Maryland woman tries to pose as nurse in Delaware

A former Middletown resident has been charged with multiple felonies and misdemeanors for using fake documents to apply for nursing jobs. Photo by Karolina Grabowska/Pexels

A Maryland woman has been arrested and charged with stealing the identity of a registered nurse and then trying to use that to fraudulently obtain employment in Delaware nursing homes.

“The licensing system for healthcare professionals is crucial to patient safety,” said Attorney General Kathy Jennings in a press release.

Nicole L. Vanhorn, aka Nicole Van Horn, was arrested Aug. 19 after an investigation led by the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit in the Delaware Department of Justice’s Fraud & Consumer Protection Division.

Vanhorn faces felony charges including criminal impersonation, identity theft, perjury, forgery and theft, as well as multiple misdemeanor charges including practicing or offering to practice as a registered nurse without a license.

Nurse board complaint

The fraud unit acted after the Delaware Division of Professional Regulation’s Board of Nursing reported Vanhorn—formerly a resident of Middletown, Delaware—attempted to use a Pennsylvania-licensed RN’s identity supported by fictitious educational and professional credentials to obtain a Delaware nursing license.

The fraud control unit discovered that since at least December 2022, Vanhorn used falsified credentials attempting to obtain employment as a healthcare professional and managed to obtain conditional employment as an RN at two Delaware long-term care facilities.

There so far is no evidence that Vanhorn treated any patients in Delaware.

Anyone with additional information about Vanhorn should contact the MFCU hotline at (302) 577-5000.

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Vanhorn faces felony charges including Criminal Impersonation, Identity Theft, Perjury, Forgery, and Theft, as well as multiple misdemeanor charges including Practicing or Offering to Practice as a Registered Nurse without a License.

Vanhorn was arraigned and released on her own recognizance on all counts, ordered to have no contact with victims and to not hold herself out as a health care professional.