Nursing diploma scheme probably doesn’t apply to Florida

According to Dr. Dani Bowie, vice president of clinical strategy and transformation for staffing firm Trusted Health, the nursing diploma scheme could expand beyond Florida as state boards review their employee records.

“This is not expected to apply to Florida,” Bowie said.

Since there is no national authority overseeing the issuance of licenses, background checks will be conducted by state nursing councils. Most are likely extracting medical personnel records to verify records in light of the federal charges announced last month, Bowie said.

“Now it’s reactionary,” Bowie said. “It’s broader, done a little more systematically.”

Last month, the Justice Department charged more than two dozen people in South Florida with alleged involvement in an electronic fraud scheme.
sell fake nursing diplomas and transcripts from accredited nursing schools in Florida to individuals seeking licenses and employment as registered nurses and licensed practical/professional nurses.

“The Florida Board of Nursing is identifying the schools involved,” Bowie said. “Once this is known, they will have to go back to checking. It is not clear how the clinician and the school came together. In fact, they issued a diploma that was not a valid diploma. It was pretty smooth, and it’s alarming.”

However, even with a fake diploma, a nurse must still pass a rigorous license test, she said.

“A lot depends on hiring safe and qualified medical staff,” she said.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT

The alleged scam has been a good catalyst for safety reviews, Bowie said, especially as health care systems hire staff during a severe nursing shortage.

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

BIG TREND

Trusted Health works with healthcare systems in the travel industry and manages their internal staff.

It is estimated that 400,000 nurses have registered their profiles on the digital platform, allowing automatic staffing.

There is a rigorous process for verifying education and verifying licenses and job references, she said.

According to Bowie, nurses are looking for flexibility and autonomy.

Twitter: @SusanJMorse
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