"Nurse" arrested for using stolen license

Steffy44 · Jan 12, 2017

One poster made the comment that the impersonator worked in the position of a unit clerk. Could it possibly be that she was an LPN/LVN (nurse) who impersonated an RN?
I don't know the skills mix in the hospitals of that region.
Where I live, it is highly feasible to have an LVN at the monitor, or working as a ward clerk, because the RN's are the only ones who are assigned to patients in the hospital settings.

Wow I work on a med surg floor and our LPNs are assigned patients.

allnurses Guide · Jan 12, 2017

Sadly this is not all that uncommon. The Texas BON has a page dedicated to this, showing the pictures of the individuals and where they have been working. Most are cases of identity theft or forged licenses or a license that was revoked in another state but has not caught up with them here yet.

I would think online verification of a license makes this much harder to perpetrate than in days of paper licenses, but somehow it still does happen.

Here.I.Stand, BSN, RN · Jan 24, 2017

Of course the hospital would say patient care was not compromised, but I say POPPYCOCK.
They just got lucky that no harm is apparent. Like a ripple of a drop of water spreads out, any teaching or misleading information she gave may have lasting consequences.
Dang, felicia.

I was going to say the same thing. Her patients went entire shifts without a nurse! How in the world does that not compromise care?? :mad:

Here.I.Stand, BSN, RN · Jan 24, 2017

every place I've worked has had a drug dosage calculation test or medication test of some sort as part of the hiring deal. One place gave it to me the day I interviewed, if I didn't get the answers correct the interview would have been cancelled! other places have had it as part of the orientation process. never have been let onto the floor without that being done. Is this hospital loosey-goosey with regulations?

Possibly, but if it was just a drug calculation test that's basic algebra. You note your givens and solve for one unknown. She wouldn't necessarily need the RN license to pass a test like that