12 charged in Florida as part of ‘Operation Nightingale’ sting on low-quality nursing schools
The federal crackdown on low-quality and unlawful nursing degree programs continues, as prosecutors announced on Monday that 12 individuals had been indicted for allegedly selling bogus nursing school diplomas and grade transcripts.
In an announcement, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) said the ongoing sting operation has officially entered its second phase, after 30 criminal convictions were achieved in 2023. Most of the investigation and subsequent indictments have been centered in Florida, where the 12 new defendants were all arrested and charged.
According to court documents, those arrested this time as part of Operation Nightingale are all nursing school owners or employees, largely of now-closed, for-profit schools once operating in the state.
All are accused of fraud, specifically wire fraud and selling fake nursing credentials. In total, these schemes generated 7,300 baseless nursing diplomas, the DOJ said.
“The charges highlight the purpose of a professional nursing licensure: protecting the public from harm by ensuring that only qualified and competent practitioners provide nursing care,” federal authorities said in a statement. “Because nursing is a profession that, if practiced by unprepared or unqualified individuals, poses a serious risk to public health and safety, state boards of nursing establish standards for education, regulate licensure, and oversee compliance with training requirements.”
Those who purchased degrees from these schools often went on to obtain licensure to practice nursing in multiple states. The National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) requires candidates seeking work as an RN or LPN to graduate from a certified program. The criteria have been adopted by 43 states in an effort to standardize the quality of nursing certification.
According to the DOJ, NCSBN did provide licenses to individuals who “graduated” from these pay-for-play nursing programs. In general, while the schools sometimes had tests and similar courses, they lacked the hands-on clinical training typically required to obtain a nursing degree or certificate..
Some of the newly accused have already pleaded guilty and face prison sentences. Others are taking their cases to trial and are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
The fraud charges carry a possible 20-year prison sentence.
Multiple ‘fake nurses’ arrested
There has been a wave of charges against so-called “fake nurses” recently, though many did not obtain degrees from schools taken down by Operation Nightingale.
This month, a man in Florida was arrested on suspicion of impersonating an RN after seeking employment at Ridgecrest Health and Rehab Center in DeLand. He is accused of using another person’s identity.
Similarly, in August a Florida woman named Autumn Bardisa, 29, was charged with working as a nurse at AdventHealth Palm Coast for over a year, despite getting the job without a valid nursing license. She too is accused of stealing the identity of another individual, who actually had the proper credentials.
The Washington Post also recently reported on multiple incidents nationwide of fraudulent nurses attempting to obtain work. Multiple states have developed databases to track these individuals, given the repeated—often successful—attempts to fill vacant nursing positions.
The scope of the problem remains unknown, and most of the cases seem unrelated.
Chad is an award-winning writer and editor with over 15 years of experience working in media. He has a decade-long professional background in healthcare, working as a writer and in public relations.