ORLANDO, Fla. — Federal investigators are warning healthcare facilities nationwide after uncovering a scheme that sold thousands of fake diplomas to people looking to work as nurses.
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Prosecutors said this involved three nursing schools in South Florida.
Photos: Feds investigate Florida nursing schools that sold thousands of fake diplomas
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More than two dozen people have been arrested in connection with the scheme.
Investigators said the now-closed schools sold more than 7,600 fraudulent diplomas, for about 15-thousand dollars each.
The fake diplomas offer a dangerous shortcut into the nursing field.
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“When we entrust the life of an elderly parent, to the staff of an assisted living or skilled nursing facility, the last thing we want to learn is that the nurses administering the medications are the ones charged with carrying out doctor’s orders, took shortcuts on their clinical training,” said U.S. attorney Markenzy Lapointe.
Prosecutors said in some cases, students would use the fake diplomas to get nursing jobs in other states, without proper training.
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Officials said so far, they have not found any evidence of patient harm stemming from those people, potentially providing care to patients.
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