Failure to Verify Professional License Prior to Employment
Summary
The facility failed to verify the professional license of a nurse aide prior to employment, as required by personnel policies and procedures. Specifically, the personnel record for the nurse aide showed a hire date that preceded the date on which the license verification was completed. The human resource director confirmed during an interview that the license verification inquiry was conducted after the employee had already been hired. This deficiency was identified during a review of new hire files and staff interviews, and it affected one out of two employees reviewed.
Plan Of Correction
The human resource director was educated by the NHA related to timely pulling the staff professional license before the date of hire to ensure the license is valid. The new hire files were reviewed by HR. All new hire files will be audited weekly, the Friday before new hires start, to ensure and maintain compliance by the NHA. An audit was completed on all new hire files for license checks before the start date. I certify this document to be a true and correct statement of deficiencies and approved facility plan of correction for the above-identified facility survey.
Penalty
The facility did not verify professional licenses for an LPN and three RNs before their employment, violating their policy. Staff interviews confirmed the oversight, with the Regional HR Employee and DON acknowledging the lapse in pre-employment screening procedures.
Failure to Verify Professional Licenses Before Employment
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to verify professional licenses prior to employment for four out of five new hires, which is a violation of their own personnel policies and procedures. The policy, dated 1/11/24, mandates that background checks, including verification of professional licenses, be completed before employment to ensure the safety and well-being of residents and staff. However, the personnel records for an LPN and three RNs did not include completed license verification checks before their respective hire dates. Interviews with facility staff confirmed the oversight. The Regional Human Resource Employee acknowledged that the verification should have been completed before the start date, and the Director of Nursing confirmed the failure to verify licenses for the four employees. This deficiency was identified during a review of new hire files and staff interviews, highlighting a lapse in adherence to the facility's established procedures for pre-employment screening.
Plan Of Correction
1. Registered Nurse Employee E4 no longer works at the facility. Licensed Nurse Employee E1, Registered Nurse E3, Registered Nurse E5's licenses were verified by 1/17/25. 2. The Human Resource Director/designee will audit current licensed staff to ensure licenses are verified and in good standing. 3. The Human Resource Director will be re-educated on facility policies for Background checks by the Nursing Home Administrator/designee. 4. The Nursing Home Administrator/designee will audit new hires weekly for four weeks and monthly for three months to ensure licensed staff licenses are verified and in good standing. Outcomes will be reported to the Quality Assurance Performance Improvement Committee for review and recommendations.
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