A woman who impersonated a nurse at a San Jose hospital was arrested on Friday, a Santa Clara County Sheriff’s spokesman said.
Crystal Cook, 29 (pictured right), of Felton was arrested on Friday for allegedly posing as a nurse at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, Sgt. Kurtis Stenderup said.
Hospital spokeswoman Joy Alexiou said they were first notified of Cook on Thursday through California Shock Trauma Air Rescue Ambulance who found a Facebook page of a woman who claimed to work at CalStar and Valley Medical Center.
Security officials at the hospital received a notification with Cook’s description and photo from security surveillance, Alexiou said.
Authorities were contacted Friday morning after hospital security detained a woman that matched the Cook’s description, Stenderup said.
He said she wore scrubs, a stethoscope and fake hospital identification card, he said.
The ID did not give her secured areas in the hospital, Stenderup said.
Deputies determined Cook was not a hospital employee or registered nurse, he said.
Alexiou said one of the posts Cook made on her Facebook page stated that she took part in a pediatric heart transplant, however those surgeries are sent to Stanford hospital.
“The nursing supervisors in charge all know who is supposed to be there and who isn’t,” Alexiou said.
The hospital has maintained its security procedures in spite of the incident.
“We do education with patients to make sure they know all the members of their care team. If they’re unsure of anything they’re asked to call their nurse and let us know,” Alexiou said.
Cook was booked but released on suspicion of two misdemeanor charges of false impersonation of a county employee and possession of fictitious ID card, according to the sheriff’s office.
The Santa Clara County District Attorney’s office is still reviewing the case to determine the charges, spokesman Sean Webby said.
Anyone who has encountered Cook in a hospital or information on the case is asked to call the sheriff’s investigation unit at (408) 808-4500 or anonymous tip line at (408) 808-4431.
Jamey Padojino, Bay City News
