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Performing thorough background checks on staff helps to protect residents' and patients' safety and an organisation's reputation. Debra Shipman and Jack Hooten present a US perspective, which is also relevant to UK employers
Summary
It is compulsory for an applicant seeking employment in a healthcare organisation in the United States to undergo a series of background checks, which are carried out by the employer. These checks are made to protect the safety and wellbeing of residents in nursing homes or patients in healthcare organisations. Residents of nursing homes are soft targets for criminals and patients undergoing medical procedures can be vulnerable to abuse. The deviant behaviour of employees can also be a financial disaster for organisations, and min their reputation. This article discusses safeguards that an organisation in the US can put in place to protect its interests and help keep patients or residents safe and preserve their integrity. Although care systems are different in the UK, concerns about the potential abuse of vulnerable adults are similar.
Keywords
Background checks, safeguarding, safety
ONE OF the challenges of the new millennium is how to improve nursing care for older adults (Hinshaw 2000). It is estimated that between one and two million Americans who are 65 or older have been mistreated by someone whom they depend on for care (Bonnie and Wallace 2003). Older adults are particularly vulnerable because they may have numerous physical ailments, along with cognitive deficits (Wunderlich and Kohler 2001).
Approximately 66 per cent of nursing home residents have a significant cognitive impairment (Hawes 2002). Resident safety is one of the most significant public health concerns in long-term settings (Institute of Medicine 2001, 2004), but mistreatment of long-term care residents continues despite attempts to eliminate it (Hawes 2002). Performing thorough background checks may help protect the resident's safety and the organisation's reputation.
Patient abuse
Nurses care for vulnerable patients such as older people, children and those with mental Ul health. In the United States, it is estimated that 2.16 million older people are abused each year (Plitnick 2008), therefore, background checks are important to help ensure that staff providing direct care do not present a danger to patients or residents. They are also a way for an organisation to protect itself against liability...