Male Nurse Wanted For Setting Co-Worker On Fire In Hospital Break Room

A New Jersey nurse has been declared wanted for allegedly attacking a co-worker with a wrench and setting her on fire at a hospital early on Monday.

The incident which happened at Hackensack University Medical Center in northeast New Jersey left the victim with third-degree burns, the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office said in a news release.

The attacker is identified as Nicholas Pagano, a 31-year-old contracted nurse at Hackensack University Medical Center. He is being sought on attempted murder and aggravated arson charges in Monday’s attack, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said.

Pagano allegedly burned the 54-year-old co-worker and struck her with a wrench in a break room. She had third-degree burns to her upper body, face, and hands, as well as a cut to her head that required stitches, Musella said.

Pagano, who fled the hospital following the attack, is believed to be driving a 1998 white Jeep Grand Cherokee with black roof racks and New Jersey license plate S57NJH.

“Nicholas Pagano should be considered armed and dangerous and should not be approached by members of the public,” Musella said in a statement.

According to authorities, police received a 911 call at 5:15 a.m. ET that a hospital employee was “attacked and burned by another individual in a break room.”

“Violence will not be tolerated in our network. Our doctors, nurses, and teams are true heroes and deserve our respect. The safety of our patients and our team members is Hackensack Meridian Health’s highest priority,” Hackensack Meridian Health said in a statement.

The victim, whose job title was not released, had third-degree burns on her upper body and hands and was treated in the emergency room at Hackensack University Medical Center before being transferred to another medical facility, the prosecutor’s office said. She also had a cut on her hand that required stitches.

There were “no witnesses to the incident and police have no motive for the attack at this time,” Hackensack Meridian said.

Additional security was stationed at the hospital after the attack.

A travel nurse is also known as a contract nurse works on a short-term basis and travels to different health care facilities that have specific staffing needs, particularly during shortages. Demand for travel nurses has skyrocketed during the COVID-19 pandemic, prompting many to leave their full-time positions in favor of salaries that are two or three times higher as a travel nurse.

Hackensack Meridian said the travel nurse accused in the attack passed a background check, drug screening, and license review before he was cleared to work by the agency that provides travel workers to its network.

He had been at Hackensack University Medical Center since November, officials said.

Pagano, who fled the hospital following the attack, is believed to be driving a 1998 white Jeep Grand Cherokee with black roof racks and New Jersey license plate S57NJH.

According to Musella, “Pagano is said to be considered armed and dangerous and should not be approached by members of the public.”

The Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office and Hackensack Police Department are investigating the incident.