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Board highlights Operation Nightingale progress as Attorney General expands support
Summary
Board staff reported that Operation Nightingale investigations have closed 230 cases as of mid-April and that the Texas Attorney General's administrative law division will add divisions to help handle more cases; the board described ongoing national knowledge-sharing to support enforcement.
Board staff told the Texas Board of Nursing on April 23 that Operation Nightingale investigations into fraudulent nursing education-related activity continue to demand significant agency effort but have produced measurable results.
"As of April 14, staff have closed out 230 cases," Executive Director Kristen Benton said in her executive report, praising the work of enforcement staff. Benton said that closures were achieved through a variety of remedies and that staff are using creative strategies to ensure individuals lacking legitimate education and licensure do not practice.
Benton also said the Texas Attorney General's administrative law division has offered to expand the number of cases it will accept from the board; two additional divisions will begin assisting with Operation Nightingale matters. Legal staff from the board are also hosting a lawyers'forum through the National Council of State Boards of Nursing to share practices and lessons learned from handling these complex cases across states.
Director of Enforcement Danielle Green provided an overview of the Eligibility & Disciplinary (E&D) committee process for cases that may result in orders, exceptions, or emergency suspensions. She outlined timelines for probable-cause hearings and final administrative hearings and emphasized that temporary or emergency suspensions require rapid follow-up: probable-cause hearings must be scheduled within 17 days and final hearings within 61 days.
The board said the volume and complexity of enforcement work are part of its request for additional staffing and resources in the agency's legislative appropriations request.
What happens next: the board will continue to coordinate with the Attorney General's office and will include enforcement resource needs in budget requests; staff will continue national knowledge-sharing for best practices in responding to fraudulent education providers and cases.
