A full audit of Veterans Health Administration personnel procedures was conducted after an initial review found that the Louis A. Johnson VA Medical Center failed to complete a timely background check of a former nursing assistant who admitted to killing seven veterans at the hospital. The Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General noted in a report that it found inadequate background checks at another hospital, the Beckley VA Medical Center, as well. The cases found varied from never initiating suitability checks to not performing fingerprinting to discontinuing background investigations in error or not completing them in the required timeframe.
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This comes on the heels of a massive federal takedown of a fraudulent nursing diploma scheme and at a time when the health industry is already experiencing a nurse shortage. It continues to stress the importance of thorough background checks, using an accredited firm that has the resources and knowledge to understand the credentials needed.
As always, Hire Image is here to help. Please contact us if you have any questions about your own background screening practices.