LOS ANGELES – Officials at the University of California Irvine (UCI) Medical Center disciplined 22 employees in the last month on the grounds of possessing fake cardiopulmonary resuscitation certificates.
The first false certificate came to light on May 15, when an employee presented it at a CPR recertification class. The resulting investigation, which ended June 15, revealed 21 more. Officials are still uncertain how the employees obtained the cards. Staff names have not been disclosed, although the center admits they were directly responsible for patient care. No one has been arrested.
UCI requires its employees to renew CPR certification every two years. To get certified, employees must attend a four to six hour class, pass a written exam and administer the procedure correctly on a dummy. UCI allows employees to take the class during work periods at no extra cost.
