Woman Set On Fire By Contracted Nurse At Hackensack UMC

Editor's note: A West Deptford man has been identified as the suspect in this case. Click here to read more.

HACKENSACK, NJ — Officials are investigating after an independent nurse contractor reportedly set a Hackensack University Medical Center team member on fire Monday morning.

A hospital employee called Hackensack Police around 5:15 a.m. to report an assault, according to Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella.

"The team member was in a break room when the contracted agency nurse entered and allegedly set the team member on fire," the hospital said in a news release. "There were no witnesses to the incident and police have no motive for the attack at this time. The male suspect exited the hospital and fled by car."

The injured team member, a woman, suffered third-degree burns on her upper body and hands, and had a head laceration that required stitches. She was taken to another hospital for treatment.

The suspect had been working at Hackensack UMC since mid-November, the hospital said.

Additional security is stationed at the hospital, according to the news release.

The Bergen County Prosecutor's Office did not release any information about the suspect in a news release sent Monday afternoon.

Hackensack University Medical Center provided further information on the independent nurse contractor position:

An independent nurse contractor is a health care professional who works on a contract basis rather than being employed full time at one place and typically travels to different locations to provide help during shortages. A complete and full compliance audit was conducted by the vendor that provides contracted agency staff to the network, including state and county background checks, drug screening and license review, which is standard practice at hospitals throughout the nation. As a result of this complete and full compliance, this contracted agency nurse was cleared to work.