The Burbank Police Department in California has arrested a woman on suspicion of impersonating a registered nurse.
Amanda Porter applied for and obtained a nursing position at Providence St. Joseph Medical Center in Burbank, Calif., where she oversaw some 60 patients in April and May 2024, police said in a news release.
In May, police received a report alleging that Ms. Porter impersonated an RN at the facility.
Ms. Porter, who does not have a nursing license and is on federal probation for a fraud violation in Virginia, received two paychecks before being terminated, police said.
Law enforcement also discovered a similar incident allegedly involving Ms. Porter at Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital in Santa Clarita, Calif.
Burbank Police said Ms. Porter was arrested Nov. 7 pursuant to an arrest warrant after she bonded out of the Los Angeles County Sheriff Department's custody on suspicion of committing a similar violation at Henry Mayo Newhall.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office has filed felony charges against Ms. Porter, including identity theft, false impersonation and grand theft.
Ms. Porter was arraigned Nov. 13 and is being held without bail at the Los Angeles County Central Regional Detention Facility in Lynwood, police said.
Providence St. Joseph Medical Center, part of Renton, Wash.-based Providence, shared the following statement with Becker's:
"Providence St. Joseph Medical Center appreciates the diligence of Burbank police detectives in apprehending Amanda Porter, who was hired last spring by the hospital as a nurse but was promptly terminated once it was determined that her nursing credentials had been falsified.
"Hospital officials promptly notified the appropriate state and local authorities, as well as each patient for whom she'd provided care.
"Providence St. Joseph is committed to quality and safety to ensure the best possible care for our patients. As a new hire, this employee was in her orientation phase, and as such was partnered with a training nurse during the five nursing shifts she worked in our hospital."
Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital shared the following statement with Becker's:
"In early October, we learned that an employee falsified documents to obtain employment with our hospital. Once discovered, we took immediate and appropriate action, including terminating her employment and reporting to regulatory and law enforcement authorities.
"The person in question was in the probationary phase of employment with our organization and under the supervision of a nurse preceptor during this time period. We do not have any indication the quality of care patients received was compromised."