SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. (CBS12) — A former Florida nurse whose license was revoked is facing new charges after a police sergeant recognized him in a TV news report as his relative’s nurse.
According to reports from WESH, 56-year-old Joseph Kinney was arrested July 1 after investigators say he worked as a nurse at Aviata at Lake Mary, a rehab and nursing facility, despite having his license revoked in 2022.
According to court documents, a Lake Mary police sergeant saw a news report about Kinney’s previous arrest in Volusia County and recognized him as the person who had cared for a relative at the facility.
Investigators say Kinney used another person’s name and nursing license while working there for nearly two months last summer.
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Kinney was previously accused of using someone else’s credentials to apply for nursing jobs at facilities in Seminole and Orange counties. He was recently placed on five years of probation and ordered not to work in healthcare.
A former Florida nurse whose license was revoked is facing new charges after a police sergeant recognized him in a TV news report as his relative’s nurse. (WESH)
The Florida Nurses Association said the case raises concerns about patient safety and hiring practices.
“We need to make sure and pay attention to this because it is a public safety issue,” executive director of the Florida Nurses Association Willa Hill told WESH.
Kinney bonded out of jail and is due back in court next month.