CNA abused pts. now working as CNA in another LTC!

[sassynurse78]

The facility I worked at recently fired a CNA after many staff members reported what the CNA said to pts. The CNA was making statements such as telling one pt, "The only thing wrong with you is that your psyhco" Answering call lights and telling the pts, that she did not clean up sh*t, cursing in rooms and even telling one pt. not to "touch me because your nasty". She made many other statments also, and the abuse was verbal. Our facility reported the abuse to the State Dept. of Health after investigating and firing her. The other night, she showed up in a uniform and told other CNA's that she quit because there was no teamwork at the facility. She stated she was working at another local nursing home. I know for a fact she was fired for verbal abuse, and also that it was reported.

I am assuming that the other facility did not check references (they are known to do this at times), however she also lied that she quit at ours. So maybe (hopefully) she lied about working at the other facility. So I guess my question here is, what can be done about this? Should I call the state and question why she is working at another facility? Should I call the other facility? I just assumed that if someone is fired once for abuse, then it would be flagged somewhere on her certification that a new facility would be able to see that? It sickens me to think that she is caring for other elderly and often confused pts that may not be able to report what she says/does to them. I do not think this situation is right, however I am not sure where I stand since for one, technically I shouldn't know about the abuse and that she was fired. And two, I really shouldn't have been told it was reported to the state. But I work in a small facility and am close with most of the management. One member of the management confided to me what happend and I seen the report to the state. But really I shouldn't have. I have told no one else at work what I know about the investigation/reporting. Other staff does know about the alleged abuse because they were interveiwed and many reported things she had said.

So does anyone know if the new facility would know about the abuse at ours? Or should I do something? Is it my place to?

[CHATSDALE]

there are several varibles in this...if she was fired and the abuse was reported to the state board then the case might be working its way through the system..ie her certification might be in place until she has a hearing

she may have been allowed to resign and a notation attached to her file in which case the it is not 'official' but if the hiring facility calls and checks records they can be told she is not on a rehire list but w/o the specifics because she has not been convicted

next thing to consider is what is your postion?? calling about the hiring facility when you don't know the provable facts would not be a wise decision

i have seen many times when a nurse/aide is just shuffled out of the door to go to the next facility and repeat the pattern

it is easier than filing charges esp when they are difficult to prove but it does not solve the problem

as to what you can do...go to don and pass on the word that she is working in another facility. i don't know if they will be able to do anything more or not but these dons know each other and they can pass along info in casual conversation that is not an offical complaint... at least if hiring facility is aware of potential harm they can be on look out

hopefully she has learned a lesson and can correct own ways

[sassynurse78]

Thanks for your comments...my position is exactly what I was unsure of. I am not management therefore truely in a way I do not feel like it is my place to say anything. I know our facility did the right thing by reporting the abuse, although since I do not know for fact what all she said or did, I do not know for sure if it did not become a situation of she said/he said. I believe I will take your advice and tell my DON. I did tell my DON that she visited the facility and was told that if she visits again to escort her off the property, if she refuses to leave then to notify the police. It just breaks my heart to think about the pts. that have to hear verbal abuse in what in reality is their own home. I hope that she did learn from her mistakes, she is very young and maybe it was a wake up call as to how to conduct yourself.

[FROGGYLEGS, LPN]

If complaints of abuse are reported to this state the person accused of abuse can end up with their name on the state elder abuse registry. The LTCs in this state are required to check the elder abuse registry prior to hiring any staff. What I do think is odd is that having your name on the elder abuse registry does not necessarily prevent you from working as a nurse or CNA. They can actually go to work in a different type of setting as long as their license or certification is still valid.

[sassynurse78]

Well a quick update...I ran into a nurse I had worked with before. She happened to be working at the facility the CNA went to. She asked me why she left my facility and that she was a terrible CNA. The only comment I made was that she needs to be watched because some of the staff had suspected her of verbally abusing pts. Turns out there have been CNA's reporting that she was saying things to pts that were kind of in between a rude comment or verbal abuse at her new workplace. She told me that she and the other nurses have been standing outside doors listening because they suspected that she was verbally abusing pts. She gave me a call the other day and told me that she took her suspicisons to the DON and that he fired her based on the fact that her nurses suspected something and that the other CNA's reported comments. At least I feel better that she is not working for right now, and obviously she did not learn her lesson the first time. Hopefully in the future if she doesn't find a new feild to work in, she has etheir learned her lesson and realizes the error of her ways, or it will be obvious at the next place she works at also and they will fire her to.