Fake nurse gives near-fatal dose of morphine to hospice patient in NM, feds say

A woman has been accused of impersonating a nurse and giving a near fatal dose of morphine to a patient in New Mexico, federal officials said.

In 2024, April Guadalupe Hernandez, a certified nurse assistant, forged documents and, over a year and a half, and stole the identities of two nurses, one in California and one in Texas, according to an Aug. 28 news release by the Department of Justice.

Hernandez, 26, also stole the identity of a licensed practical nurse in Kansas before being employed by Luna Del Valle Healthcare Services, Lily Care of New Mexico and Hospice De La Luz, prosecutors said.

Hernandez was paid $40,000 for her services, officials said.

McClatchy News reached out to Hernandez’s previous employers for a statement on Aug. 29 and was awaiting a response.

The identities were similar to that of Hernandez so she was able to “fly under the radar” while she cared for patients, prosecutors said.

In one case, prosecutors said, Hernandez “mis-transcribed a medication order for a patient that nearly led to the administration of a fatal dose of morphine.”

Hernandez was charged with 19 counts of misconduct including theft of identity, fraud, falsification of Medicaid documents, nursing without a license and abuse of a patient, officials said.

If convicted on all charges, she will face 27.5 years in prison, prosecutors said.

A Certified Nurse Assistant works “under the direction of a Registered Nurse (RN) or a Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurse (LPN/LVN)” and provides “basic care to patients,” according to the Red Cross.

“(A)uthorities in numerous states have reported people falsely claiming to be licensed nurses or working in positions that require a nursing license without valid credentials, the Washington Post reported Aug. 28.

Often called “Nurse impostors,” they “can cause real damage, harm, and death to patients and individuals, and it shakes the trust of people,” Jennifer Mensik Kennedy, president of the American Nurses Association, told the Post.