Fake Nursing School Scammed Me

[hppygr8ful, ASN, RN, EMT-I]

Soy Dora said:

 I'm poor so I can't afford a lawyer.

IMHO you cannot afford to not have an attorney. Research to see if there are any class actions being filed. Most attorney's will give you a free consultation then you can decide what's next.

[NRSKarenRN, BSN, RN]

In order to open a post secondary nursing education program in Florida, one first has to have approval from the Florida Education Department.

College programs are regulated under

• Florida College System
• State University System

While the Commission for Independent Education regulates non-public, postsecondary, educational institutions like practical nursing, RN diploma and private associate and bachelor degree institutions.

Quote

The Commission for Independent Education has statutory responsibilities in matters relating to nonpublic, postsecondary, educational institutions. In keeping with the Florida Department of Education's goal of producing a seamless educational system, some of these functions include consumer protection, program improvement, institutional policies and administration, data management, and the licensure of independent schools, colleges and universities.

Toll Free:  888-224-6684

Once the school has education approval, the Florida Board of Nursing approves prelicensure programs

Quote

This Section of Florida law also defines the Board's regulatory authority over established nursing education programs that meet the application requirements specified in Section 464.019, Florida Statutes. This Section of Florida law also defines the Board's regulatory authority over established nursing education programs.

Consumers are advised that the Board is not authorized to conduct site visits, and oversight of approved nursing education program quality measures is limited by Florida law.

All concerns or complaints pertaining to approved nursing education programs in Florida should be directed to the Commission for Independent Education at: www.fldoe.org/cie and select "File a Complaint".

FL private nursing program approval status found here:

https://web02.fldoe.org/CIE/SearchSchools/SchoolSearch.aspx

Commission for Independent Education concern process:

Quote

To voice a concern against a nonpublic postsecondary institution in Florida, please write a letter or send an e-mail containing the following information:

• Name of Student (or individual wishing to voice their concern)
• Address of Student (or individual wishing to voice their concern)
• Phone Number
• Name of Institution
• Location of the Institution (City)
• Dates of Attendance

A full description of the problem and any other documentation that will support your claim such as enrollment agreements, correspondence, etc.

The process of the Commission involves contacting the institution to obtain their response to your concern.  If you do not want the Commission to contact the institution you are attending, you must state so in your documentation; however, doing so will greatly hinder the Commission's ability to assist you with your concern.

Send Letter To:

Commission for Independent Education

325 W. Gaines Street, Suite 1414
Tallahassee, FL. 32399-0400

Or E-mail: [email protected]

Or Fax: [phone]

Note: Documents received in this office are considered public record. Confidentiality cannot be guaranteed. This office cannot give legal advice to any individual or take any legal action on behalf of any individual. We will investigate your concern to see what assistance, if any, we may be able to offer.

 

[Nurse_Anais]

I know people that graduated from there so its not a fake school. However it was a shady school because you could graduate in 3 months. Can you graduate in Florida?

[Jedrnurse, BSN, RN]

3 hours ago, hppygr8ful said:

IMHO you cannot afford to not have an attorney. Research to see if there are any class actions being filed. Most attorney's will give you a free consultation then ypu can decide what's next.

Also check out Legal Aid. Normally I'd say contact your state's Attorney General, but FL. is known for letting rackets like this thrive in the first place...

[delrionurse]

Can you contact the Board of Education. That seems against the law to withhold information on hard earned degree. 

https://law.justia.com/cases/florida/first-district-court-of-appeal/2021/19-4423.html

[londonflo]

Soy Dora said:

I went to a school named Ideal Professional Institute in Florida and paid $16,000 dollars for an associates degree.

Soy Dora said:

I just found out that the school is under probation in Florida for LVN and is permanently banned for RN. I did RN.

Nurse_Anais said:

However it was a shady school because you could graduate in 3 months.

Ideal had a passing NCLEX rate combined from 2016 to 2020 of 14.56%. You can see the actual rates each year and individual months at 

https://floridasnursing.gov/forms/RN-pass-rate-1q-2021.pdf

On page 91/202. 

I try to respond to anyone looking into these types of Florida for-profit LPN to RN nursing schools every time I see someone stating their starting ... 6/2022, 8/ 2022 etc. But I receive replies like... "I can teach myself", "I know someone who went there", "I don't have time to waste....gotta become an RN now" etc, These schools know this motivation and use it to get your $16,000 (the usual price). BTW there is usually no financing and you have to be paid in full to graduate. 

The Florida BON only approves programs. Otherwise the Board of Education is the monitor. A program must have NCLEX scores 10% below national pass rate for 3 years in a row before probation happens. 

