Several scary cases of nurse impersonation have recently happened across the United States. One prominent case involved Amanda Leeann Porter, who pretended to be a real nurse at many hospitals in California. In another case, authorities caught and charged an impersonator only after three years of unchecked illegal practice. These cases show how important it is for hospitals and healthcare facilities to screen their employees carefully.
Hospitals’ duty to screen employees
Hospitals must carefully check to ensure all healthcare workers have the proper skills and qualifications. This duty includes:
- Checking documents: Hospitals should closely examine all job seekers’ work papers, including licenses, certificates and old job records.
- Conducting background checks: Full background checks can reveal past crimes or lies. This step is key to preventing people with a history of fraud and other crimes from gaining employment at healthcare facilities.
- Constant monitoring: Regular updates and monitoring of workers ensure all staff are qualified and meet proper protocols.
Healthcare facilities must take these steps to keep patients safe and maintain trust in the healthcare system.
Are hospitals liable for lapses in screening?
Patients can sue hospitals for lapses in hiring practices if these lapses harm them. For example, if a hospital does not perform a thorough background check and hires someone unqualified to provide care, patients can sue the hospital for negligence.
To prove malpractice, the patient must prove the following:
- Duty of care: The hospital had a duty to ensure its staff was qualified.
- Breach of duty: The hospital failed to fulfill this duty through lapses in screening procedures.
- Causation: This failure directly led to patient harm.
- Damages: The patient suffered actual harm or losses.
All four must occur for a viable malpractice claim.
Pursuing accountability
The latest incidence of nurse impersonations shows how important it is to screen employees diligently in healthcare facilities. If you suspect that you have suffered harm from a healthcare worker impersonator, consider talking to an experienced attorney to know your rights and choices.
