A 29-year-old Florida woman has been arrested after authorities say she posed as a licensed nurse and treated thousands of patients without proper credentials.
According to the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office, Autumn Bardisa allegedly assumed another nurse’s identity to secure employment as an advanced nurse technician at AdventHealth Palm Coast Parkway.
Investigators say Bardisa provided medical care to 4,486 patients between June 2024 and January 2025 without holding a valid nursing license.
Police allege Bardisa obtained the job by using another nurse’s license number and falsified documents. When questioned during the hiring process about a mismatch between her name and the license, Bardisa reportedly claimed she had recently married and promised to provide a marriage certificate, which she never did.
Her deception came to light in January 2025 when she was being considered for a promotion. A colleague checked her license status and found it had expired, prompting hospital administrators to alert authorities.
Further investigation revealed that Bardisa shared a first name with the real nurse, who worked at another AdventHealth facility and had attended the same school, though the two were not personally acquainted.
The case has prompted parallel investigations by the Florida Department of Health and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Bardisa now faces seven counts of practicing a healthcare profession without a license and seven counts of fraudulent use of personal identification information. She is being held in the Flagler County Jail on a $70,000 bond.
Authorities have not disclosed whether any patients suffered harm as a result of the alleged impersonation.
Written By Rodney Mbua
