EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — The Texas Board of Nursing has issued a warning about an “impostor” who has allegedly posed as a nurse in El Paso and Las Cruces.
The board said that Margarita Gonzalez has attempted to secure employment and practice medicine in several locations in El Paso by using the license number and names belonging to nurses with similar names.
She attempted to secure jobs and practice as a registered nurse at Mountain View Nursing and Rehabilitation in El Paso and AVIR at Patriot in El Paso, the nursing board said.
Gonzalez could face prosecution. She also goes by Margaritta Gonzales, Margarita Gonzales and Margarita Gonzalez, according to the nursing board.
The impostor nurse did not provide direct patient care to patients but accepted the positions at two different facilities in El Paso.
The facilities notified the Texas Board of Nursing during the credentialing stages when the provided names, address, date of birth, and Social Security number did not match the licensee verification.
Additionally, the impostor secured employment and practiced as a registered nurse in Las Cruces from February through May of this year, the board said.
At Las Cruces Wellness and Rehab, the impostor did provide direct patient care to patients and represented herself as a registered nurse to staff, patients, families and the public while using the credentials “RN” on medical and business records.
This case has been referred to the El Paso County District Attorney’s Office and the 3rd Judicial District Court in Las Cruces for prosecution, the board said.
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