Use public personnel records

Tracy Weber

Charles Ornstein

Reporters Tracy Weber and Charles Ornstein teamed up in a Los Angeles Times and ProPublica.org investigation looking at temporary nurse-staffing firms. Based on disciplinary records, personnel files, court documents and interviews, they write:

“Firms hired nurses who had criminal records or left states where their licenses had been restricted or revoked. At least three firms employed a nurse in California whose license had been suspended in Minnesota for stealing drugs at a string of temp jobs. One used him after he’d been convicted of doing the same thing at a Santa Rosa nursing home.”

“We studied the disciplinary actions taken against every California nurse since 2002 — now about 2,400 all told,” Charles says. “In the files, they refer to personnel records, and we filed Public Records Act requests for exhibits introduced at hearings (the documents from the hospitals and the agencies).”

This story is part of an occasional series called “When Caregivers Harm” about nurse oversight. The story includes interactive graphics following the employment history of some of the nurses in question.

Today’s Tip: Use personnel and disciplinary records.

Public employees’ personnel records are open records. Depending on the industry, you may also be able to access disciplinary informatio

n. For instance, the California Department of Consumer Affairs Board of Registered Nursing allows access to nurses’ information simply b

y searching first and last names.

And you can find brokers’ disciplinary records at the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority’s site.

Charles says reporters should look at six months’ worth of disciplinary records from a state licensing board and note any trends.  “We spotted clear problems not just with temp nurses, but also with the speed at which state regulators responded to complaints,” he says.

The whole database is available online.