What's Your Best Nursing Ghost Story?

Nurses General Nursing Nursing Q/A

Nursing is a profession that often involves long lonely night shifts in eerie hospital wards. It's a perfect breeding ground for ghost stories. These stories often involve sightings of apparitions, strange noises, and unexplained events that are said to have taken place in hospitals, hospices, and other healthcare settings. Some of these stories are believed to be based on true events, while others are purely fictional. Regardless, they continue to captivate and intrigue both nurses and non-nurses alike - providing a spooky glimpse into the world of healthcare after dark.

I know you have seen and heard freaky things. Share your nursing ghost stories...

We had two female patients that were always fighting, one of them became very sick and expired. About two hours later I walked by the other patients room and the lady that had expired was sitting in the chair beside the bed looking at the patient while she slept. I could not believe it!! I looked away and then looked back in the room and she was gone

tvccrn said:
One Last Goodbye

Working as a nurse in a very small rural hospital gives you a chance to get to know your patients. You meet them on the street, in the grocery store, and at school functions. They become more than a number or a disease process, they become neighbors and friends. Members of their family work beside you.

One night as I was the charge nurse and the ER nurse all rolled into one, I recieved a call from the front desk that I had a patient in the car downstairs and I needed to open the ambulance door so I could get him into the ER. As I ran down, I was wondering what what I would encounter. I opened the door and as the car pulled in I saw a man hanging out the passenger side of the car. I went over to the side and saw that he was blue and not breathing. I ran into the ER to call for some assistance in getting him out of the car and into the ER. I also called for the CRNA that was on-site to do an intubation. Normally our CRNA lived about 10 miles away, but he was on vacation and his cover stayed in house.

We got the man into the ER and intubated. The doctor came down and we stablized him for transport to our SCU. Because we were such a small hospital, we had a special care unit that had three beds and some of the best nurses that I have ever worked with. The rest of the evening went by without any more commotion. I left that night feeling good about having saved someone.

The next day, I came in and went into the unit to check on how the man had done overnight. I was told that he had pulled his tube out three times and was mad because we had replaced it. Apparently he had not wanted anything done to prolong his life, but we hadn't been aware of it. Once, he had recovered enough, his doctor sat down with he and his family and discussed their options. He was made a DNR and all the staff was made aware of this. When he saw me I got a royal chewing out for having him intubated in the first place. That was the start of a friendship that went on for a while. I worked with his daughter and grand-daughter, so I was soon his favorite nurse. Every time he came into the ER with trouble breathing and that blue look to him, he always made sure that no one else put a tube down his throat.

Of course, a person can go on like that only so long before the body decides that it has had enough. The time came when he came in and was not responding. We placed him in the room that was directly across from the nurses station and I made the family comfortable to wait for the inevitable. I checked on them periodically, but for the most part they were left alone. Soon, the daughter came out and said that he had passed away. It was my responsiblity to verify this information and get in touch with the proper people. I walked into the room and the harsh sound of his breathing was gone. I did the things I needed to make sure that he was really gone. As I looked at the family, there were tears in all our eyes. His wife hugged me and told me that I had always been his favorite and she thoughts he would be happy that I was there when he left.

After gathering all the information from them that I needed, I left to call the coroner to notify her and to call the place that would handle his interment. He had decided long ago that he wanted to be cremated. As there was only one crematorium in the area, they were already out when I called, but they would be there as soon as they could. I relayed this to the family and told then they were more than welcome to stay if they wished. Some of them did stay. I provided them with privacy, tissues and any comfort they might need. Everytime I went to check on them, although there were tears, there was also laughter at stories about his life. Once, they looked at me and asked me if I was uncomfortable with their laughter. I told them, no, I knew that they had been prepared for this and although it's never pleasant, it was nice to see that they could look back with love at the time they had spent with him.

Soon, the service came and picked him up. The wife and daughter thanked me for the kindness of letting them stay and spending a last couple of hours with their loved one. I have always felt that a family should have as much time as they need to say goodbye. After they left, I had housekeeping come and clean the room. When they were done the door was closed and we all went about the rest of our shift.

Near the end of the shift, the other nurse and I were at the desk charting on the night's event when a buzzer went off. We both looked to which patient was calling for assisstance. It was the call bell from the room across from the nurse's station. As we were both at the desk, we knew that there was no one in there. Neither one of us wanted to go in, so we tried to cancel the bell from the console, but we were unable to. I felt that it was my responsiblity to go in as it had been my patient that had been in there. As I walked into the room and turned on the light, I saw that the cord for the call bell was pulled out of the wall and was across the room. Now, with no one in the room that was eerie to say the least. I hurriedly put it back and left the room.

A few weeks later, I was talking with the daughter of the patient who had passed away in the room and she smiled at me and said that it was probably her father coming back to tell his favorite nurse goodbye one last time.

OMG I almost cried when I read this story.

I resent the implication that I have watched too many scary movies. I have great reverence for death and even the bible talks of spirits, demons, and such. In my long term care facility we work closely with hospice and I provide the best end of life care that is possible for my residents. Come on over, you'll believe.