On another post someone mentioned the school they are planning on attending. I looked up the program. From May to November 2020 only 70% passed. That means less than 3 of 4 graduates pass on the first take...barring an exit exam which may prevent many from actually graduating. On second to more retakes, only 30% pass (this is a national stat.. not related to that specific college). 

What are possible things for you to do?

1) call your congressman and senators. They may have some kind of relationship with Florida's congressmen and senators.

2) Contact any consumer agency like the Better Business Bureau (but I am not sure they cover educational programs - you will need to check)

3) Continue talking with the Texas BON, "what can I do now?"

4) Stay on AN and keep talking about these cra*ppy schools who prey on people wanting to move ahead.

5) I am not sure a lawyer will help (the state does publish the pass rates, and if the school is not accredited by a nursing accreditation like ACEN or CCNE, they do not have to publish their pass rates on their web sites.) But I am not a lawyer nor providing legal advice.

6) Have faith that you can continue to try another educational program being wiser about what to look for. Best wishes for the future. 

[klone, MSN, RN]

2 hours ago, RuralMOSchoolRN said:

Just spit balling, but would you be able to take the NCLEX in Florida? Then, once you have a license in one state it is usually just a matter of paperwork and a little money to license in another state...

You don't have to physically take the exam in FL if you want to get a FL license (or any state). You just apply to the FL BON to take the exam. You can be anywhere in the country to physically take the exam.

However, each state has its own licensing requirements, even for endorsement. And they generally require you to submit transcripts from the school you graduated from, or at least to list it.

[K. Everly, BSN, RN]

I'm really sorry this happened! I've never heard of such a thing but can absolutely confirm that before I got my BSN and became an RN, I had no idea what an ATT (authorization to test) even meant, or knew to ask a school if their program would enable me to fit for NCLEX and get my ATT.

It's not crazy at all to think if a program says they give you an associate's or bachelor's in nursing, with applicable clinical time, that it means they are actually qualified to do so and you'll be eligible to sit for the licensure exam. 

I sincerely hope you are eligible to sit for the NCLEX and get licensed in FL, and then get a license by endorsement for Texas. 

If it's true that this program claims to get people a nursing degree of any kind in 3-months and had a >14% NCLEX pass rate, then I am mind blown. 

[subee, MSN, CRNA]

1 hour ago, Nurse_Anais said:

yall are rude. she made a mistake. the best advice here is get a lawyer or sit for the Florida NCLEX. you should still be able to get you RN license there. good luck 

Just because one is able to get a diploma from a fake school and then get permission to sit for the Florida NCLEX doesn't mean that another state has to accept that diploma in another state.  This isn't the first program that graduated students that could only practice in the state of origin.  One component of a profession is self-regulation of the education of it's practitioners and our so-called nursing program "regulators" aren't accepting that responsibility.  If we aren't doing that, we are no longer strictly a "profession" but merely an unregulated trade.

[subee, MSN, CRNA]

On 4/5/2022 at 7:49 AM, Nurse_Anais said:

yall are rude. she made a mistake. the best advice here is get a lawyer or sit for the Florida NCLEX. you should still be able to get you RN license there. good luck 

Her Florida license is no good in any other state.  Not even Texas.  OP does NOT want to work in Fla.

[Leslie Grady, ASN, LPN, RN]

On 3/29/2022 at 4:05 PM, RuralMOSchoolRN said:

Just spit balling, but would you be able to take the NCLEX in Florida? Then, once you have a license in one state it is usually just a matter of paperwork and a little money to license in another state...

This is called getting an endorsement, which I have done myself with a Florida license. I live in NC, but went to a school in Florida. Once I finished school I was able to sit for the NCLEX in NC at a local Pearson Vue testing center. Once I passed the NCLEX on October 17, 2022 I received a "single state" Florida nursing license. I immediately applied for license endorsement to have it switch over to a "compact" NC nursing license this was completed on November 1, 2022. Also the cost to do it all was not much at all. The fingerprinting with the sheriff was $30 and license verification was about $30.

[londonflo]

On 10/22/2022 at 8:18 PM, NRSKarenRN said:

state legislature passed law in 2014 that professional nursing education programs must obtain national accreditation ACEN or CCNE by 2019 (for nursing schools open in 2014) or within 5 years of date of enrolling first students for those approved after the 2014 date.

ACEN and CCNE are programmatic accreditation.  Not for profit universities look for regional accreditation along with program accreditation and for profit look for national accreditation. 

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The Education Department has canceled its recognition of an accrediting agency that oversees mostly for-profit colleges, placing in jeopardy the survival of schools that serve about 5,000 students.

The decision bars colleges certified by the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools from participating in federal student aid programs unless they can get approval elsewhere. Schools will have 18 months to find new accreditation.

We have seen many students come on here and say their program is nationally accredited but that does not ensure any program quality. It is just to qualify for federal aide.