A friend bought her degree from the Philippines.

Ethical dilemma. Nurses General Nursing

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Specializes in Medsurg,SICU,MICU,NICU.

So I have a friend who I have known for a fact didn't go to nursing school in the Philippines because she was here in the United States working as a caregiver and mind you it takes 4 years to finish a bachelor's degree. She was taking this shady online classes and telling people that she's in nursing school. Now she miraculously applied for Florida license. Hence, she lives in Michigan and was approved to take the NCLEX. Of all the years I've known her, I have never seen her study or actually be enrolled in school. I am so upset as I worked so hard for my degree. I became an ADN first then went on to pursue my bachelor's degree. Now, she even have a private staffing agency that she poses as a graduate nurse. It baffles me to no end that a person could do all of these things and not bat an eyelash. I need an advice on what to do or should I just cut off all ties with her and let karma do their work. I never wished for anybody to fail NCLEX but in her case I hope she does. It's not safe, fair and for me, it undermines all the hard work nursing student does.

Specializes in SRNA CEN CCRN-CMC.

If what you say about is true about your friend I recommend reporting her to the BON in the state she has applied for a license and I wouldn't worry about it because she will not pass her boards.

18 Votes
Specializes in OB-Gyn/Primary Care/Ambulatory Leadership.

Sounds like a great person to be friends with.

6 Votes
Specializes in NICU, ICU, PICU, Academia.

I would say you have a duty to report this.

16 Votes

How close are you to this friend? Is it possible that she did graduate years ago and had educational deficiencies? That seems to be common with international graduates.

It's also possible that she's lying about graduating and lying about being a graduate nurse. As in, the BON doesn't think she is one ...but all of her friends do.


In any case, report it if you suspect something shady, then let the BON sort it out.

14 Votes
Specializes in ICU, LTACH, Internal Medicine.

Well...

Many years ago one "watchful" and "responsible" lady just like you reported me to Michigan BON. Her point was that she was struggling soooooo much through pharma and patho in BSN program and I was not "even" required to take those classes and yet "somehow allowed" to progress through the program and she "just got concerned" and requested investigation of myself and of the whole place.

She had no idea who I was, that I did years of both subjects + USMLE, and that the program took my past education into account. She also did not know what "libel" was, that it was a misdemeanor in Michigan, and that she would have a little box to check on her license application stating if she was ever involved, prosecuted, convinced... etc. She was so naive that she did not get a lawyer before writing her little dirty letter.

Long story short, the lady never finished the program. As a matter of fact, she will never work as a licensed professional in healthcare, education, jurisprudence, etc. due to being labeled as a person of "poor moral standing".

You may have no idea about one's life past and present even when you two share house, food and bed for years. Your friend very well might be a foreign grad taking various pre-NCLEX online classes and working as a caregiver in the meantime. She applied to BON in one state and for license in another, just like every third or fourth other NCLEX applicant does. If BON finds something shady or unclear in her file, they will deal with it. If she is just a lawful non-traditional applicant, she will have all rights to sue you for libel and all chances to win the case. She will have all 4 components cut and served on a silver plate.

Never underestimate the perceived level of knowledge of an immigrant. Being it nursing, legal or any other area - never. Many immigrants pass not only NCLEX, but USMLE 1, 2 and 3 with flying colors and minimal prep, because in the shell they are very superficial and require minimal baseline knowledge. And going through immigration hoops makes an average immigrant better versed in the US legal system than an average born and raised American.

59 Votes

What did your friend say when you asked her about this?

Please tell me that you actually talked to a friend before consulting a bunch of strangers.

13 Votes
Specializes in Rehab/Nurse Manager.

Seems like a situation I would stay out of, if only because it seems like not all the facts are known. Just because you have never seen her study or go to school doesn’t mean she hasn’t. It’s hard to judge the credibility of the “shady online classes” without knowing anything about them. Unless you can prove with certainty she never attended nursing school, I would stay quiet. If she truly is trying to obtain her license in unethical manners, it will eventually be found out. She will fail her NCLEX or not succeed as a nurse. With that said, if you are truly suspicious of her, keep your distance and let things sort themselves out.

10 Votes
Specializes in EMS, ED, Trauma, CEN, CPEN, TCRN.
23 hours ago, thatgirlisangel said:

Of all the years I've known her, I have never seen her study or actually be enrolled in school.

Did you live with her? See her daily for a significant portion of the day? Have access to her bank accounts to see if she paid tuition? How much do we really know about the entirety of a person's day unless we are intimately involved with them?

I sense that you are spending a lot of time and energy worrying about this person. That is not healthy. You are also making serious accusations, so make sure they are well founded if you go forward lest this come back on you in a way that you didn't intend.

14 Votes

OP, I'd suggest you worry about you and not your "friend", I can almost smell the green tinged sour grapes from here. If she isn't adequately prepared for the NCLEX the problem will sort itself out.

16 Votes

I would tread very lightly here and not assume anything. From personal experience, I have known quite a few Filipinas who were graduates of medical and/or nursing programs and, as somebody else mentioned above, had deficiencies and had to do extra classes/things in order to become nurses. This seems to happen quite a bit w/ people from foreign countries who have graduated in a medical/nursing field elsewhere, but have to take extra classes here in order to become licensed. That or they just have to retake all of nursing school again.

Maybe just have a conversation w/ her and just ask her curiously about her schooling. See what she says.

4 Votes
Specializes in ER.

I think foreign obtained degrees are highly scrutinized. Probably you don't have to do anything. She probably won't pass if she didn't study.

Incidentally, one does not have to be from the Philippines to attend school there. My son studied there for a few years at an Adventist University. It's an inexpensive alternative, the higher education is in English. He ended up marrying a lovely lady from there and they now live in the US.

6 Votes
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