Over 900 nurses in New York who obtained their degrees from Florida-based nursing schools face losing their nursing licenses.
Letters from the NY state Education Department sent Feb. 7 gave nurses 14 days (until Feb. 21) to prove their credentials or surrender their licenses.
Another 2,400 nurses whose applications for RN licensure are pending have been told their applications are frozen.
New York’s investigation into Florida-based nursing schools has widened since it began in 2021 (see the list of Florida schools below).
Nurses who attended schools in Florida between 2003 and 2022 are advised to retain an attorney after they receive letters from a board of nursing or state education department.
Florida’s Commission for Independent Education shut down 7 nursing schools to stop enrollments and graduations amid an ongoing federal investigation into fake nursing diploma mills, according to Becker’s Hospital Review.
The seven nursing schools were ordered to cease graduation and enrollment through at least March 31. Of the seven, four schools have voluntarily ceased all operations for an indefinite period, according to Becker’s.
Sketchy nursing schools popped up in Florida strip malls because legitimate nursing schools had 3-year waiting lists.
A multi-state federal investigation, called “Operation Nightingale” shut down three Florida-based nursing schools that sold an estimated 7,600 nursing diplomas for $10,000 to $17,000 each between 2019 and 2022.
The feds arrested 25 people in several states who raked in over $114 million selling fake nursing degrees and transcripts that allow aspiring nurses to take the NCLEX exam. The suspects included school owners and administrators. They each face 20 years in prison if convicted.
The suspects are accused of selling licensed practical nurse (LPN) degrees for $10,000 and registered nurse (RN) degrees for $17,000.
Though Operation Nightingale has ended. The feds are working with individual nursing boards to revoke nursing licenses of individuals who attended certain Florida-based schools.
