As nurses, our Risk Management Consultants understand firsthand the liability risk inherent in caring for our patients. Whether in a hospital, nursing home, assisted living facility, home health, physician’s office, clinic, surgical center, or any other environment that you work in as a healthcare provider, you are unfortunately at risk for a lawsuit.
- Risk management cuts losses/improves care.
- Educational opportunities available through Sophia Palmer.
- Risk management strategies for any healthcare provider.
Today’s society has been led to believe that if something goes wrong, a lawsuit may be the ticket to great financial reward. It is unfortunate but true; we live in a litigious world.
While the Sophia Palmer Nurses Risk Retention Group, Inc. provides you with liability insurance coverage in the event of a professional liability claim, our Risk Management Division wants provide you with strategies that will reduce your chances of being sued and improve the defensibility of the lawsuit, if you are.
We produce and distribute helpful information as it pertains to nursing practice, current standards of practice, risk management, legal and insurance issues.
Our periodic newsletter includes Risk Management information and strategies. We invite our policyholders to be guest authors for the newsletter in order to share information, knowledge and opinions with fellow members of this nurses-owned Risk Retention Group.
As a member of the Sophia Palmer Nurses Risk Retention Group, Inc. you have access by telephone or email to our Risk Management Clinical Consultants to assist you if you have questions or just need advice in a situation that concerns you.
Know the standards of practice within your work environment and/or clinical specialty to protect against accusations of incompetence or negligence. Keep current with these standards, as they do change over time.
Join (and participate) in nursing organizations. Take continuing education courses (not just to obtain your required number of continuing education hours, but to really learn and stay current in nursing practice) and read as many nursing journals and articles as possible.
Familiarize yourself with your organization’s policies and procedures. Be sure your care is based upon these established criteria in addition to the current standards of nursing practice.
Pay close attention to your documentation. Ensure that it is adequate, accurate, credible and legible. Sound documentation can become a nurse’s best defense in a litigation situation.
Focus on good communication and give excellent customer service to your patients and family members (customers). Be available to listen, attentive to voiced complaints and concerns, responsive to needs. Developing positive interpersonal relationships with your clients enables them to see you as being the caring, caregiver that you are. Seeing you in a human light can be very forgiving if an untoward event or incident occurs.
Take any threat of a lawsuit against you seriously. Report any threat to our Risk Management Department as well as your immediate supervisor immediately.
Excellent nursing law basics and risk management information.
Interesting article about nursing law, codes of conduct and litigation, endorsed by the ANA.
The Florida Nurses Association web site.
Risk Management article for nurse managers, endorsed by the ANA.
The Florida Nurse Practice Act.
A comprehensive site that provides many nursing-related educational resources.
Information and resources for nursing students.
Nursing references provided by the National League of Nursing.
A compendium of nursing web links.
