Anyone ever have a famous person as a patient?

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Actors, singers, authors, comedians, etc...?

If so, how did he/she treat you as their nurse?

If you were "starstruck", how did you handle it?

How did the hospital hide their identity?

Did he/she bring an entourage with them?

What were their families like?

Anyone deliver a famous woman's baby?

Yep, they are just people, I know, but I've always been curious :)

Thankful RN,BSN

127 Posts

Specializes in Telemetry.

Good questions!!! I can't wait to see the responses.

Whispera, MSN, RN

3,458 Posts

Specializes in psych, addictions, hospice, education.

I've had two. One was quite gracious. The other was silent most of the time. I didn't feel starstruck, but felt funny--I can't really explain it. The hospital gave them anonymous names on the census and on their chart spines. One brought an entourage. One had no family, the other had clingy entourage/family.

Specializes in LTC Rehab Med/Surg.

I would like to see responses to your questions but I don't think it would be a good idea to post. Too easy to figure out who you are.

There's also that pesky confidentiality thing to consider.:uhoh21:

Trauma Columnist

traumaRUs, MSN, APRN

88 Articles; 21,249 Posts

Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

I worked in Las Vegas and had the chance to care for several celebrities.

However as others have pointed out, please don't name names/circumstances as that could be a privacy concern.

Thanks.

birdie22

231 Posts

No personal experience with this topic, but I do know where I work, if/when there is a famous person, they have an alias name. For instance, if I heard that Oprah Winfrey was at my hospital and typed her name in the electronic medical records to find her, there wouldnt be anything. Obviously this is breaking HIPAA, but putting that aside, I wouldnt be able to find her records. They give them regular names like "nancy brown" or something like that.

I dont work at the Cleveland Clinic, but I do know that they have an entire unit devoted to important people. I dont know what you have to do/who you have to be to get into the unit, but its where they put all the celebrities, and important political figures, foreign and domestic. I assume its more like a 5 star hotel rather than a hospital. Better food, better service, that type of thing.

Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN

4 Articles; 7,907 Posts

Specializes in Psych ICU, addictions.

Actors, singers, authors, comedians, etc...?

Can't even tell you that without violating HIPAA :)

If so, how did he/she treat you as their nurse?

They were actually rather nice and down to earth: very personable. I think they were more shocked and out of it than anything,

If you were "starstruck", how did you handle it?

I wasn't. If anything, I was a bit let-down because we had heard about this "VIP" coming and when he/she actually arrived, it wasn't who we'd thought it'd be. Still, they were a very impressive patient.

How did the hospital hide their identity?

False name and any info given on a strictly need-to-know basis

Did he/she bring an entourage with them?

No.

What were their families like?

Never got to meet them.

Anyone deliver a famous woman's baby?

Not really going to happen in psych ;)

birdie22

231 Posts

Meriwhen, now that you mention psych, I imagine a lot of nurses out in california have had celebrities as rehab patients, and on more than one occasion. Not to stereotype/generalize, but its what we hear on the news all the time.

Ruby Vee, BSN

17 Articles; 14,030 Posts

Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.

yes -- and famous people are just people. some of them were wonderful, others were real horrors. i've taken care of some famous people whom i didn't know were famous until after they left my care. (i wouldn't know a reality "star" or famous athlete if i tripped over them.) most of those folks apparently found it refreshing to be treated "just like anyone else." i also took care of the president of my hospital . . . and my manager stood up for me when we had a difference of opinion about the need to wear isolation gowns. have i mentioned that i love my manager?

i'm probably the only nurse who ever hung up on the president of the united states . . . he called to get a condition report on a friend of his, and said "hi, i'm george washington (substitute the name of the guy who was currently president) and i'd like to know how my good friend john is doing."

i said "sure you are," and hung up. i swear it wasn't because he belonged to the other party.

JDZ344

837 Posts

Actors, singers, authors, comedians, etc...? All I can say is that I have treated a family member of a well known person. Never looked after a celebrity/famous person myself.

If so, how did he/she treat you as their nurse? I'm not a nurse, BUT the family member in question was very polite and gracious.

If you were "starstruck", how did you handle it?I wasn't particullay. I met them first, didn't even recognise them until a co-worker said "Do you know who s/he is?!"

How did the hospital hide their identity? Not applicable. But our hospital has treated celebrities before. They don't hide the identity as far as I know. Most times, the media even report where they are in the press.

Did he/she bring an entourage with them? N/A

What were their families like? N/A

Anyone deliver a famous woman's baby? Nope, never seen anyoe famous in maternity!

JRP1120, RN

146 Posts

"Actors, singers, authors, comedians, etc...?

Can't even tell you that without violating HIPAA "

I wasn't asking for specifics like names and such, it was just to jog a memory or two :) I'm well aware of HIPAA; it was drilled into us during nursing school :)

Keep the posts coming...this is light-hearted "fun"

JDZ344

837 Posts

Ruby Vee that is an awesome story...did the POTUS call back?

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