Liability and Responsibility in Nursing The legal attributes of nursing licensure are very important to the practicing nurse. Insuring one’s license is a vital aspect of professional nursing practice to consider. Many nurses continue to practice without liability insurance, perhaps relying on obsolete myths. There are articles provided in this module that discuss the myths that many nurses rely upon in their nursing practice (Brous, 2017; Pohlman, 2015). Protecting one’s nursing license is important, considering the number of legal issues that can arise in healthcare. Professional liability insurance can also aid a nurse with investigations by boards of nursing (Brous, 2017). In being proactive about one’s nursing practice, it is important to realize that liability may arise in many ways through the actions/omissions of the individual nurse and potentially because of the actions/omissions of other healthcare team members. Many nurses are unaware that the liability to their personal nursing practice can also extend to the work of others (Brooks, 2019). Finally, each nurse should consider their need for professional liability insurance and the type of coverage that is needed. There are professional nursing organizations that provide insight into nursing liability insurance and many aspects of professional nursing. References Brooks, K. (2019). Extension of liability. The New Mexico Nurse, 64(1), 6. Brous, E. (2017). Professional liability insurance: What all nurses should know. Journal of Radiology Nursing, 36(4), 236–237. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jradnu.2017.10.006 Pohlman, K. J. (2015). Why you need your own malpractice insurance. American Nurse Today, 10(11), 28–30.
