Police have charged a Tennessee woman who allegedly impersonated a nurse and attempted to discharge two patients via disconnecting their IVs Sunday, according to WTVC.
Lydia Kate Brock, 28, reportedly visited two emergency room patients, an 85-year-old man and 70-year-old woman, and claimed to be a nurse telling them they were being released from Erlanger Hospital, WTVC reported. (RELATED: ‘Medically Suspicious’: Former Respiratory Therapist Pleads Guilty In Deaths Of Patients)
Police say a woman pretending to be a nurse told two emergency room patients they were being discharged at a hospital in Chattanooga, Tennessee.https://t.co/k4t9K941Pg
— ABC 33/40 News (@abc3340) June 28, 2023
When Brock allegedly removed the monitoring equipment and IV from the woman, the woman’s family confronted and stopped her. They then notified hospital staff, according to WTVC.
Hospital staff put Brock in a mental health hold and investigated other potential actions by Brock to patients. During the investigation, staff discovered vials of blood in Brock’s purse suspecting that she may have come to the hospital for a serious blood clot, according to the outlet.
Brock was reportedly involved in an incident at Tennova Hospital, where she attempted to fake a head injury by drawing blood from her own IV and splattering the blood on her head in July 2022, the outlet reported.
Staff reportedly found additional items including fentanyl, lidocaine, syringes, and empty prescription bottles from multiple doctors in her purse, according to WTVC.
Brock is being charged with two counts of aggravated assault, two counts of abuse of a vulnerable adult, two counts of reckless endangerment, two counts of impersonation of a licensed professional, and possession of drug paraphernalia, according to the outlet.