A Florida judge has sentenced a 29-year-old woman to five years of probation after she treated thousands of patients using a stolen medical identity. Autumn Bardisa pleaded no contest to the unlicensed practice of health care and fraudulent use of identification to secure employment at a Palm Coast hospital.
Court records indicate Bardisa successfully graduated from nursing school but failed her state licensing examination. To circumvent the legal requirements, she obtained an advanced nurse technician position at AdventHealth Palm Coast Parkway in July 2023. Bardisa supplied hospital administrators with a legitimate registered nurse’s license number, falsely claiming the different last name on the credential resulted from a recent marriage. She never provided the requested marriage certificate to verify the discrepancy.
Operating under this fabricated professional identity between June 2024 and January 2025, Bardisa directly treated 4,486 patients.
The scheme unraveled in January 2025 when administrators offered Bardisa a promotion. A routine background check initiated by a colleague revealed Bardisa only held an expired certified nursing assistant license. Hospital officials immediately reported the discrepancy to authorities, prompting the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office to launch a comprehensive seven-month investigation that culminated in her August 2025 arrest.
Alongside the five-year probationary period, the court ordered Bardisa to complete 50 hours of community service and draft a formal apology to the registered nurse whose license number she misappropriated.
During the sentencing hearing, Circuit Judge Dawn Nichols condemned Bardisa’s “incredibly poor judgment.” However, the judge also noted the defendant’s otherwise exceptional on-the-job performance—a proficiency that ironically drew the peer scrutiny leading to her exposure.
Law enforcement officials maintained a strict stance on the breach of public trust. Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly sharply criticized the deception in a prepared statement.
“Nursing is a noble profession about caring for those in need, but there is a right way and wrong way to go about it,” Staly stated. “Because she chose to circumvent the rules, she ruined her career, and she potentially endangered patients.”
The plea agreement effectively bans Bardisa from working in the medical field for three to five years. Outside the courtroom, Bardisa acknowledged her error but indicated no plans to contest the medical ban or return to healthcare in another jurisdiction. She confirmed she has since enrolled in a master’s degree program to pivot her career trajectory.
“I think a mistake shouldn’t ruin someone’s life,” Bardisa said.
