Failure to Complete Required Background Checks for Staff
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to implement its written policies and procedures to prohibit and prevent abuse, neglect, and exploitation by not ensuring thorough caregiver background checks for staff. Specifically, a registered nurse (RN) was hired without the required out-of-state background check, despite documentation indicating the RN had resided in South Carolina within the previous three years. The omission was not identified during the initial hiring process or during a subsequent audit, as the audit document incorrectly indicated the RN had not resided outside Wisconsin in the last three years. Additionally, the facility's process for monitoring background checks was insufficient, as evidenced by another instance where a certified nursing assistant (CNA) worked a shift with an expired background check. This lapse was only discovered during an audit, after which the CNA's employment ended due to failure to complete the required background check information. These findings demonstrate that the facility did not consistently follow its own policy for screening potential employees and ensuring all required background checks were completed prior to allowing staff to work.