insurance could literally save your livelihood. Some would argue that you are covered by your employer. That may be so but what about in between jobs? Recruiters may even say they have you covered and no need to worry about it. The majority of staffing agencies do carry liability insurance and healthcare facilities will get that information during the credentialing phase. Many travelers think since they are temporary staff they may be the first to be named in a suit and that the facility may be more likely to defend someone they have had a long term relationship with. Others would argue that having your own insurance makes you a target for lawsuits but it is not necessary to tell you anyone that you have this additional coverage. Another issue is to make sure your limits are not higher than the physician's limits for the state where you are working. Physician negligence could be changed to Nurse negligence if attorneys were to discover that the nurse had higher limits than the physician.

The American Nurses Association advises that all nurses should have their own professional liability insurance. There are differences in policies that you need to be aware of, so do your homework. "Occurrence" policies insure you while the policy is in force meaning as long as the alleged incident occurred while the policy was active, you are covered forever. "Claims-made only" policy only cover you while they are in force. If a claim is filed later and you are no longer with that company you would not be covered. Be safe and cover yourself just in case.

Mary Crawford, HealthCare Employment Network