Fraudulent Nurse Arrested in Florida
Authorities recently apprehended a woman accused of impersonating a nurse after treating over 4,000 patients in a Florida hospital. This fraudulent activity, spanning nearly two years, came to light only when hospital staff were promoted.
Autumn Bardisa, 29, was arrested on Tuesday, reportedly involved with 4,486 patients at AdventHealth Palm Coast Parkway since July 2023. The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office has confirmed the details.
“This is one of the most unsettling medical fraud cases we’ve ever investigated,” Sheriff Rick Staly stated. He emphasized the serious risks posed by Bardisa’s actions, suggesting she could have jeopardized thousands of lives.
Authorities began looking into Bardisa in January after she was dismissed from her position for allegedly impersonating a registered nurse. She is said to have used the medical license number and documents of a former classmate to secure her job.
When applying at AdventHealth in 2023, Bardisa claimed to have completed the necessary training to become a registered nurse. However, police revealed she had never passed the national licensing exam required.
She misled her supervisor by stating she had passed the exam and even provided a license number that included her first name, “Autumn,” but used a different last name. Bardisa explained this discrepancy by saying she had recently gotten married and changed her surname but never substantiated this with a marriage license when asked.
It was only after her promotion in January that her coworkers realized her actual qualifications: an expired nursing assistant license. Bardisa was terminated from her position on January 22, 2025.
Further investigation revealed that the nursing license she provided belonged to someone she had attended school with, although the two had never met, according to police. Bardisa was ultimately arrested at her home and charged with seven counts of practicing as a healthcare professional without a license, along with seven counts of misuse of personal identification. Officials mention she is currently being held on a bond set at $70,000.
