Imposter Nurse Hired Twice and Allowed to Function as LPN Without Proper Verification
Penalty
Summary
Administration failed to ensure that nursing services were provided by qualified personnel when an unlicensed individual was hired and allowed to function as an LPN on two separate occasions using another nurse’s Tennessee license. For the first hire, the personnel file showed an employment application dated 02/08/2023 with a Social Security Number (SSN) that did not match the SSN on the W‑4 form dated 02/13/2023. The I‑9 form dated 02/13/2023 listed the imposter’s legal first and last name, supported by a birth certificate and an out‑of‑state driver’s license, and the last name on the I‑9 matched the driver’s license. However, the license verification form in the file was for a different individual, an LPN with the same first name but a different last name, and there was no evidence that a Tennessee Abuse Registry check was completed prior to the 02/13/2023 hire date. Time punch records showed the imposter worked multiple shifts in February, March, April, and May 2023 before being terminated on 06/06/2023, with the termination form citing voluntary resignation due to chronic absenteeism and tardiness. For the second hire, the imposter was rehired with a personnel file showing that the SSN on the employment application, W‑4, and background check matched each other but differed from the two SSNs used during the first hire, meaning three different SSNs were used across the two employment periods. There was no I‑9 form or supporting identity documents in the file for the rehire. A license verification form again showed a nursing license in the name of the same LPN whose license had been used previously, with the same first name as the imposter but a different last name and a later expiration date. The background screening report dated 02/13/2024 used the SSN from the employee application, which did not match the SSN previously submitted on the I‑9 form from the first hire. Time punch data showed the imposter worked several days in May 2024 before a termination dated 06/24/2024, which documented voluntary resignation after failing to provide a schedule and not returning after orientation. In an interview, the Administrator stated the facility used the same resume for both hires and that the facility did not have a hiring policy, only a checklist.
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