Failure to Conduct Employee Reference Checks and Lack of Screening Policy
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to complete employee reference checks prior to hiring several staff members, including two certified nursing assistants and two licensed practical nurses. Review of their employee files showed no evidence that reference checks were conducted before their employment start dates. Additionally, the facility was unable to provide an exact start date for one of the LPNs, and there was no documentation of reference checks for any of the four staff members reviewed. Interviews with the Director of Nursing and the Administrator confirmed that reference checks were not performed and that the company does not have a policy requiring them. Further review of the facility's policy titled 'Abuse Investigation and Reporting' revealed that it did not include any written procedures for screening potential staff for a history of abuse, neglect, exploitation, or misappropriation, nor did it require attempts to obtain information from previous or current employers. The lack of documented policies and procedures regarding employee reference checks had the potential to affect all residents in the facility, which had a census of 64 at the time of the survey.