Blake's Take: Fake It Till You Make It?

By Nurse Blake

The Crazy (and Sad) Nursing Scam You Won’t Believe

Wait! You haven’t heard about the Florida fake nursing diploma scandal? Grab a drink!

So, some schools in Florida (shocker!) were handing out fake nursing diplomas like they were cooter canoes in the ICU. 

The news broke in January 2023. According to federal authorities and court documents, not one, not two, but THREE schools in Florida advertised a shortcut to becoming a nurse, where “students” could just bypass nursing school. Who needs classroom education, clinical hours, and actual skills when you can just pay for a piece of paper and call yourself a nurse? 

Ok, there’s no debating that the nurse staffing shortage and nurse burnouts are ongoing and serious issues, but handing out fake diplomas ain’t the solution. 

Not only is it illegal and downright dangerous, but there’s no way in hell anyone who calls themselves a nurse gets to skip the meltdowns, shitty lifestyle, and select-all-that-apply questions in nursing school! 

Operation Nightingale: Not the legacy Florence had in mind! 

So, the feds called it Operation Nightingale, named after Florence Nightingale, aka the Lady with the Lamp, founder of modern nursing. Twenty-five people in total — school administrators, directors, and employees of the schools and nursing test prep academies — were the masterminds behind this scheme. They were raking in serious cash in exchange for more than 7,600 bogus nursing diplomas and transcripts. 

Cheating your way to a nursing degree goes against everything nursing stands for.

Get this! For five years straight, between 2016 and 2021, they were charging $10,000 to $15,000 for a worthless degree. The alleged scammers made a total of $114 million in the process. 

Pick one off the menu, folks! 
LPN license? Sure, that’ll be $10,000.
Oh, you want a 4.0 GPA and a BSN degree? No sweat. $15,000, please.
Add ons? We got you! That’ll be extra, though.
Paper or plastic? 
Cash or card?
It’s disturbing to think people were willing to pay that much to deceive others and themselves! 

Passing the NCLEX without a nursing education: Yes, they did!

Hold on. It gets even crazier! Out of the more than 7,600 people who bought these phony nursing degrees, about 2,800 of them actually passed the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) and were able to snag a nursing license. Like, WHAT!?

They said many "graduates" applied to take the NCLEX in New York. In New York, they can take the NCLEX as many times as they want. Basically, they could apply for a license in another state but take the test in New York endlessly! 

It turns out that many of these individuals were already working as certified nursing assistants (CNAs) and were hoping to just slide into becoming an RN or LPN. 

Guys! The scariest part is that a “significant number” of the people who bought these phony nursing credentials actually landed jobs in hospitals and other healthcare settings. They didn’t say exactly how many, but in February 2023, the state of Georgia asked 22 people to turn over their licenses. 

FBI Miami’s Special Agent in Charge, Chad Yarbrough, said, “What is disturbing about the scheme is the possibility of harm coming to patients under the dubious care of one of these allegedly fraudulent nurses.” You think! 

According to the FBI, the people who did manage to pass the exam may lose their certification, but they probably won’t face criminal charges. 

The scandal that keeps on giving 

It’s been over four months since the Department of Justice (DoJ) made the announcement. But, the investigation is far from over. 

As of April 3, 2023, the Delaware State Board of Nursing canceled the licenses of about 30 nurses who allegedly obtained fake degrees. Meanwhile, in Washington State, the Nursing Care Quality Assurance Commission (NCQAC) is investigating 150 nursing license applications and continues to identify and deny applicants who used credentials from this scam. 

Even the American Nurses Association (ANA)’s president chimed in, “Nursing is without a doubt a highly specialized and ethical profession requiring rigorous and life-long education and training to acquire unmatched clinical expertise. You don’t achieve this overnight. There are no shortcuts in nursing – our patients and clients depend on us. It is both a demanding and rewarding profession that requires individuals to be adaptive to the evolving and complex healthcare landscape to ensure the delivery of safe and quality patient care.” OMG! No shit!  

Cheating your way to a nursing degree goes against everything nursing stands for. Not to mention, it totally bashes the reputation of all of us, hardworking nurses, who busted our butts to be where we are rightfully. After all, nurses are the most trusted and ethical professionals!   

Will the real nurses please stand up?

Could other nursing schools be running their own little fake diploma mills? Probably! 

Did the diploma buyers really think they were getting a legitimate education? Ah! They must have known what they were doing. 

In all seriousness, becoming a nurse is neither fun nor a joke. It takes years of hard work, dedication, and education to earn our degree and earn the trust of our patients and the healthcare industry.  

Sure, buying a fake diploma might seem like a quick and easy way to get ahead, but it’s not worth the risk. Choose the right way, put in the effort, and you’ll be rewarded with a fulfilling and respected career. You’ll get a sense of pride and accomplishment that no fake diploma could ever match. Your future patients will thank you for it. 

Quick Facts

• Three schools in Florida advertised shortcuts to becoming a nurse by bypassing nursing school.
• Operation Nightingale was named after Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing, and 25 individuals were involved in the scheme.
• These schools were charging $10,000 to $15,000 for a degree that was not worth the paper it was printed on, making a total of $114 million in the process.
• More than 7,600 bogus nursing diplomas and transcripts were given out, and around 2,800 “graduates” passed the NCLEX and were able to obtain a nursing license.
• A significant number of individuals who purchased these phony nursing degrees obtained jobs in healthcare settings.
• The investigation is ongoing, and licenses of fake degree holders are being canceled across the United States.
• The American Nurses Association's president said that nursing is a specialized and ethical profession that requires rigorous and life-long education and training.
• Cheating your way to a nursing degree goes against everything nursing stands for and bashes the reputation of hardworking nurses. 

Sources: