Authorities in Nashville say a woman posing as a nurse walked into hospital rooms and stole medication directly from patients’ IV lines. On September 15, police say 36-year-old Marissa Jean Denton entered the Critical Care Unit at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Wearing blue scrubs and carrying herself like a nurse, she slipped past security protocols meant to restrict access. Once inside, investigators allege she removed 100 milliliters of Propofol—a fast-acting anesthetic that requires careful dosing and monitoring. She had no license to practice medicine in Tennessee or any other state.
Back At It
Drips and IVs are placed outside the rooms patients in the ICU. 2021
Two days later, on September 17, Denton turned up again—this time at Ascension Saint Thomas Midtown Hospital. According to police, she entered a patient’s room and drew roughly four milliliters of Propofol from an active IV drip using a syringe. Staff members intervened quickly and notified law enforcement. Metro Nashville Police later arrested her on charges of theft and impersonating a licensed professional. “These actions were absolutely unauthorized and could have put a patient at risk of serious harm,” investigators said in a statement. Propofol, while commonly used in hospitals, can be dangerous if mishandled, even in small doses.
This Isn’t Her First Run-in With The Law
Denton’s arrest is not her first brush with misconduct in a medical setting. State records show she previously worked at Saint Thomas Midtown until early 2024. Reports also link her to a string of troubling incidents including stealing medications and supplies while working for home health services, allegedly taking a patient’s jewelry, and being found unresponsive in a Kentucky hospital bathroom with syringes nearby. Licensing boards in multiple states have either revoked or suspended her ability to practice nursing.
Denton Has A Habit of Impersonating Hospital Workers
PeaceHealth RiverBend Hospital nurse Quiana Barnaby began her career as a licensed practical nurse three years ago before becoming a registered nurse through Lane Community College.
Despite that record, Denton continued to find ways into hospital settings. Authorities now believe she developed a pattern of impersonating healthcare workers to gain access to controlled drugs. Her total bond is set at more than $125,000, and she is not currently eligible for release.
We Don’t Expect Crime To Happen In Such a Safe Place
Hospitals are supposed to be the safest places imaginable, where patients entrust their lives to professionals wearing scrubs and ID badges. When someone exploits that trust—when someone pulls medicine from a drip meant to ease pain or help a patient heal—it shakes that foundation.
