Philadelphia Police have arrested a woman who they say molested a boy while posing as a nurse at St. Christopher's Hospital for Children.
Police say Ashley Delvalle, 24, of the Feltonville section of the city, was at the hospital Tuesday with her own child. While there, she went into several other patients' rooms, told the parents she was a nurse and that she would be performing physical exams, according to police.
Delvalle touched one of the children inappropriately and took the weight of another, police say.
The incident has people questioning how you can tell if someone is a nurse or not when they approach you in a hospital.
Patricia Eakin, registered nurse and president of the Pennsylvania Association of Staff Nurses & Allied Professionals, says that most hospitals have policies and regulations regarding employee identification, and nurses are typically required to wear a photo ID in a lanyard or place it above the waist.
“What a violation of trust,” Eakin said, “what that woman did.”
St. Christopher’s issued a statement regarding the incident, saying that they were first notified by the victim’s mother, and contacted police and the Department of Human Services.
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On Friday, the hospital declined further comment on the case citing the ongoing investigation.
Delvalle is charged with simple assault, indecent assault and related offenses. She remains held on $50,000 bail, according to court records.
