Nursing diploma scheme likely not contained to Florida

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The nursing diploma scheme may go beyond Florida, as state boards check their staff records, according to Dr. Dani Bowie, vice president of clinical strategy and transformation for staffing firm Trusted Health.

"The expectation is that this is not contained to Florida," Bowie said. 

Because there is no national governance overseeing licensure, background education checks would be done by state boards of nursing. Most are likely pulling records of nursing staff to verify records in light of the federal charges announced last month, Bowie said. 

"Right now, it's reactionary," Bowie said. "This is broader, being done a bit more systematically."

The Department of Justice last month charged more than two dozen individuals in South Florida for allegedly engaging in a wire fraud scheme
to sell fraudulent nursing degree diplomas and transcripts obtained from accredited Florida-based nursing schools to individuals seeking licenses and jobs as registered nurses and licensed practical/vocational nurses.

"The Florida Board of Nursing is revealing the schools involved," Bowie said. "Once that's revealed, they're having to go back to review. It's unclear how the clinician and the school combined. Essentially, a diploma was given that was not a valid diploma. It's been pretty fluid and disturbing this is happening."

However, even with a fraudulent diploma, a nurse must still pass a rigorous test for licensure, she said.

"There's a lot that goes into hiring safe and qualified nursing," she said.

WHY THIS MATTERS

The alleged fraud has become a good catalyst for safety checks, Bowie said, especially as health systems are hiring during an acute nursing shortage.

Hospitals that are already paired with an academic center have an advantage in vetting diplomas, she said.

THE LARGER TREND

Trusted Health works with health systems in the travel industry space, and in managing their internal workforce. 

An estimated 400,000 nurses have registered their profile on the digital platform, which allows for an automatic deployment of the workforce.

There's a rigorous process of education verification and vetting of licenses and work references, she said.

Nurses are looking for flexibility and autonomy, Bowie said.

Twitter: @SusanJMorse
Email the writer: SMorse@himss.org