After a L.A.Times and ProPublica investigtion found that violent or negligent nurses were allowed to stay on the job for years because of slow responses from the California Board of Nursing, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger fired three of the seven appointees to the board. The Governor also named six new members to the nine-member panel, which oversees the work of approximately 350,000 registered nurses in California.
Schwarzenegger was forceful in his response to the report: “It is absolutely unacceptable that it takes years to investigate such outrageous allegations of misconduct against licensed health professionals whom the public rely on for their health and well-being.”
The report from the LA Times (which was blogged about here) discovered nurses who continued to work years despite documented histories of incompetence, violence, criminal convictions and drug theft or abuse.
The Governor’s office stated that the new board will move quickly and decisively to address the backlog of nursing discipline cases.
The elder abuse lawyers at Walton Law Firm LLP represent individuals who have suffered abuse or neglect in the hospital, nursing home, or residential care setting. For a free and confidential consultation call (866) 607-1325.