A woman has been arrested in the US on suspicion of posing as a registered nurse.

A police investigation was launched after hospital bosses terminated Autumn Bardisa’s contract due to concerns about her qualifications.

Investigators found the 29-year-old had provided medical services to 4,486 patients between June 2024 and January 2025.

“This is one of the most disturbing cases of medical fraud we’ve ever investigated,” Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly said.

Bardisa was employed by AdventHealth Palm Coast Parkway in Palm Coast from July 2023 to January 2025.

She is accused of submitting false documentation and providing a licence number belonging to a nurse with the same first name who was employed by AdventHealth at a different hospital.

The Sheriff’s Office said she had explained the discrepancy by claiming she had recently got married and had changed her surname. She was asked to provide her marriage licence but never did.

In January, Bardisa was offered a promotion. A colleague reported her to authorities when they realised her nursing assistant licence had expired.

Her contract was then terminated and a seven-month criminal investigation was launched.

Detectives carried out an arrest warrant for her for seven counts of practicing a health care profession without a licence and seven counts of fraudulent use of personal identification information.

She was arrested, wearing scrubs, at her home on 5 August.

“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,” said Sheriff Staly.

The Sheriff’s office has set up a dedicated email address, fakenursecase@flaglersheriff.com, for people who believe they have been treated by the 29-year-old.

Bardisa has been remanded in custody at Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility, where she is being held on a $70,000 (around £52,000) bond.