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Liability protection FAQs


​Do you have a question about professional liability protection (PLP) not listed here? Email us​. ​

 BCCNM liability protection requirements
Why is liability protection a requirement?

​Professional liability protection is required in order to:

  • Ensure that individuals who have been harmed due to professional negligence are properly compensated
  • Provide adequate protection to every nursing professional from the costs of defending an allegation made against them and any resulting damages awarded.

You may be thinking that you're fully protected under your employer's liability insurance, but that may not be the case. Learn more.

Who needs professional liability protection?

​Any registrant with practising registration status is required to have valid professional liability protection. This includes NPs, RNs and RPNs who:

  • Practice nursing in clinical, education, administration or research roles.
  • Maintain practising registration but are not practising
  • Employed student registrants and
  • NPs, RNs and RPNs with provisional registration
I already have liability protection through my employer. Why do I need more?

​In some cases liability coverage provided by your employer may not be adequate. You do not have coverage should you volunteer as a nurse or choose to work in independent practice.​

 CNPS professional liability protection
Why CNPS?

Given today’s level of civil claims and court-awarded payouts, the public and nurses require and expect better protection.

CNPS provides a broader range of services than is available through commercial insurance coverage including legal advice, education and risk management support.​

What does CNPS professional liability protection include?

CNPS offers professional liability protection related to nursing practice of up to $10M per claim for professional negligence, up to $1M per occurrence for criminal investigations and prosecutions, and up to $1M per occurrence for statutory offences.

CNPS also provides access to confidential and objective advice to improve safety, quality, and reduce exposure to risk, support for professional practice issues (e.g., right to die, patient handover), timely access to independent legal advice and assessment of contracts.

Visit CNPS.ca to learn more

Am I covered for any potential claims related to occurrences prior to having CNPS PLP?
Yes. CNPS protection extends to claims arising from care provided by BCCNP registrants while they are/were registrants of BCCNM (and the legacy colleges of BCCNP, CRNBC and CRPNBC), irrespective of when the claim is commenced.  
Am I protected if I forget to renew my registration?

If you work without valid registration, even if you do it accidentally, you're taking a risk. Only practising registrants are eligible for CNPS professional liability protection.

If you practise without protection, you are opening yourself up to personal financial risk if there is a lawsuit stemming from your nursing practice during that period.

Can I purchase supplementary protection from CNPS?

Yes. For an additional fee, CNPS beneficiaries who also register for CNPS Supplementary Protection​ can be eligible for assistance with complaints and disciplinary proceedings before their nursing regulator. BCCNM is not involved in facilitating the purchase of supplementary protection. Registrants must contact CNPS for more information.

 CNPS PLP fees
Why are NP fees for professional liability protection so much higher than RNs/RPNs?

​The higher fee is due to the broader scope of NP work and the associated, increased risk for potential liability.

Why don't non-practising registrants pay for PLP?

​By definition, non-practising registrants aren't engaged in nursing activities. As a result, they don't require professional liability protection.

Do nurses registered multiple jurisdictions still have to pay the CNPS fee?

Nurses registered in and paying for CNPS membership in multiple jurisdictions may be eligible for a refund. If eligible, the refund will be automatically paid to the registrant by the CNPS. In the meantime, all nurses must pay the CNPS portion of the BCCNM fees in order that BCCNP can be satisfied that all its registrants are eligible for CNPS services.

For more information on the CNPS refund policy, procedures and your eligibility, please contact the CNPS at 1.800.267.3390 or info@cnps.ca.