Candace Shantal Simpson
A former Erlanger Hospital nurse has been charged with dressing as a nurse, going into a patient room, and stealing medication.
Candace Shantal Simpson, 33, of Chickamauga, Ga., was charged with theft of property, burglary and impersonation of a licensed professional.
In the incident last Oct. 23, police said Ms. Simpson came to Erlanger in a nurse's uniform and portrayed herself as a working nurse.
She entered a room where pain medications were being administered to a patient. A family member of the patient who was in the room said the "nurse" went directly to the pain pump, withdrew a syringe from her nurse's uniform shirt pocket, and withdrew medication from a tube that was administering medicine to the patient.
She said the "nurse" then got another syringe from another pocket and injected an unknown substance into the medication dispenser for the patient.
The family member thought this was strange and asked the "nurse" what she was doing. She said she was "topping off" the medication.
The family member then sought to alert Erlanger personnel, causing the "nurse" to scramble for an exit. She was recognized by employees who knew her from her previous employment and that "she had been released on similar action in the past."
The family member picked Ms. Simpson from a photo lineup.