Did you ever consider that your coworker never attended nursing school?
Probably not. That would be ludicrous.
But maybe they didn't, as we're finding out in the news.
While it sounds like a script for a sequel to the movie Catch Me if You Can, where a con artist (Leonardo DiCaprio) fakes being an airline pilot, some licensed nurses practice nursing without attending nursing school.
This story is a story of cheaters and scammers.
How They Did It
These untrained nurses had no approved clinical hours or training. They never completed all of the required courses (think back to Chemistry, anatomy, and physiology!). Many never took a test, wrote a care plan, or attended a lecture. No one officially observed them starting an IV or inserting a Foley catheter.
How, then did they qualify to take the NCLEX? This is where the scammers come in.
The scammers sold counterfeit RN and LPN/LVN nursing diplomas and transcripts to desperate job seekers. Licensed practical nurse degrees sold for approximately $10,000, and registered nurse degrees for $17,000.
Capitalizing on the nursing shortage, greedy scammers ran a racket that included three South Florida schools (both now defunct).
The three schools are:
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Siena College
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Palm Beach School of Nursing
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Sacred Heart International Institute
The scammers backdated fabricated nursing diplomas and transcripts to make them appear authentic. Backdated documents made it appear that students had attended the now-closed schools.
To help test-takers pass the NCLEX, they were coached and offered training by their scammers. Many were encouraged to take the NCLEX licensing exam in New York, where applicants can take the test an unlimited number of times. Other states involved included Florida, New York, New Jersey, Texas, and Delaware.
How Many Nursing Candidates Did This
Approximately 7,600 impostors purchased diplomas to the tune of
$100 million dollars. An estimated 2,400 went on to pass their NCLEX exam.
Applicants who passed were then eligible to seek nursing jobs. Employers and patients were none the wiser.
In 2019, the FBI and Department of Justice (DOJ) did wise up to the scam from a confidential tip and began conducting a joint investigation to bring down the scammers.
At the same time, the Florida BON noticed that their state's passing rates were significantly low. Regulatory agencies coordinated efforts.
Operation Nightingale
The Federal and state investigation was aptly dubbed Operation Nightingale in honor of the beloved founder of nursing, Florence Nightingale.
On January 26, 25 individuals were charged with criminal wire fraud and wire fraud conspiracy charges in an undercover sting.
Repercussions
According to the DOJ, the defendants in the alleged scheme face a maximum of 20 years in prison if convicted of wire fraud and wire fraud conspiracy.
Implications For The Public
According to the NCSBN, "the purpose of a professional license is to protect the public from harm by setting minimal qualifications and competencies for safe entry-level practitioners.” NCSBN says that the general public cannot identify an unqualified healthcare professional.
In a statement to WGCU, a PBS and NPR station for Southwest Florida, on January 26,
FBI Special Agent in Charge Chad Yarbrough, FBI Miami, said, "What is disturbing about this investigation is that there are people around the country with fraudulent nursing credentials who are potentially in critical health care roles treating patients.”
All 50 nursing boards were notified of nurses with fake nursing degrees for their follow-up actions. There have been no reported cases of patient harm at this time.
Licensure fraud is not something new. A nurse from the Philippines once candidly told me about a similar scam. In this scenario, some nursing candidates from the Philippines brazenly used fake identities to take the U.S. NCLEX in Guam.
Nursing schools need better oversight. Hopefully, this recent event will raise awareness of the problem, and more effective safeguards will be implemented.
