Thousands of practicing nurses in the US could potentially be working with fake academic credentials after federal officials uncovered an alleged scheme at three South Florida nursing schools. The Justice Department said on Wednesday that the now-closed schools allegedly issued more than 7,600 fake and undeserved nursing diplomas.
Schools involved in the alleged plan include Siena College, Palm Beach School of Nursing, and Sacred Heart International Institute. The Justice Department has indicted more than two dozen people for their alleged involvement, saying they were “involved in a scheme to sell fraudulent nursing diplomas and transcripts obtained from accredited nursing schools in Florida.” Each of these defendants now faces up to 20 years in prison.
According to indictment documents, many of those involved in the alleged plan are from abroad, including people from New York and New Jersey. The nurses with the fake degrees worked in a variety of settings, including homebound children, assisted living facilities, and veterans’ affairs, and in multiple states, documents show, including Ohio, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Georgia, Maryland, and Texas.
The alleged plans took place between 2016 and 2021.
Those who received the fake diplomas could take the national board of nursing exam and then get licenses and jobs in “different states” as registered nurses (RNs), licensed practical nurses (LPNs), and professional nurses (VNs),” the DOJ said.
Markenzy Lapointe, US Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, said such a scheme “undermines public confidence in our healthcare system.”
“Not only is this a public safety issue, but it also damages the reputation of nurses who actually complete the demanding clinical and coursework required to obtain their professional license and employment,” Lapointe said.
Among the defendants are Stanton Witherspoon and Alfred Sellu of Burlington County, New Jersey, and Rene Bernadel of Westchester County, New York. Prosecutors said the three “enlisted and recruited” individuals seeking nursing qualifications then worked with Eunide Sanon of Siena College “to create and distribute false and fraudulent diplomas and transcripts” that were sent to “thousands ‘were sold by nursing applications. Those papers falsely stated that the prospective nurses attended Broward County’s nursing program and completed their courses and clinics, prosecutors allege.
The other schools mentioned allegedly did the same.
American Nurses Association President Jennifer Mensik Kennedy said Thursday that the “coordinated conspiracy” was “troubling” and “deeply disturbing.”
“Nursing is undoubtedly a highly specialized and ethical profession that requires rigorous and lifelong education and training to achieve unmatched clinical expertise. You don’t get that overnight,” she said. “There are no shortcuts in nursing – our patients and clients rely on us. It is a demanding and rewarding profession that requires people to adapt to the evolving and complex healthcare landscape in order to provide safe and quality patient care guarantee.”
The actions of those involved, including the schools that were once accredited, are “simply regrettable,” she said.
“This undermines everything the nursing profession represents and stands for and is in direct contradiction to the code of ethics for nurses,” she said. “Furthermore, these illegal and unethical acts discredit the reputation of actual nurses everywhere who, through their training, hard work, dedication and time, have rightly earned the title of ‘Most Trusted and Ethical Professionals.’”
At the time of posting Lakeland Regional and Watson Clinic have not returned our request for comment on this article.