Forty-three Nigerian nurses in the United States are being prosecuted for forging certificates.
The Texas Board of Nursing is looking into the credentials of 75 people, including the 43 Nigerians.
According to an information shared on the Board’s website under the heading “Operation Nightingale,” those who obtained the false nursing qualifications utilized them to be eligible to take the national nursing board exam.
After passing the board exam, the nursing candidates apparently qualified for licensing in a number of states to practice as registered nurses or as Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurses, or LPN/VNs.
The Board claimed that it has brought “formal accusations” against the nurses for gaining qualifications through deception.
“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.
The US Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) and law enforcement partners launched a multistate coordinated law enforcement action to apprehend people involved in a scheme to sell false and fraudulent nursing degree diplomas and transcripts on January 25, 2023, according to a statement on the website.
“The alleged scheme involved the selling of fake and fraudulent nursing degrees, diplomas and transcripts obtained from accredited Florida-based nursing schools to Registered Nurses (RN) and Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurse (LPN/VN) candidates,” it said.
The US Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) and law enforcement partners launched a multistate coordinated law enforcement action to apprehend people involved in a scheme to sell false and fraudulent nursing degree diplomas and transcripts on January 25, 2023, according to a statement on the website.
“This list will be updated continuously as the Board receives additional information about the fraudulent diploma/transcript scheme,” the statement added.