Operation Nightingale

In January, HHS and OIG partnered in an investigation of three “nursing” schools in Florida in which a significant fraudulent scheme was identified. Twenty-five individuals were charged in a scheme that sold fake nursing degrees and transcripts. 7,600 fake degrees and transcripts were sold for $10,000 - $15,000 each. The fraudulent transcripts provided the buyers the Authorization To Test (ATT) documents that allow new grads to sit for the NCLEX. Of the 7,600 people that bought these fake documents and sat for the NCLEX, 37% actually passed the NCLEX and became licensed. That means there are more than 2,800 people falsely practicing as RNs and LVN/LPNs.

While this is a deplorable thought, fake nurses are taking care of our loved ones, it actually gets much worse than this. State Boards of Nursing started monitoring their licensees to identify people that had documents from these three Florida “schools” between 2016 and 2021, the years that this scheme was carried out in. Delaware identified 26 people with the fake degrees and immediately revoked their licenses. Washington, thus far, has identified 150 people with fake credentials. Only seven of these licenses have been revoked. Four people were denied licenses (thankfully), the rest are in legal limbo. Georgia identified 22 with fake documents and “requested” that these individuals voluntarily surrender their licenses. Shockingly, none of the 22 have done so, yet. In Texas, however, this saga becomes sickening. Texas has identified 23 fake nurses, by name, and, ironically, all of these people have a last name starting with “A.” Which tells me that they still have 25 letters of the alphabet to investigate. Here comes the kicker with Texas. According to Texas law, a nurse charged with a crime can continue to work until their trials are complete. Frequently, this process takes up to two years. That means that these people can continue to practice as nurses with fake degrees until Texas tries them. If you search any of the names of these individuals on Nursys, it states that their licenses are still active.

These are the states with known fake nurses, currently:

Texas: 23 that we know of, still practicing

New York: 900, still practicing while they prove their education is legit. All new applications paused, even for legit new grads

South Dakota: 1 LPN allowed to keep license, only required to take an LPN refresher course

Hawaii: Denied licenses to 12 applicants

Iowa: Investigating “several” and has revoked 2 fake licenses

Nevada: Revoked one license

North Dakota: Order to suspend one individual with a fake license

Washington: 150 fake licenses, 7 rescinded, the rest are in legal limbo, unknown if they are practicing

Delaware: 26 licenses “annulled” but believe they are still working

Georgia: 22 asked to surrender, none have, still practicing

Michigan: Investigating 7, still practicing

Idaho: Investigating, but refuse to give any further details

Missouri: Investigating unknown amount, still practicing. State BON says they can’t conclude that degrees were fake

Ohio: Investigating unknown number, still practicing

Alabama: Investigating 1 individual, still practicing

Kentucky: Investigating 1, still practicing

Arizona: Investigating 10. Still practicing and state says there have been no reports of patient harm

West Virginia: Investigating undisclosed number, still practicing

South Carolina: Identified 1 individual during 2015-2018 who did not renew their fake license

Rhode Island: Knows they have fake nurses due to federal notification, not investigating, no disciplinary actions have been given, so they are all still practicing

Massachusetts: Investigating unknown number, still practicing

North Carolina: investigating unknown number, still practicing

For those of you keeping score, that is only 1153 fake nurses that have been publicly identified. Meaning, there are roughly 1600 fake nurses out in the wild practicing. This is an abysmal black mark on our profession. If you live in any of these states, please contact every political representative you have and beg them to get these people out of health care facilities and into jails where they belong. We have to take this seriously. If these people are allowed to practice, all of our blood, sweat, and tears from nursing school means absolutely nothing. If you need help finding or writing to your representative, reach out and I will gladly help you.