Graduated from Carleen nursing school- I am afraid, help, please

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Graduated from Carleen nursing school- I am afraid, help, please

Hi Nurse Beth,

I finished my nursing program and clinical from accredited school but couldn't pass their exit exam. I transferred all credit to Carleen. They have a 80% completed nursing program. The school only requires us to take NCLEX course since we already finished our nursing program from previous school.

I thought the school was approved by the state that's why I see everyone who attend the program approved to sit for board exam. Now, the school is under review. I don't know what will happened since I didn't take any classes or clinical from the school beside the NCLEX review they required. I passed my state board got license in 2021. I don't want to be called a fraud because I am not. In fact I am a victim. I am scared and don't know what to do. please advise

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30 Answers

Specializes in Tele, ICU, Staff Development.

Dear Afraid,

This must be extremely stressful.

Reputable nursing programs do not allow students to transfer in midstream from another school. Students who do not complete a nursing program in one school must start over when moving to another school.

Likewise, reputable nursing schools do not confer diplomas on behalf of work completed at another school. (This is called buying a diploma).

The BON will not issue an authorization to test (ATT) until the school lets them know a student is clear. In your case, your school did not submit your name to the BON as eligible to test because you did not pass the required exit exam.

Carleen Health Institute submitted your name to the BON as eligible to test even though you did not attend their school. This raised a red flag.

 Carleen Health Institute of South Florida, West Palm Beach, is under investigation by the Florida Department of Education. Their doors are locked, and they are not in operation.

As part of the investigation, Carleen is being asked to provide the following:

  • A list of all currently enrolled students to include the student's name, address, phone number, email address, and program enrolled.
  • A list of all graduates from the institution to include the student's name, address, phone number, email address, and program enrolled.

Carleen Health Institute may submit your name to the Florida Department of Education. If so, the Department will contact you.

In your case, you attended an entire nursing program, albeit at another school. Check with an attorney to see if you have a claim based on the fact that you attended the required hours and clinicals.

Best wishes,

Nurse Beth

Specializes in Vents, Telemetry, Home Care, Home infusion.

One cause for concern is not taking actual nursing course instruction and clinical practice at Carleen as required by NY and Florida nursing education regulations.  Article New York nurses who attended seven Florida schools could lose licenses  lists name of attorney representing NY licensed nurses caught up in this issue.  Best wishes moving forward in a nursing career.

Specializes in Tele, ICU, Staff Development.

You can also check out the American Association of Nurse Attorneys to find one in your area.

The difference with you from those people who bought diplomas is they didn't attend a single class. If you finished all your theory nursing units and clinical hours, you can always transfer it. We were travel students from florida to california. And one of our classmates couldn't handle the airplane trips anymore so she transferred her units to unitek here in california.  Always good to be prepared for the worst, have a lawyer ready and have all the required documents ready like transcript and signed clinical hours.

Christine30 said:

Response to JcezzRN,  thanks for your advise. I have a lawyer ready for my case. I also have  transcript and evidence of attending clinical hours from accreditation school. Can you please explained more about process of transferring nursing credit to California school. Is the school accredited?. I am so afraid attending school that's not accredited. I never want to go through this process of nursing scam again. Thanks a lot for your help

You should always look for the school name under the board of nursing website. Don't rely on the actual school telling you they are accredited. RN.ca.gov and type RN programs on the search bar, ctrl + f and type the name of the school, if you can't find it then they are not accredited. floridanursing.gov for florida. You might want to finish your school in florida and pass your florida nlcex RN first then endorse to california RN because it will save you time and hassle. California schools are strict on class units and sometimes make you retake the same classes just to make more money.

Specializes in Vents, Telemetry, Home Care, Home infusion.

2/27/23  NY Board of Nursing  has new Q+A update:

Operation Nightingale and Florida Nursing Education – Questions & Answers

If you have a NY license refer to above --Carleen not on BON list @ this time.

Quote

The Department only wrote to individuals identified explicitly by federal authorities as those who received a license in New York without completing required courses and. If you are licensed and did not receive a letter, you do not need to take action now.

 

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I put all of my hard work into nursing school and finished the whole nursing program including clinicals. However, the only option to passed the program is to passed HESI or ATI exit. Long make it short. You don't get know what type of exam you will be getting until the day you take the exam. This got me freaking out because I don't know what to focus. HESI and ATI questions are totally different from each other. This is why I fail because of anxiety built up. I hope no one ever have to go to any school that only rely on one exam to determine if you pass or fail nursing. I passed my NCLEX first time to prove the school that I have the knowledge and skills to become a nurse. Now I try to apply to public school to repeat my LPN to RN program all over because I believe in myself that I can do it. Just because the school scam me. I don't have to be a victim. Mistake happens, I just need to moving forward. Anyone who is in  my situation please don't give up. Keep moving forward ? 

Specializes in oncology.
Jcezz said:

If you finished all your theory nursing units and clinical hours, you can always transfer it. We were travel students from florida to california. And one of our classmates couldn't handle the airplane trips anymore so she transferred her units to unitek here in california.  

You CANNOT transfer nursing credits from one program to another program, unless they have the same curriculum. Unitek is a for-profit program and may have some student acceptance policies that are acceptable to only them.  "For profit" programs see ($) dollar signs when enrolling students for usually unacceptable reasons. 

Thanks you for your advise. Do you have any recommendations for  lawyer that defense nurse in my case .

Thanks much nurse Beth

Specializes in Medsurg.

I have no advice to give but I'm praying for you! 

Specializes in Tele, ICU, Staff Development.
Snatchedwig said:

I have no advice to give but I'm praying for you! 

It's makes me sad as well 

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