Escondido

A 17-year-old girl who pretended to be a nurse and helped care for a 21-month-old child at Palomar Memorial Hospital has been referred to a counseling program, Escondido police said. The girl was arrested Wednesday after hospital officials told police she had impersonated a nurse on the hospital’s pediatrics ward Feb. 18 through 22. Although impersonating a nurse is a misdemeanor, Escondido Police Sgt. Dale Whaley said authorities decided not to refer the youth to the juvenile court. “There wasn’t any malicious intent on her part,” he said. “This was her first contact by the police. So, we thought the best to handle the matter was to refer her to a private counseling service.”