missing documentation

I'm a brand new Director of Cllinical Services One of our nurses doing a chart check discovered that a recently fired nurse did not have her nursing visit notes in her charts. All gone! Disappeared! What recourse do we have? She has already collected her final paycheck. Is there a charge we can file to "force" her to give us the proper documentation?
Report her to the BON? Get risk management/facility lawyers involved? The notes do not belong to the individual or even the patient, they are property of the facility.

I would make one request by certified mail. No response within seven days, report her to the BRN. Consult with your risk management. BTW, in home health, I often see where nurses don't bother to provide their charting in the field chart. The supervisors never do anything about it.

Oh. I think the charge would be theft of property. Your risk management should follow up on this.

Was the charting removed, or never done?If actually removed, involve risk management. Removing patient documentation from the chart & premises is likely a HIPAA violation.