Florida woman who posed as nurse and treated more than 4,400 patients without a license avoids jail time

A Florida woman who posed as a nurse and treated more than 4,400 patients without a license was sentenced this week to probation and community service after pleading no contest, avoiding jail time in a case authorities once called deeply disturbing.

The Flagler County Sheriff's Office said Wednesday that 29-year-old Autumn Bardisa, of Palm Coast, entered the guilty plea on Tuesday to unlicensed practice of healthcare and fraudulent use of identification.

Circuit Judge Dawn Nichols withheld adjudication and sentenced Bardisa to five years of probation and 50 hours of community service as part of the agreement.

She must also write a letter of apology to the nurse whose license number she used.

As part of the plea deal, Bardisa forfeited a nursing license she obtained after her arrest to the Florida Department of Health and is barred from working in the medical field during her probation.

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Bardisa was originally charged with seven counts of unlicensed practice of health care and seven counts of fraudulent use of personal identification information following a seven-month investigation.

Authorities said she treated more than 4,400 patients between June 2024 and January 2025, while falsely presenting herself as a licensed nurse at AdventHealth.

Investigators determined Bardisa never held a valid nursing license during that time and instead used the license number of another nurse who shared her first name.

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The case stemmed from a months-long investigation involving state and federal health agencies after hospital officials discovered Bardisa had allegedly used another nurse's license number and falsified records to land a job as an advanced nurse technician.

Investigators said Bardisa initially applied under an "education first" designation, typically used for nursing graduates who have not yet passed their licensing exam. She later claimed she had completed the exam and provided a license number belonging to a different nurse with the same first name.

To explain inconsistencies, Bardisa told hospital staff she had recently changed her last name after getting married but never produced documentation when asked to verify the claim.

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Despite the missing paperwork, Bardisa was promoted in January 2025, according to investigators. Concerns surfaced when a coworker independently checked her credentials and found she only held an expired certified nursing assistant license, prompting hospital officials to notify authorities.

The scheme unraveled after that discovery, leading to her termination and a broader criminal investigation involving multiple agencies.

Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly said Bardisa's actions put patients at risk and undermined trust in the medical profession.

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"Nursing is a noble profession about caring for those in need, but there is a right way and wrong way to go about it, and she chose the wrong way by using a real nurse's license," Staly said, adding that her actions "potentially endangered patients."

Staly said Bardisa "ruined her career" and will be unable to work in the medical field for at least three years and up to five years under the terms of her probation.

Authorities previously described the case as one of the most significant incidents of medical fraud investigated by the agency.

Officials said anyone who believes they may have been treated by Bardisa can contact the Flagler County Sheriff's Office.

Fox News Digital's Stepheny Price contributed to this report.