Woman Arrested for Posing as Registered Nurse in Ohio Nursing Home
A 30-year-old woman was recently arrested and accused of posing as a registered nurse in order to work in a nursing home. She appeared before a judge via video for felony charges related to unlicensed practice and identity fraud. Her bond was set at $40,000.
When she was arrested, it was discovered that there was another warrant from a municipal court regarding her involvement in a telecommunications fraud case. She had been employed at the nursing home and had worked 17 shifts, but she left suddenly in the middle of a shift without following the facility’s protocol.
The woman used the identity of a legitimately licensed registered nurse living in another part of the state with an identical first and last name. Police found that the accused woman previously was employed by three other nursing homes before working at the current nursing home.
The attorney for the nursing home released the following statement:
“The facility has notified the appropriate governmental agencies and continues to work with them. At all times the facility has acted in the best interests of its resident population and promotes their health, safety, and welfare. No resident was directly and proximately linked to any harm associated with this matter.”
A background check and fingerprints previously done by the nursing home did not reveal the accused woman’s illegitimate claim to be a licensed nurse.
Compliance Perspective
Employing a person as a registered nurse who is using the stolen identity of a legitimately licensed nurse may be considered failure to provide competent nursing staff and deemed provision of substandard quality care, in violation of state and federal regulations.
Discussion Points:
- Review policies and procedures regarding verification of identity, licensing, and certifications to prevent employing an unlicensed nurse or person who is using a stolen identity and posing as a licensed nurse.
- Train staff to report any incident involving a fellow staff member that might indicate that person was not competent or was masquerading as a nurse and endangering the lives of the residents.
- Periodically audit to verify that the licensing and certifications of employees are valid and up-to-date.
