Fake Nursing School Update: Washington State and Texas Release Names, and VA Hospital Fires 89 Fake Nurses

Update #2: Fake Nurse Scandal — Operation Nightingale- Texas names’ names, 10 nursing schools close, and info on how to check your nurses’ credentials through Nursys

Photo byJESHOOTS.COMonUnsplash

Here is the second update on the national nursing scandal and investigation called Operation Nightingale from the Texas Nursing Board, Pulse, Nurses.org, and Forbes. The FBI investigation found that 7600 fake diplomas and transcripts were bought from 3 fake Florida based nursing schools.

As of February 22, 2023, the Texas Nursing Board has filed charges and released the names of 23 nurses. In a statement from the board:

The Board has filed Formal Charges against the following nurses for fraudulently obtaining educational credentials. The Board is authorized to file Formal Charges against a nurse if probable cause exists that the nurse has committed an act listed in Tex. Occ. Code §301.452(b) or that violates other law. See Tex. Occ. Code §301.458. Further, Formal Charges are publicly available. See Tex. Occ. Code §301.466(b). Please note that Formal Charges are not a final disciplinary action, and a nurse is permitted to work, as a nurse, while Formal Charges are pending. (Texas Nursing Board)

Click here for an updated list of names, more may be added as the investigation continues.

Janet Novack from Forbes magazine took a deep dive and listed the latest states to release information. She said:

“The unsettling result: fake nurses were working everywhere from Texas nursing homes to a New Jersey assisted living facility to a New York agency caring for homebound pediatric patients. The Veterans Administration has had to fire 89 phony-degreed nurses involved in direct patient care as a result of what the Feds call “Operation Nightingale.’’ (The VA says it has uncovered no actual patient harm.) State licensing boards are also scrambling Delaware has annulled 26 licenses of working nurses, Georgia has asked 22 to surrender their licenses, and Washington state is investigating 150 applicants with fraudulent credentials. (Whitford & Novack, 2023)

In my first update, only 3 schools were closed according to CBS:

Siena College

Palm Beach School of Nursing

Sacred Heart International Institute

Here is the list of more nursing schools that have closed and ceased operation from the investigation according to the Florida Department of Education.

Carleen Health Institute of South Florida, West Palm Beach (#5075)

Med-Life Institute, Lauderdale Lakes (#3097)

Myrielle School of Nursing, Palm Springs (#7741)

Nursing Bridges Institute, Pensacola (#6138)

Palm Beach International College, Lake Worth (#7659)

Suncoast College of Health, Bradenton (#3214)

Techni-Pro Institute, LLC., Boca Raton (#2671)

The Commission may consider emergency action in accordance with section 120.60(6), Florida Statutes, and disciplinary measures in accordance with section 1005.38, Florida Statutes and Rule 6E-2.0061, Florida Administrative Code. The following link to the Commission’s website will have additional information when available. https://www.fldoe.org/policy/cie/

If you have questions or concerns about your healthcare provider’s nursing credentials you can check https://www.nursys.com/ or contact your medical administrator or local nursing board.

I will continue to give updates as new developments unfold.

Fake Nurse Count by State or Agency — 189 out of the over 7600 potential fake nursing degrees

Delaware — 26

Georgia — 22

Texas — 23

The Veterans Administration — 89 (No harm reported)

Washington — 17 licenses rescinded +  12 licenses denied (Washington State Nursing Board)

It should be noted that the Veterans Administration is claiming that they haven't found any harm caused by the 89 nurses they terminated. Honey Ong from Scrubs Magazine says,

"...some of the students who purchased the degrees said they had no idea that they were illegitimate. Two women in Texas recently spoke out about their experience. They attended Jean’s NCLEX Review in northwest Harris County in April 2021. Both requested to remain anonymous amid the ongoing investigation.

“We had classes. We did our clinicals at a clinic. Really, nothing seemed out of the normal,” one woman explained after the charges were announced. The women were planning on using their degrees to become licensed nurse practitioners but their dreams turned to dust when they found out the school was a sham.

“I love to take care of people. I have been a caregiver for like six, seven years now,” the woman added. The Jeans owned the school the two women were enrolled in. It was supposed to be a yearslong course intended to prepare students for the national nurse licensing exam." (Ong, 2023)

Here is a video analysis from a nurse's perspective.

Thank you for reading.

Sources

Ong, H. (2023, February 21). Scrubs Magazine. Retrieved from https://scrubsmag.com: https://scrubsmag.com/nurses-with-fake-degrees-break-their-silence-on-diploma-scheme/

Paul, J. (2023, January 26). Retrieved from https://6abc.com: https://6abc.com/nurse-licenses-annulled-operation-nightingale-fradulent-nursing-diploma-scheme-department-of-justice/12738868/

Pezenik, S. (2023, January 26). https://6abc.com. Retrieved from https://6abc.com/nursing-degree-scheme-fake-diplomas-certificates-fraudulent-credentials/12737135/

Valinsky, J. (2023, February 9). Retrieved from https://www.cnn.com: https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/09/business/fabuloso-cleaner-recall/index.html

Whitford, E., & Novack, J. (2023, February 21). Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com: https://www.forbes.com/sites/emmawhitford/2023/02/21/how-thousands-of-nurses-got-licensed-with-fake-degrees/?utm_source=ForbesMainTwitter&utm_campaign=socialflowForbesMainTwitter&utm_medium=social&sh=89188055c6d8