Fortythree Nigerians are among the 75 nurses whose cases are being looked into by the Texas Board of Nursing in the United States for using false educational credentials.
The people who obtained the fake nursing credentials used them to be eligible to take the national nursing board exam, according to information on the Board’s website about the investigation dubbed “Operation Nightingale”.
The nursing applicants reportedly qualified for licensure in various states to work as a Registered Nurse (RN) or a Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurse (LPN/VN) after passing the board exam.
The Board claimed that it had brought “Formal Charges” against the nurses for obtaining credentials through fraud.
“Please note that Formal Charges are not a final disciplinary action, and a nurse is permitted to work, as a nurse, while Formal Charges are pending,” it added.
A statement on the website disclosed that on January 25, 2023, the US Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) and law enforcement partners launched a multi-state coordinated law enforcement action to apprehend individuals engaged in a scheme to sell false and fraudulent nursing degree diplomas and transcripts.
“The alleged scheme involved the selling of fake and fraudulent nursing degree diplomas and transcripts obtained from accredited Florida-based nursing schools to Registered Nurse (RN) and Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurse (LPN/VN) candidates,” it said.
The Board noted that it is working, diligently, with all appropriate nursing regulatory bodies, nursing education program providers, accreditation bodies and authorities to detect, investigate and resolve these matters as quickly as possible, including seeking revocation of any licensure obtained through fraudulent means
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