Nearly 600 nursing assistants in Minnesota must retake their professional registration exams following an investigation that found "potential improprieties" at two Inver Hills Community College sites where they trained.
The unusual move was announced Tuesday by the Minnesota Department of Health after an investigation into a "suspicious pattern in test results" at two schools: Inver Hills' Center for Professional and Workforce Development, and its satellite location at BlueSky Online in West St. Paul.
An unusual number of students received perfect scores on the writing exam, where the typical score has been 80 percent to 90 percent, and on the practical exam, where the average score has been around 70 percent, said Gil Acevedo, an assistant state health commissioner.
Rather than sorting out the suspicious scores from the legitimate ones, state officials decided to have all nursing assistants retake the test if their original exams took place between May 1, 2014, and Oct. 16, 2015, at one of the two sites.
"We have an obligation to ensure that these workers meet the basic requirements," Acevedo said.
He said there is a "relatively low risk" to patients because nursing assistants must be supervised and receive specialized training after hiring and before working with patients.
"Regardless," Acevedo added, "it is important to re-establish the credentials of these nursing assistants as quickly as possible."
Nursing assistants are in many ways the lifeblood of nursing homes and care facilities. They monitor patients and their vital signs, administer medication with nurse supervision, and assist patients with dressing, bathing, eating and other daily functions.
