Diagnosing Nurses’ Insurance Needs

By: Mary Steeb, CISR, CPIW

Mary loves to explain insurance in terms that her customers can understand so that they can make informed decisions about their coverage.

If you’re shopping the term “nurses’ insurance” you’re probably focusing on professional liability insurance for nursing professionals. But coverage for malpractice isn’t the only protection that deserves special attention from RNs, LPNs, and other healthcare workers. Auto insurance for nurses is also worth reviewing…

Did you know, for example, that we offer an exclusive nurses’ insurance discount to members of MNA (Massachusetts Nurses Association) and MARN (Massachusetts Association of Registered Nurses)? If you haven’t already, get in touch with an insurance broker who understands the following job-related factors:

Traveling Nurses and Interstate Driving

The Foundation for Hospice and Homecare estimates that home health professionals drove more than 7.9 billion miles in 2013. That distance is roughly equivalent to 17,000 roundtrips to the moon! And yet most visiting nurses are only asked to show proof of state-required auto insurance. With so many miles logged behind the wheel, it often makes sense to consider supplemental insurance coverages—like comprehensive and collision—and/or coverage limits beyond the minimum requirements.

Shift Work and Drowsy Driving

According to National Institute of Health references, “night-shift workers are at high risk of drowsiness-related motor vehicle crashes as a result of circadian disruption and sleep restriction.” In fact, when the Liberty Mutual Research Institute for Safety compared rested drivers against post-night-shift drivers, they observed eleven near-crashes in six out of sixteen post-night-shift drives (37.5%). Seven of the sixteen post-night-shift drives (43.8%) were actually terminated early for safety reasons. The study also found that following a night shift, participants had a significantly higher rate of lane excursions, blink duration, and number of “slow eye movements.”

Knowing that your nontraditional schedule may be raising your odds of a traffic incident, you may want to reevaluate your current auto insurance.

Inclement Weather Driving

Legally speaking, did you know that all employees—including RNs and emergency responders—can be terminated for not reporting to work in bad weather (unless the employer has agreed that the weather is too bad for employees to attempt to drive to work)? Nurses and doctors are particularly under the gun to arrive as scheduled, regardless of how frightful the conditions outside may be.

[Interesting side note: doctors are statistically associated with a higher accident risk, whereas nurses and first responders—despite similar types of shiftwork and sleep deprivation—are ranked among the least likely to experience an incident on the road—according to DMV occupational statistics.]

All in all, there are many variables that factor into your individual insurance needs and rates. To better understand your coverage options, and to learn about our nurses’ insurance discount program, reach out to our team today.