According to an investigation by the Los Angeles Times and ProPublica, some healthcare staffing agencies that supply temporary nurses to hospitals around the country are skimping on background checks, not verifying credentials, and ignoring warnings about unfit nurses, thus leaving patients – some seriously ill – in the hands of “incompetent or impaired” caregivers.

The Times/ProPublica investigation uncovered several instances of firms hiring nurses who had criminal records or who left states where their licenses had been restricted or revoked, and of temp agencies shuffling poor-performing nurses from one hospital to another after they stole drugs, were caught sleeping on the job, or failed to give proper medical attention to patients in their care.

Nurse staffing is a $4 billion industry with an estimated 3,000 to 6,000 agencies nationwide, but a lack of regulation, a chronic nursing shortage, and long delays – sometimes years – in disciplining nurses accused of serious misconduct have allowed nurses with criminal backgrounds and bad performance records to get hired without proper background checks, credentialing, or even interviews, the Times/ProPublica reports.

In the healthcare industry, where millions of patients put their lives in the hands of trusted caregivers every day, the importance of background checks and credentialing for current and potential staff members goes beyond cost, compliance, and legal liability issues. It can be a matter of life or death. A successful background check and credentialing process helps healthcare organizations promote workplace safety, increase security for patients, and avoid the consequences of fraud, injuries, judgments, damages, and poor performance.

Pre-Employ.com – a nationally recognized leader in background check services – has partnered with many hospitals and healthcare organizations across the country to provide effective background check solutions using best practice guidelines. For more information on background checks and credentialing, view a free on-demand webinar at http://www.pre-employ.com/webinars/Healthcare-Webinars.aspx and take a tour of an automated licensing service at http://www.pre-employ.com/Licensing/Tour/. For more information about Pre-Employ.com, visit www.pre-employ.com, email info@pre-employ.com, or call 1-800-300-1821.

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