StatBlues said:
"saw a black figure "

After reading this in a few posts. I wonder if it is the angel of death, or a soul collector for the evil? Or if being dark means evil at all? And, a white mist is not evil....?

I wonder too, why so many hang around, earth. Is not heaven waiting for all who have tried to have a good life? Especially the children....why arent they playing in heaven? Why do some have people to greet them, and some dont.

I have so many questions.

I think a book could be made and published with all these stories and more.

?

There are a couple of excellent books, "Life After Death" and "Life After Death Revisited." They have been out for a while so may need to be ordered but last time I looked were readily available on Amazon.com. I can't remember the author's name but he was originally an unbeliever and set out to disprove the stories of after death experiences. There are som absolutely fascinating stories in the two books and the author outlines the similarities present in most of these occurrences.

Why did I read this thread minutes before bedtime?.....spooky..damn my curiousity!!!

LOVE THE ROSES AND EVEN ROSE PETALS.........WOW WHAT AN EXPERIENCE.....KEEP THE STORIES COMING........

schroeders_piano said:
I used to work in an old catholic hospital. Where the labor and delivery unit is located now, it used to be the convent for the nuns that worked at this hospital. One of the nuns died of natural causes years ago. This nun loved and raised numerous varieties of roses. Ever since the OB department was moved to this area, anytime a mother or baby is having difficulties you can smell the scent of roses throughout the whole unit. The OB nurses know to be prepared when they start smelling the scent of roses. If a mother or baby dies, the room suddenly fills with rose petals. It is one of the creepiest, but also loving things that happens. I was standing in a room one night when the baby died. The room filled with white and pink rose petals. The nurses and family was creeped out.

I worked at another hospital where you would see a nurse in the old white dress and cap walk down the hallway and smile at you. Then she would walk into a patient's room and apply wrist restraints. All the nurses knew her. It was just Mildred who died 60 years ago. You just had to follow her so you can take the wrist restraints off.

I do have other stories that are a lot creepier than these.

Specializes in A&E (ER) and Primary Care.

My Grandma (Meme) was living with us after a stroke and was bed bound and only wore night ware for about 9 months. After she died, the same day I was putting my Three year old to bed, and I was justing saying night night to him when he said "Meme (Grandma) is with the Angels now and she is dressed and stood over there."

This freaked me out cos for nine months he has only seen her laying in bed. :stone

SueH said:
There are a couple of excellent books, "Life After Death" and "Life After Death Revisited." They have been out for a while so may need to be ordered but last time I looked were readily available on Amazon.com. I can't remember the author's name but he was originally an unbeliever and set out to disprove the stories of after death experiences. There are som absolutely fascinating stories in the two books and the author outlines the similarities present in most of these occurrences.

Hey! Thanks for the introduction to a new (to me) site to get cheap books! I ordered both of these and 4 others for a little over $20! Love this forum!

My friend an RT told me she had this room her and another RT would rest during their break late at night.. The male RT, Donald, was sitting across a table from her with his head resting on his folded arm leaning on the table and facing the door. The room was pretty dark and my friend Karen was reading when she noticed a mist forming by the door. Before she could react the mist formed into a figure of a nurse or nun looking person in white with a long shawl over her head. The apparition stood inside the room just looking at Karen and smiling. Karen noticed she ended at the waist, no legs or pelvis was visible. Karen was terrified and in a soft voice she called out to the other RT, "Donald?" and a little louder she called to wake him again, "Donald?".

With out lifting his head he spoke up" I see her too Karen."

The ghost faded away after a few moments and both agreed on what they had seen.

I think it is when the administration thinks I am invisible. No recognition... and no thank yu ....but definitey get you for all those bad things...med errors, your actions, (when you meant to do the right thing) totally misunderstood

Chad_KY_SRNA said:
The best I have heard is from a nurse who said that one night she was floated to oncology at the hospital she used to work at. She was given a patient who was passing away and had been unconscious for several days. At one point during the night the nurse went into the room and the patient was at the top of the bed and looked at her and said, "don't let them take me!", the nurse was freaked out and asked her who was going to take her and she said that black thing up there and pointed up in the air. This patient died within minutes.

Come on now share your stories, I know you have seen and heard freaky things.

Lavslady said:
Hey! Thanks for the introduction to a new (to me) site to get cheap books! I ordered both of these and 4 others for a little over $20! Love this forum!

who is the author? Can't find them. thanks

Thank you all !

I love these stories !!!! Some of them are really eerie ! This is one of the most interesting threads that I have read. I've added it to my aol favs file.

I believe that there are benevolent (kindred) spirits and menevolent (evil) spirits, and that the kindred ones are seen as "light" and the evil ones as "dark". I am not a religious person, have not attended church in years.

However, I am a spiritual person. The soul cannot be extinguised by mortal death of the body. It is eternal !

Please keep the stories coming folks. I have just read the last one.

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