Failure to Complete Pre-Employment Screenings for New Hires
Penalty
Summary
Facility staff failed to complete required pre-employment screenings, including Criminal Background Checks (CBC), Employee Disqualification List (EDL) verification, Family Care Safety Registry (FCSR), and Certified Nurse Aide (CNA) Registry checks for six out of ten sampled employees. Personnel files and timecards revealed that several staff members began working before these screenings were completed or documented, contrary to the facility's policies. For example, one registered nurse's file lacked CNA Registry verification, and another CNA's file was missing FCSR, CBC, and CNA Registry documentation. Additionally, some background checks and verifications were dated after the employees' hire or start dates, indicating that screenings were not completed prior to employment as required. Interviews with the Director of Nursing (DON), Human Resources (HR) director, and administrator confirmed that the HR director was responsible for completing all pre-employment screenings before new hires began work. The current HR director reported insufficient training and acknowledged gaps in the screening process, while the administrator was unaware that screenings were not being completed correctly or timely. The facility's own policies require all pre-employment checks to be finalized before staff members start work, but documentation and staff statements confirmed this was not consistently done.