Upstate woman stole nurse’s identity, worked in care homes, SLED says

A Piedmont woman is accused of impersonating a registered nurse and working in three different care homes throughout the Upstate, according to the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division.

Kimberly Faye Campbell was charged with three counts each of identity theft, neglect of a vulnerable adult and unlicensed practice as a registered nurse.

While her own license to practice as a licensed practical nurse was suspended, Campbell, 48, allegedly used the credentials belonging to another nurse to obtain employment at three care homes where she directly interacted with residents and patients.

Under South Carolina law, residents of a nursing care facility are classified as vulnerable adults.

Campbell’s nursing license was temporarily suspended Oct. 8, 2020. The order, issued by the South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation (DLLR), found that there was probable cause to suspend her license due to a threat to “public health, safety, or welfare.”

But the following June, SLED alleged that Campbell stole a registered nurse’s licensing information and used it to obtain a job at Easley Place Assisted Living, a senior living center. In August, Campbell started working at Powdersville Post-Acute, a nursing home in Pickens. She also allegedly got a job at Poinsett Rehabilitation in Greenville through Simpler Staffing Solutions, according to the warrants issued by SLED.

She was employed at the Powdersville and Poinsett facilities until Jan. 31, 2022, according to the warrants.

On Feb. 15, 2022, DLLR issued a cease and desist order to Campbell. The order said there was reason to believe that even though Campbell’s nursing license had been suspended, on “multiple occasions” she had applied for nursing positions and had worked in at least one job using the “stolen identity” of a registered nurse.

The licensing agency requested SLED investigate, according to a statement from the law enforcement agency.

Campbell was booked at the Anderson County Detention Center, followed by the Pickens County Detention Center and the Greenville County Detention Center, according to SLED.

The case will be prosecuted by the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office.