Failure to Complete Pre-Employment Background Checks for Direct Care Staff
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that three out of ten staff members, including a registered nurse, a licensed vocational nurse, and a certified nurse assistant, had background checks completed prior to their employment. Review of employee files revealed that background checks for these staff members were either conducted years after their hire dates or only after a random review, rather than before employment as required by facility policy. The Director of Staff Development confirmed that some background checks were missing or delayed, and the Director of Nursing acknowledged the risk posed by employing staff without completed background checks. An incident involving a resident who required assistance with personal care, and who had diagnoses including gout and toxic encephalopathy, highlighted the deficiency. The resident reported being handled roughly by a CNA during incontinent care, leading to an abuse investigation. It was discovered that the CNA involved had not undergone a background check prior to hire. Facility policies reviewed indicated that background checks were to be completed before employment, but this was not followed in these cases.