20 NJ Nursing Licenses Rescinded Following Federal Investigation: AG

NEW JERSEY — Twenty professional nurses in New Jersey have been ordered to stop practicing because their diplomas may have been fraudulent, officials said.

And 26 other people in New Jersey have also been ordered to stop practicing nursing after their temporary licenses were rendered null and void as federal officials investigate an alleged nationwide scheme which saw the distribution of more than 7,600 fake nursing diplomas and transcripts issued by three South Florida-based nursing schools.

Each student was charged almost $15,000, said Matthew J. Platkin, Attorney General for New Jersey.

The bogus forms qualified purchasers to sit for the national nursing board exams and obtain licenses and jobs in various states, creating an illegal "shortcut" for aspiring nurses.

Officials have charged 25 people in the alleged nationwide scheme, including six New Jersey residents. The defendants in the case face up to 20 years in prison, federal officials said. Related article — Nationwide Nursing License Scheme: 2 Burlington County Residents Charged

Federal officials said three South Florida nursing schools involved are all now closed, and identified them Siena College and Sacred Heart International Institute (both in Broward County), and Palm Beach School of Nursing in Palm Beach County.

Twenty NJ nurses received Notices of Rescission from the Board of Nursing, Platkin said on Thursday. Several other Florida schools were listed within these notices, which told respondents they "did not complete the required program hours and clinical training necessary to earn the prerequisite education for licensure in New Jersey."

Also, 26 people had their temporary licenses rescinded after the Board of Nursing voted to deny their pending applications for plenary licenses, the AG's office said.

These 46 people must stop performing nursing practices in New Jersey or risk being fined or otherwise penalized, Platkin said.

The 20 nurses will be given the opportunity to get certified at an accredited institution, he said.

"Each individual will have the opportunity to provide evidence to the Board of Nursing that they have received the appropriate education and training to have their license reinstated," said Platkin.

Any affected nurses who want to appeal the Board's decision have 30 days to do so, and provide proof they received a legitimate degree, according to letters filed by the Board of Nursing on Feb. 13.

The Attorney General added that NJ will keep partnering with other state boards of nursing who are involved in the alleged fraud scheme to investigate and resolve these cases and any others that are identified.

The 46 New Jersey people affected have also been flagged in the National Council of State Boards of Nursing nationwide data system, Platkin said. Other state nursing boards will be able to monitor their status until their cases are resolved, he said.

"Once a disciplinary action has been taken by one state board of nursing related to diploma fraud, all of the other state boards of nursing will have access to that information in order to prevent additional fraud," Platkin added.

Federal officials said the Sacred Heart International Institute case, which involves individuals from Texas, New York, and Florida, is being prosecuted in conjunction with a related criminal matter in the Eastern District of Maryland.

Other related articles:

• 7,600 Fake Nursing Diplomas Issued By 3 South FL Schools: DOJ
• New York Moves To Crack Down On Nurses With Bogus Diplomas

The president of National Nurses United, a union with close to 225,000 members in the United States, said she was pleased to see the perpetrators of the fraud "can no longer continue to undermine our profession and our hard work at the bedside and in the classroom."

“Taking shortcuts in education and clinical experience is antithetical to the high ethical and moral values of nursing," said Deborah Burger, RN.

Burger added that nursing is at "a crossroads" after three years of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Many changes are required to address the crisis facing the nursing profession, including the creation of a culturally competent and diverse pipeline of nurses," she said.

"NNU has long championed investment in and expansion of publicly owned and run nursing education programs through state, county, and other community institutions of higher learning. Our members will continue our fight to ensure that working-class students who are eager to care for their communities through nursing can access legitimate, high-quality, and affordable nursing education programs.”