Authorities say Autumn Bardisa, 29, worked at AdventHealth Palm Coast Parkway in Palm Coast, Fla., for about seven months under pretenses. During that time, she either treated or assisted in treating approximately 4,486 patients between June 2024 and January 2025.
The hospital first hired Bardisa in July 2023 as an advanced nurse technician, a role requiring licensed nurse supervision. But investigators say she later applied to become a registered nurse, claiming she was an “education first” RN — meaning she had completed nursing school but hadn’t yet passed the state exam.
To support her application, Bardisa allegedly submitted documents with a nursing license number belonging to another nurse who shared her first name. She reportedly explained away the last-name discrepancy by saying she had recently married and changed her name. Still, she failed to produce a marriage certificate when the hospital asked for proof.
Her deception was discovered only when offered a promotion in January 2025. A license check revealed she had no valid nursing license — only an expired certified nursing assistant license. She was fired on Jan. 22, 2025.
Months later, the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office launched an investigation, leading to Bardisa’s Aug. 5 arrest. She is now facing seven counts of practicing a healthcare profession without a license and seven counts of fraudulent use of personal identification. She is being held on a $70,000 bond.
Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly described the case as alarming.
“This is one of the most disturbing examples of medical fraud we’ve ever seen,” Staly said. “By pretending to be a nurse, this woman potentially endangered the lives of thousands of patients and betrayed the trust people place in healthcare professionals.”
AdventHealth has not confirmed whether any patients were harmed, but has acknowledged the severity of the situation.
