Malpractice insurance for ETSU clinicals

What ETSU's pages say

Two ETSU sources carry the rule. The 2026-27 graduate catalog, in its DNP program requirements, requires proof of professional malpractice coverage, at limits the College chooses for NP students, before clinical courses begin, and mentions that a cost applies. On the Preceptor Intent Form, liability insurance then appears alongside immunizations as an example of the clinical requirements to satisfy before clinicals start.

Together they settle the timing: insurance is a gate, not a detail to finish during the term. A preceptor can be approved, credentials can clear the Office of Student Services check and a contract can be in place, and a student still cannot begin without proof of coverage. Our preceptor approval page shows where insurance sits among the other approvals, and the full compliance list is on our clinical health requirements page.

Coverage limits: the College sets them

ETSU's pages say the limits are set by the College but do not print the figures. Get them in writing from the Office of Student Services or your course faculty before you buy, and match the policy to them exactly. A policy written for a working RN is not automatically a policy for a nurse practitioner student.

When you compare policies, check three things. First, that the policy names you in your student role, as an NP student or whatever role your program uses. Second, that the per-claim and aggregate limits meet or exceed the College's figures. Third, that the policy period covers every clinical day you have planned, summer terms included.

The catalog notes that a cost applies, and premiums vary with the carrier and the limits you need. Our placement costs page explains how insurance fits with the other clinical expenses a student carries.

What sites and contracts ask

Insurance is part of how a site takes on a student. A contract must be in place between the College and the site before clinicals start, and that agreement, handled by the College, frames the placement; see our clinical contracts page. If a practice manager asks you directly for proof of coverage, send it together with a fresh Student Passport export from ProjectConcert, so the manager sees your whole record at once.

Working where you are employed raises its own question. Because the Intent Form records whether you are employed by the agency, the question of whose insurance applies comes up early, and coverage you hold as an employed RN belongs to that job. Your student hours are a different role, so ask the College whether employer coverage counts, and plan on your own student policy unless the College confirms otherwise. Our working where you work page covers the rest of that setup.