Florida woman who posed as a 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, once authorities avoided jail time in a deeply disturbing case.

The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office said Wednesday that Sharad Bardisa, 29, of Palm Coast entered guilty pleas Tuesday to unlicensed practice of health care and fraudulent use of identity.

Circuit Judge Don Nichols withheld judgment and sentenced Bardisa to five years of probation and 50 hours of community service.

He must also write a letter of apology to the nurse whose license number he used.

As part of the plea agreement, Berdisa forfeited the nursing license she received after her arrest at the Florida Department of Health and is barred from working in the medical field during her probation.

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Bardisa was charged with seven counts of unlicensed practice of healthcare and fraudulent use of personally identifiable information following a seven-month investigation.

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

Investigators determined that Bardisa did not hold a valid nursing license at the time and instead used the license number of another nurse who shared her first name.

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The case stems from a months-long investigation involving state and federal health agencies after hospital officials discovered Bardisa 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 the “education first” designation, typically used for nursing graduates who have not yet passed their licensing exams. She later claimed she passed the test and provided a different nurse’s license number with the same name.

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

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Despite the missing paperwork, Bardisa was promoted in January 2025, according to investigators. When a colleague independently checked her credentials and found she only had an expired certified nursing assistant license, concerns were raised, prompting hospital officials to notify authorities.

The plan was revealed after that discovery, leading to his termination and an extensive criminal investigation involving multiple agencies.

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

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“Nursing is a great profession to care for those in need, but there is a right and a wrong way to go about it, and she chose the wrong way by using a real nurse’s license,” Staley said, adding that her actions “potentially put patients at risk.”

Staley said Bardisa “ruined her career” and will be unable to work in the medical field for at least three years and five years as part of her probation.

Officials previously described the case as the most significant case of medical fraud ever investigated by the agency.

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

Fox News Digital’s Stephanie Price contributed to this report.

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