The Department of Justice, U.S. Attorney’s Office of Southern District of Florida, recently announced, that 25 defendants were charged in a scheme to sell and obtain fraudulent nursing degrees for the purpose of obtaining a license and practicing as a nurse. Louisiana State Board of Nursing Chief Executive Officer/Executive Director Karen C. Lyon, PhD, MBA, APRN-CNS, NEA, stated, “As of January 27, 2023, three individuals on the FBI list have connections to Louisiana. Louisiana State Board of Nursing staff acted swiftly in responding to each of these individuals and is committed to safeguarding the life and health of citizens of Louisiana by assuring persons practicing as Registered Nurses and Advanced Practice Registered Nurses are competent and safe.” (Published online with Healthcare Journals of Baton Rouge and New Orleans on Feb. 7)
As an update, Lyon added, “Operation Nightingale (the FBI’s name for the investigation) continues, and we are provided names of nurses who may be on the affidavits provided by the fraudulent schools and the defendants that have been arrested by the FBI. We received another list on Friday, and we continue to vet the names of any individuals who appear on the lists who may have Louisiana licenses.”
In a recent Q & A with Lyon, she provided the following answers to Healthcare Journal’s questions on the situation:
How many licensees were there in Louisiana?
Only six were on the original list and two of them were removed immediately because they were able to provide us their official documents, including legal transcripts and with documented course work. Of the four remaining, two applicants’ applications had expired and they were not licensed. Of the remaining two, one never responded to our requests for documentation and that person was blocked from licensure. The remaining one did come in during the emergency COVID declaration by the Governor under the SNAP program. I do not know where the nurse practiced during the COVID emergency, but when their license came up for renewal in 2022, we did not renew them because they failed to provide us with proper documentation of licensure in any state.
How was the board informed about it?
The FBI brought all state boards of nursing into the investigation in September 2022. At that time, they provided lists of names of nurses in all jurisdictions that appeared on the affidavits provided by the defendants in the case (including Louisiana).
How long had they been working in Louisiana?
As above, only one worked here and it was during the COVID emergency. I cannot tell you how long the person worked here because the nurse came in under SNAP.
How many cases like this have there been in the past?
To my knowledge, none.
From the board’s perspective, what should the healthcare industry know about this particular situation and what should the public know? Was damage caused?
The responsibility for this alleged fraud rests squarely on the shoulders of the perpetrators. This was a brazen attempt to misuse nursing education programs. Nursing regulatory bodies are constantly working to ensure that all nurses and candidates are legitimate, and we are committed to fully resolving this matter. This is an ongoing investigation and each individual is afforded due process. We cannot assume that every individual identified in the authorities’ investigations obtained illegitimate educational credentials. As with any case involving potential revocation or other action on an individual’s nursing license, we are following our state’s required processes, including appropriate due process steps.