NsureMedix

Registered Nurse Malpractice Insurance

Registered nurses can be named in malpractice claims arising from medication errors, documentation issues, or patient falls. This page explains whether RNs need their own coverage, what carriers protect, and how the options compare.

Registered Nurse Liability Insurance at a Glance

Do you need it?
Recommended: employer policies are written to protect the facility first, not you.
Who needs it
RNs, LPNs, student nurses, and travel nurses across hospitals, clinics, schools, and travel assignments.
Typical coverage limits
$1M / $3M up to $1M / $6M aggregate
Annual cost (estimated)
~$100–$150 / yr (industry estimate; see note)
Policy form
Occurrence

* Figures above are estimated ranges, not exact quotes. Actual premiums vary by specialty, state, years in practice, and coverage limits. Always confirm with the carrier's live quote.

The “Get Quote” links below are affiliate links (rel="sponsored"). We may earn a commission if you buy through them, at no extra cost to you.

Compare Carriers

CarrierCoverage limitsPolicy formLicense defenseRating
HPSO / NSO

$1M/$6M occurrence via NSO; coverage stays in force between jobs

$1M per claim / $6M annual aggregateoccurrence4.6Get Quote
Berxi (Berkshire Hathaway)

Flexible limits up to $1M/$6M; defense costs outside limits

Flexible up to $1M / $6M aggregateoccurrenceclaims-made4.5Get Quote
Proliability (Mercer)

Portable occurrence coverage for RNs, LPNs, students, and travel nurses

Up to $1M / $3M aggregateoccurrence4.4Get Quote

“Get Quote” links are affiliate links (rel="sponsored"). Ratings and coverage figures are aggregated information, not exact quotes.

Why RNs should consider their own policy

As Proliability puts it, many nurses assume their employer's insurance is enough, but those policies are written to protect the facility first — not you. Having your own individual policy ensures your interests are front and center, and the coverage is portable: it follows you from job to job even if you change employers, roles, or states.

Nurses are not immune from malpractice payouts: according to the National Practitioner Data Bank, 26% of medical malpractice payments made from 2012 to 2022 were from non-physicians (cited by Berxi).

Occurrence vs claims-made (RNs)

Nurse policies from Proliability and HPSO/NSO are occurrence based, which means an incident during the policy period stays covered even after the policy ends — no tail coverage needed. HPSO/NSO coverage stays in force even if you change jobs or during a period of unemployment. Berxi offers both occurrence and claims-made, with defense costs outside your limits.

What Peers Say

“Do you have malpractice insurance and how much does it cost?”

r/nursing

“Nursing Malpractice Insurance — is it worth it? which ones?”

r/nursing

“Nursing Malpractice Insurance… to get or not to?”

r/TravelNursing

Frequently Asked Questions

Do registered nurses need their own malpractice insurance? +

It's recommended. Employer policies protect the facility first; an individual, portable policy keeps your interests front and center and follows you between jobs, roles, and states.

How much does RN malpractice insurance cost? +

It's inexpensive, commonly cited around $100–$150/yr. Note: this is an industry estimate; the carrier pages we reviewed publish coverage details rather than a set RN premium, so confirm your price with the carrier's live quote.

I'm a travel nurse — does coverage move with me? +

Yes. Occurrence policies from carriers like Proliability and HPSO/NSO are portable and remain in force across assignments, and even during gaps in employment.

Related guides

Sources

Last reviewed: 2026-07-07