Failure to Complete Required Background Checks Prior to Staff Hire
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to conduct a thorough investigation into the background of a prospective staff member, specifically a nurse aide, prior to her hire date. Review of the employee file revealed that, although the nurse aide had signed consents for background checks, there was no documentation of a completed state or federal background check, including the required fingerprint-based screening through the Applicant Background Check Management System (ABCMS). The Human Resources Director was unable to provide evidence of an ABCMS screening and could not explain why it was missing from the file. The Administrator also could not account for the absence of the background check or ABCMS screening prior to employment. Additionally, the facility was unable to produce a policy for pre-employment screening when requested. The abuse policy provided during the survey only referenced ensuring an active license or certification and reviewing regulatory action reports, but did not outline a process for completing background checks or ABCMS screenings. This lack of documentation and policy resulted in the facility hiring a nurse aide without verifying her background as required.