Virginia Board of Nursing officials are threatening nurses with license revocation if they earned their credentials from one of several formerly accredited but now-closed Florida nursing schools.
While Virginia Board of Nursing officials claim to rely on the FBI's Operation Nightingale investigation into a nursing school fraud scandal, the involved schools, while fully accredited, duly educated many nurses who earned their credentials before passing the NCLEX and beginning gainful employment.
You need skilled license defense representation if you are a Virginia nurse with credentials from one of the closed Florida nursing schools. The Lento Law Firm's License Defense Team is available in Virginia to address your nursing license issues arising out of the Florida nursing school fraud scheme. Let the Lento Law Firm fight for your nursing license, job, and career. Call 888.535.3686 or chat with us now.
Florida Nursing School Fraud Allegations
Cooperating with state licensing officials, the federal Department of Health & Human Services conducted Operation Nightingale to investigate fraud allegations involving these Florida nursing schools:
● MedLife Institute West Palm Beach;
● Palm Beach School of Nursing;
● Siena College;
● Sacred Heart International Institute;
● Quisqueya Health Care Academy; and
● Quisqueya School of Nursing, also called Sunshine Academy.
The federal investigation resulted in the U.S. Attorney's Office criminal fraud charges against more than two dozen officials connected with the suspect schools. The criminal charges accuse those individuals of selling fake degrees and transcripts to over 7,600 aspiring nurses, many of them African and Haitian immigrants.
Virginia Nursing License Authority
Virginia's Nurse Practice Act authorizes the Virginia Board of Nursing to license nurses who meet its educational and other standards. The Act also authorizes the board to investigate licensing violations and initiate disciplinary proceedings. Section 54.1-3007 of the Act specifically authorizes discipline for “[f]raud or deceit in procuring or attempting to procure a license, certificate, or registration.”
The Virginia Board of Nursing will rely on this authority to notify you of investigation and disciplinary proceedings if your credentials include education at one of the suspect Florida nursing schools.
Virginia Board of Nursing Threatens Nurses
The Virginia Board of Nursing has been sending notices to nurses who hold credentials from the involved Florida nursing schools. The notices threaten to revoke the nurses' Virginia license unless they can prove that they earned their education from another school.
The notices first state, “The Virginia Board of Nursing (BON) is aware that the educational facility that you used to obtain your nursing education … provided fraudulent transcripts to students.” That assertion ignores that the schools, each accredited, educated many nurses legitimately. You may well be among those nurses who fully earned your credentials, even though from one of the involved schools.
The notices then require the accused nurse to provide “documentation (transcripts, etc.) showing you completed all required training at a facility other than [the involved school] including all required hours of clinical experience in a health care setting.” That demand ignores that you may have completed every requirement properly at the involved school.
Virginia License Defense Attorney Representation
Just because you have credentials from one of the suspect Florida nursing schools doesn't mean that you must lose your Virginia nursing license and employment. Retain premier professional license defense assistance to help you carry the fight against your professional license issues in Virginia.
The Lento Law Firm is representing more than one hundred nurses involved in this matter. A well-researched news article in a prominent newspaper acknowledges the leading role the Lento Law Firm's nationwide Professional License Defense Team has taken defending nurses wrongly implicated in the Florida nursing school scandal. Call 888.535.3686 or chat with us now for premier Virginia nursing license defense services.
