Broker-arranged
Insurance for nurses
Professional indemnity is a condition of registration for nurses and midwives. If you work privately, as an agency nurse, a nurse practitioner or a cosmetic injector, your employer’s cover may not follow you. A licensed broker arranges cover that does.
- Ahpra and NMBA requirements explained
- PI, public liability and run-off cover
- One short form, then a licensed broker takes it from there
What insurance do nurses need?
Ahpra says all health practitioners who undertake any form of practice must have professional indemnity insurance arrangements that comply with their registration standard for all aspects of their practice, and registration and renewal require a declaration to that effect. Nurses who treat clients in their own business add public liability, and cyber cover if they hold patient records.
The Nursing and Midwifery Board says cover through a third party, such as an employer, can meet the standard, but you must check it is adequate for everything you do. Private work outside your employment usually isn’t covered by an employer’s policy.
Who needs their own cover
| Nurse | Why |
|---|---|
| Agency and casual nurses | Check whether the agency’s policy covers you, and for which shifts. |
| Nurse practitioners in private practice | You need your own PI for all aspects of practice, and public liability for your rooms. |
| Cosmetic injectors and aesthetic nurses | Insurers assess treatment risk separately, so a broker arranges it. |
| Nurses with a side business | Vaccination clinics, home care or education outside your employment need their own cover. |
| Nurses who have stopped private practice | The Board requires run-off cover for the whole time after you cease practising privately. |
Nursing services sit in ANZSIC class 8539, Other Allied Health Services, which is how insurers classify the work.
The covers nurses usually hold
| Cover | Why |
|---|---|
| Professional indemnity | Claims that your care or advice caused harm or loss. Required by the registration standard. |
| Public liability | A client injured in your rooms or at a home visit. |
| Cyber | Patient records and bookings. |
| Income protection | If you’re injured or ill and can’t work. |
| Workers compensation | Once you employ other staff. |
How to get nurse cover through us
Nurse insurance questions
Is professional indemnity insurance compulsory for nurses?
Yes. Ahpra says all practising registered health practitioners must have PII arrangements that comply with their registration standard, and registration and renewal require a declaration.
Does my employer’s insurance cover me?
The Nursing and Midwifery Board says third-party cover such as an employer’s can meet the standard, but you must check it covers all aspects of your practice. Work outside your employment usually isn’t covered.
Do nurses need run-off cover?
The Board requires nurses who have practised privately to maintain run-off cover for the whole time after they cease private practice, because claims can be made later.
Do nurses need public liability?
If clients come to your rooms or you visit homes, public liability covers injury or damage claims that aren’t about your clinical care.
Why is nurse insurance arranged by a broker?
Cover depends on your scope of practice, and some work, such as cosmetic injecting, is assessed separately, so a licensed broker arranges suitable quotes.
Keep reading
More industries arranged by a broker
Sources
Nurses