Do Nursing Students Need to Have Medical Malpractice Insurance?

Malpractice insurance may be the last thing on nursing students' minds as they prepare for nursing school. They've got to concentrate on finances, studying, passing their classes, getting enough sleep, surviving on Raman noodles, all the typical things that a student in any type of program has to worry about.

What a nursing student needs to understand however, is that there will come a time when they will have to accept responsibilities that don't come with most educational courses. Part of their training will involve patient care, and should any mishap take place in the health care facility while they are on duty, they could be held liable.

Is that fair? Of course not. We could always hope of course, that if the nursing student didn't really do anything wrong, then the courts won't find him/her guilty if it comes to that. But let's face it. Without a lawyer looking out for one's best interests, winning in court would be a next-to-impossible feat. The problem is, lawyer services are pretty steep and most students won't have the money for this.

This is where student nursing insurance will come in handy. This type of insurance will pay for an attorney if a student is accused of some type of medical malpractice while doing their clinicals at a nursing home, hospital, or other medical facility. It may also pay out whatever judgment is awarded against the student if the student is found to be at fault. But again, a person represented by a competent attorney is much more likely to prevail in court.

You may ask; isn't the nursing school supposedly responsible for helping its student? Shouldn't the school pay for the lawyer? This may be a bitter pill to swallow but the reality is, schools do not concern themselves with such things. You get slapped by a lawsuit, you're on your own.

Lastly, when the student successfully graduates from nursing school, he should, by all means, continue to pay for medical malpractice insurance. After all, it's really just a small price to pay considering the huge, expensive consequences of a impending lawsuit.