Woman Working at Hospital Treated 4,500 Patients Without License, Police Say

The New York Times ^ | Aug. 7, 2025, 2:53 p.m. ET | Adeel Hassan

[E. Pluribus Unum]

The 29-year-old forged her documents to work at a Florida hospital, and the discrepancy was noticed only after she was offered a promotion, according to an investigation.

A young woman working at a hospital in Florida drew blood, administered medications and started IV lines, treating about 4,500 individuals over seven months. She did her job so well that she was offered a promotion at the start of this year.

But when the hospital, AdventHealth Palm Coast Parkway in Palm Coast, Fla., checked the status of the woman’s nursing license, they discovered that she had an expired certified nursing assistant license, that she had never passed a licensing exam and that she had been using the license number of another nurse with the same first name.

Instead of a promotion, she was fired.

The woman, Autumn Bardisa, 29, was arrested on Tuesday at her Palm Coast home on seven counts of practicing a health care profession without a license and seven counts of fraudulent use of personal identification information, the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office said on Wednesday. She was wearing her blue medical scrubs.

She was charged with one count for each month in which she fraudulently practiced as a registered nurse, the sheriff’s office said.

Ms. Bardisa is being held in the county jail on a $70,000 bond. It was not clear whether she had a lawyer.

“This is one of the most disturbing cases of medical fraud we’ve ever investigated,” Sheriff Rick Staly said in a statement. “This woman potentially put thousands of lives at risk by pretending to be someone she was not and violating the trust of patients, their families, AdventHealth and an entire medical community.”

Sheriff Staly said that his office, which conducted an investigation in coordination with AdventHealth and state and federal agencies, had not...

[Larry Lucido]

“We have no choice but to let you go.”

“But I don’t really work here.”

“That’s what makes this so difficult.”

[Tired of Taxes]

We all probably have crazy stories to tell about the things people do. But the one you shared in post #11 has to be in the top 10 of all time. If he didn’t do such a good job, maybe he would have never been caught.

[lastchance]

Still nobody died. Which certainly can’t be written about everyone who does hold a license. That includes physicians and surgeons.

My understanding is that she did have the education and training. To me lack of the certificate does not automatically prove incompetence. It may be more a matter of having trouble taking tests. Good care is good care. Personally I’d rather get good care from a trained nurse who lacks a government issue certificate than poor care from the one who does

[shelterguy]

“””I am not quiet when a bad phlebotomist goes after me.”””

When you are a hard stick, like me, you really appreciate someone who is good at it. I have also told a nurse to STOP STABBING ME and get someone else to give it a try.

[lastchance]

That alone would be proof she was not a nurse. When was the last time you were in the hospital?

[heavy metal]

“safe and effective”...

[lastchance]

Preach it!

[combat_boots]

Truth.

[enduserindy]

My doctor is a nurse practitioner. Best doctor I ever had.

[shelterguy]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=INop293xXVY

[CaptainK]

I had a nurse ask me if I had ever fainted when having an IV inserted. I said no. I should have trusted my gut, which flashed danger signs when she asked, because she blew the vein. As I was passing out she run and got an anesthesiologist, who was standing near by, to fix her mess.

[Waverunner]

It wasn't the skill level, it was the lying and fraud.
Nursing is the most trusted profession because the procedure to obtain a license
attend certified training, pass the NCLEX, clean background check and pass a drug test ,
sets the floor for the profession. Experience and skill add to it.
It's a poor reflection on the hospital that HR didn't thoroughly vet her.
If nurses make mistakes, people die.
And I have enough issues to deal with without patients worrying if I'm a real nurse.

[GingisK]

Did she do a good job? Did she hurt anyone. Teachers are certified; and, take a look what that means. One of the best software engineers I’ve worked with was entirely self-educated. He used to be a UPS truck driver.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

And I have enough issues to deal with without patients worrying if I'm a real nurse.

Do you have the student loan debt to prove you are a real nurse? 🤡

[shelterguy]

“””My doctor is a nurse practitioner. Best doctor I ever had.””””””””

True.

[GingisK]

I bought my VW Beetle and trained myself how to drive at night. Then I drove 45 miles to my home town to take the driver’s test. I got a great score. On the way out of the DMV the testing officer asked who brought me over for testing. When I told him I drove myself over he just threw his clipboard onto the sidewalk and walked away cussing.

[GingisK]

Books.

[Waverunner]

Sorry, went nights, paid as I went.

[al baby]

The internet

[frank ballenger]

You’re right but the joke wouldn’t exist in this dimension without that illusion.