Protect Your Practice, Elevate Your Expertise

As medical-surgical nurses, we carry tremendous responsibility. Each day, we are trusted to make complex clinical decisions, act with precision under pressure, and maintain compassion in the face of difficult scenarios. That trust is built on one of the most valuable assets we possess — our professional license. Nursing licenses represent education, skill, and ethical foundation. Safeguarding a nursing license involves many things, and today I am focused on two specific areas: continuing education and individual malpractice insurance.

Continuing Education: A Right and Responsibility

Continuing education (CE) keeps our professional knowledge alive and relevant. While every organization should recognize the value of supporting CE as an employee benefit, knowing that a workforce that grows in knowledge contributes to safer, higher-quality care, education is not always an employment benefit. No matter who may pay for or provide access to educational courses, the result of the education itself always belongs to the nurse who completes it.

That is an important distinction. The certificate of completed hours carries your name, not the institution’s. When you renew your license or pursue certification, those CE credits travel with you. They become part of your individual record or portfolio and your personal professional identity. Just as you would never expect your employer to hold your nursing license for you, you shouldn’t rely on your workplace alone to determine the scope or pace of your professional growth. Staying up to date on evolving science and best practices is an activity each of us must claim as our own. AMSN proudly supports nurses in providing educational resources that elevate their professional growth. From webinars and courses to medical-surgical and virtual nursing certification through MSNCB, your professional home equips you with what you need to grow.

Why Individual Malpractice Insurance Matters

Just as we take ownership of education, we must also take ownership of legal and professional protection. One key element of that protection is carrying individual malpractice or professional liability insurance. Many nurses assume their employer’s coverage will protect them in the event of a lawsuit or board complaint. Unfortunately, that assumption can be dangerously incomplete.

Employer-provided liability policies are designed primarily to protect the institution. The hospital or health system is the policyholder; the nurse is often listed as a covered party only within the confines of job-related duties and interests of the organization. If a claim arises that involves potential conflict between the employer and the nurse — such as failure to follow policy or procedure, documentation issues, or an error, the employer’s policy will prioritize the organization’s defense, not yours.

An individual malpractice policy belongs entirely to you. It ensures that your interests are represented, your legal fees are covered (up to policy limits), and your professional reputation is actively defended — even in cases not involving patient injury, such as license board inquiries or disciplinary actions. These policies can follow you through employers, job roles, and when you volunteer at community health events or teach nursing students.

I have talked to nurses who dismiss the need for individual coverage because of the following misconceptions:

• “I don’t work in high-risk areas.” Nurses can be named in malpractice suits related to documentation, supervision, delegation, patient education, or failure to advocate.
• “My employer’s insurance covers me.” Employer policies typically cover workplace incidents only under specific conditions and may not extend to licensure defense.
• “It looks like I don’t trust my employer.” On the contrary, having personal coverage is a mark of professionalism and responsibility — no different from maintaining CPR certification or liability coverage when renting a car.
• “It’s too expensive.” The average annual premium often ranges from $100 to $300 depending on the coverage level and state. It’s not cheap and it is always hard to pay for something that you hope to never use, but it is important to consider in your personal professional development budget.

AMSN’s Partnership With NSO

To support our membership, the Academy of Medical-Surgical Nurses partnered with the Nurses Service Organization (NSO), one of the nation’s largest providers of professional liability insurance for nurses. While there are many other reputable nurse liability insurance providers you can look into, through this partnership, AMSN members have access to discounted plans designed to fit the diverse needs of nurses in clinical practice, education, management, and advanced roles. NSO offers coverage not just for malpractice claims but also for license defense, deposition representation, HIPAA violations, and more.

Evaluate your options based on coverage limits, premium costs, included features, and whether the policy includes license protection or legal representation. This investment can make a life-changing difference if you’re ever called to account for a clinical decision, documentation error, or patient outcome.

Protecting your license is not someone else’s job — it is yours. Continuing education strengthens that license by ensuring your knowledge stays current; individual insurance defends it by ensuring your rights are represented when questions arise. Together, they form an essential foundation for professional sustainability in modern nursing. Are you interested in learning more about how protecting your practice elevates your expertise? AMSN and NSO are hosting a webinar on Tuesday, Dec. 2. Be on the lookout for registration details so you can save your seat for this important conversation.

If you already carry individual malpractice insurance, take this as encouragement that you have made a wise investment in your peace of mind. If you have not yet explored coverage, consider this the moment to do so. Review the options and select the policy that fits your practice best. Ask questions, read the fine print, and treat the process with the same diligence you bring to patient care. And as you continue your educational journey, remember that while employers may fund your learning, your growth — and your license — remain yours alone.

As always, reach out with questions or comments at president@AMSN.org.