All Students: Policies & Requirements

All Students: Policies & Requirements - Insurance
STUDENT ACCIDENT AND SICKNESS INSURANCE

Given the increasing health risks of providing patient care, the School of Nursing urges all students to have their own insurance coverage, either through the University's insurance plan for students or via another policy. You are advised to confirm that your policy covers prophylactic treatment (e.g. for needlestick) until results of testing are known. See the Student Accident and Sickness Insurance Plan Web page to purchase the UW Student Health Insurance plan, change your plan, or get more information on insurance coverage, costs, and enrollment.

If you are a graduate student who has a TA or RA appointment, you should NOT sign up and pay for the student plan through MyUW. See the Graduate Appointee Insurance Program Web page or email benefits@u.washington.edu for more information about insurance coverage for graduate appointees.

To verify your enrollment in the UW Student Insurance Plan, check your tuition/billing account status via MyUW after the third Friday of the quarter. If you purchased UW Student Insurance and your account balance is 0, your insurance premium has been paid and you are enrolled. Your insurance policy number is the Group Policy Number for all UW students, located in the front cover of the UW student insurance brochure.

PROFESSIONAL LIABILITY INSURANCE PROTECTION

The following statements explain the extent and circumstances of professional liability coverage. They were prepared after consultation with representatives of University administration, the Assistant Attorney General's office, the insurance brokers, the Washington State Nurses Association, the Division of Professional Licensing, representatives of the School of Medicine, and numerous informal discussions with concerned faculty and students of the School of Nursing. It is hoped this information will help clarify the status of liability for professional nursing activities.

Faculty and/or students of the School of Nursing are covered for professional liability by the University of Washington as long as the activity in question is definitely University -connected, and therefore, sanctioned. School of Nursing coverage is in effect when the faculty member or student is a.) working in a program formally approved by the School of Nursing, b.) working in a program not formally approved by the School of Nursing but is a program for which the University will extend individual professional liability coverage, or c.) participating as an individual, with written authorization of the Dean, in a specified activity to which liability coverage is extended.
When a faculty member is performing her/his expected faculty activities, she/he is acting on behalf of the University of Washington and is covered by University of Washington liability insurance. Student liability coverage however, is extended only when acting "at the direction or request of or on behalf of the University." This means that in order for students to be protected, their student activities must occur under supervision of a faculty member. Clinical practice must occur in agencies where a legal contractual agreement has been established between the School of Nursing and the Agency.
All faculty and students who are already registered professional nurses should consider that in addition to their faculty and student status they are also licensed as individual practitioners of nursing; as such, they conceivably could be held liable for their acts as autonomous professional individuals in addition to, or rather than, as faculty or students. For this reason, it is recommended that all faculty and registered professional nursing students protect themselves by carrying their own professional liability insurance. One type of this insurance can be obtained for a minimal annual premium through membership in the American Nurses Association; availability of liability protection is one of the benefits of membership in ANA. (Insurance is also available for members of some nursing specialty organizations.)
It should be noted that professional liability insurance provided by the University of Washington does not cover nursing practice in any voluntary health clinic where the registered nurse acts as an individual volunteer and not at the direction of or on the behalf of the University. No student should attempt nursing services beyond her/his present level of educational preparation. Undergraduate, non-registered nursing students should make certain that any agency for which they perform volunteer services has a policymaking board which provides liability insurance for its volunteers and/or has a physician or nurse who will assume supervisory responsibility for such voluntary work.

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