Editing Herzing Issues: Ethics and Credential Representation (section)

=== HU-143: The reporting student reported to David Steele J.D. (Director of Online Academic Operations) that a Herzing MSN student (Student E) publicly represents himself as a licensed RN with an MSN while using Herzing-branded scrubs and logos; Florida Board of Nursing license verification returned no records for the searched name; reporter asserts this is a felony under Florida law and intends to report to the Board of Nursing; institutional branding implicated ===
{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%"
! style="width:14em" | Severity
| High
! Status
| CONFIRMED (report made and BON record check documented); POSSIBLE (underlying legal characterization requires determination by the Florida Board of Nursing)
|-
! Issue type
| Reported Concern: Student Allegedly Representing Self as Licensed RN with MSN While Using Herzing-Branded Scrubs; Reported to Herzing Leadership
! Date added
| 2026-06-03
|-
! Owner
| colspan="3" | David Steele J.D. (Director of Online Academic Operations) / Dr. Raywattie Prashad / Stephanie Black / Florida Board of Nursing
|}
'''Finding.''' The reporting student reported a concern to David Steele J.D., Director of Online Academic Operations (cc Dr. Prashad and Stephanie Black), regarding another Herzing MSN student, Student E, who publicly represents himself on Instagram as Student E, RN. The reported concerns are that the student is representing online that he has earned an MSN and is a Registered Nurse; that his Instagram includes a highlight category labeled NURSE consisting of photos of him in Herzing-branded scrubs; and that Herzing school logos appear in the content. The reporting student documented that a search of the Florida Board of Nursing QuickConfirm license verification system returned "No search results were found for Student E, RN, FLORIDA" and a separate License Verification search returned "No records found." The reporting student noted that, by his calculation, the student completed his first term in April 2025 and therefore would not graduate until the end of the year, making a current RN credential chronologically inconsistent. The reporting student asserted that, in the State of Florida where the student resides, representing oneself as a nurse without licensure is a felony, and stated he intends to report the matter to the Florida Board of Nursing but wanted to notify Herzing first because Herzing's school logos are on the content. The legal characterization (felony) is the reporter's assertion and a matter for determination by the Florida Board of Nursing and appropriate authorities; this entry documents the report and the objective record-check evidence, not a finding that any crime occurred.

'''Evidence.''' Email: the reporting student to David Steele J.D. (Director of Online Academic Operations), cc Dr. Prashad, Stephanie Black. The email opens by stating that a student was being very abusive in one of the Facebook groups and that, more concerning, this student is representing online that he has earned an MSN and is an RN. Instagram bio: Student E, RN; he/him; highlight categories include NURSE (stethoscope icon). Florida Board of Nursing QuickConfirm License Verification Search Results: "No search results were found for Student E, RN, FLORIDA." License Verification dialog: "No records found. Please try your search again with other search values." Source Group: Email: the reporting student to David Steele J.D. (Director of Online Academic Operations), cc Dr. Raywattie Prashad and Stephanie Black, June 2026; Instagram profile [Instagram handle redacted]; Florida Board of Nursing QuickConfirm License Verification screenshots; archived profile capture. Reported By: the reporting student. Subject of Report: Student E (Herzing MSN student; Instagram [Instagram handle redacted]).

'''Reported statement.'''
<blockquote>This student is representing online that he has earned an MSN and is a RN. He also has a category called nurse which is actually photos of him in his Herzing scrubs... in the State of Florida, where he lives, this is a felony... The Florida Board of Nursing has no record of him as a nurse... Herzing's school logos are all over this. [Florida BON]: No search results were found for Student E, RN, FLORIDA.</blockquote>

'''Standards.''' Florida Statutes section 464.015 (Titles and abbreviations; restrictions): a person may not use the title Registered Nurse or the abbreviation R.N. unless that person holds an active Florida nursing license or a valid multistate license. Florida Statutes section 456.065 (Unlicensed practice of a health care profession): practicing or holding oneself out as able to practice a licensed health care profession without a license may constitute a third-degree felony. Florida Statutes section 464.016 (Violations and penalties): addresses penalties for nursing-title and practice violations. NURSYS / Nurse Licensure Compact: multistate license verification is available via NURSYS; the Florida BON QuickConfirm result and the License Verification "No records found" result are the documented objective evidence that, at the time of the search, no Florida RN license record was located for the searched name. HLC Criteria 2.A (institutional integrity): institutions have an interest in addressing the misuse of their name, logos, and branded materials in connection with potentially inaccurate credential claims by enrolled students. Licensure databases reflect status at the time of search and can change; this entry documents the report and the search result, and the ultimate legal determination rests with the Florida Board of Nursing and appropriate authorities, not with this tracker.

'''Impact.''' If an enrolled Herzing MSN student is publicly representing himself as a licensed RN before completing the program and obtaining licensure, while wearing Herzing-branded scrubs and displaying Herzing logos, the institution faces reputational and integrity exposure, since the public may associate the alleged misrepresentation with Herzing's brand. There is also a potential public-safety dimension to any unlicensed person holding themselves out as a nurse. The matter was formally reported to Herzing's Director of Online Academic Operations, placing the institution on notice; the institution's response, or lack thereof, to a documented credential-integrity concern involving its own branding is itself trackable. The reporter has stated an intent to escalate to the Florida Board of Nursing. The objective record-check evidence and the chronological inconsistency (first term completed April 2025) are the documented bases for the concern; final determination of licensure status and any legal consequence rests with the Florida Board of Nursing.

'''Notes.''' This entry documents a report made by the reporting student and the objective evidence he gathered; it is not a finding by this tracker that Student E committed any offense. The legal characterization as a felony is expressly the reporter's assertion, supported by citation to Florida Statutes sections 464.015, 464.016, and 456.065, and is a matter for the Florida Board of Nursing and appropriate authorities to determine. New personnel identified: David Steele J.D., Director of Online Academic Operations (the official to whom this was reported). The Instagram profile lists Student E, RN (note: SMSN appears to denote student MSN; the RN claim is the subject of the report), 8 posts, 3,442 followers, with a NURSE highlight category. A parallel or secondary Instagram handle appears in one screenshot (a January 8, 2025 post about classes having started). Cross-reference: {{HU|HU-115}} (EthicsPoint AI academic-integrity report against another student), {{HU|HU-102}} / {{HU|HU-103}} (program integrity concerns). POSSIBLE follow-up: Herzing's response to David Steele regarding the report; outcome of any Florida Board of Nursing report; confirmation of the student's actual enrollment status and graduation timeline. Sensitive third-party allegation: handle in accordance with the evidence-first, non-accusatory standard; update status if the Board of Nursing or the institution makes a determination.