Patient requests

Nurses Relations

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We all know patients can be demanding. What's your "favorite" patient request? Mine, an iPhone charger...

Specializes in ortho, hospice volunteer, psych,.
Sure hope someone could explain THAT billing!

Not a patient request, but too good not to share! Somewhere along the line, a billing coder either reversed numbers or something because we were notified in writing that my husband's visit to the dermatologist had been denied.:wideyed:

He called and asked why. Some idiot clerk had mistakenly entered the code for

DIAPER rash instead of unknown type rash!:roflmao: The rash was on his neck and not his

...oh well, you get the idea.:whistling:

Not a patient request, but too good not to share! Somewhere along the line, a billing coder either reversed numbers or something because we were notified in writing that my husband's visit to the dermatologist had been denied.:wideyed:

He called and asked why. Some idiot clerk had mistakenly entered the code for

DIAPER rash instead of unknown type rash!:roflmao: The rash was on his neck and not his

...oh well, you get the idea.:whistling:

rofl.....doncha just love it?? And to think someone had to actually put in WRITING that a grown man's diaper rash was not covered.....ya think someone would've picked up on it, right?

Specializes in ortho, hospice volunteer, psych,.

It kinda makes you shake your head... and YES, he IS reliably potty trained!:yes:

One of our staff always has an iPhone/Blackberry charger in their locker. I sometimes take mine on a night shift so I can charge it and play battery-draining apps on my break.

I did once loan the charger to a patient, too. So maybe not an extreme request.

My favourite request EVER was for candles. The lights were too bright, so they wanted them off, and candles lighted I told them it was a fire hazard.

I would have replied, "What's a lunch break?" ;)

Specializes in Gerontology, Med surg, Home Health.

I had one woman ask for fresh scones...what...as opposed to frozen? When I told her we didn't have scones but woukd be happy to see if I could find her a muffin, she demanded to see the person in charge. Ma'am, that'd be me. No scones.The woman in the next bed wanted her legs shaved...that was a no.The strangest....a woman who was partially paralyzed wanted one of the staff members to, um, er, 'service her' with a vibrator!

Ahhhh! No no no. Shaving legs seems reasonable by comparison!

Specializes in cardiac CVRU/ICU/cardiac rehab/case management.

A patient who thought he would go home that day after surgery was admitted overnight. He was afraid that his motorized wheelchair/scooter would get stolen and asked me to ride it home to his house!!!

Vroom vroom!

Specializes in cardiac CVRU/ICU/cardiac rehab/case management.

My rathe large buddy who works in psych was asked by a pt "Do you think tomorrow you could wear a swimsuit and make it a 2 piece "

When I had my Apendectomy I felt so silly; I could get out of bed, didnt even need the alarm, i could go to the bathroom with my IV in tow, I could take care of everything I needed to do. I could walk back to bed and plug my own IV in. But I could not lift my legs to get back into bed. No matter how much I struggled I could not lie down. So I would have to ring everytime I needed to get back into bed. And the staff member helping me would have to gown up (Isol for Hx ESBL) come in and lift my legs. That was it, other than that I did my best not to bother them. But it felt so rediculous needing that tiny, insignificant task done so many times. We joked about it though, and I dont think they minded helping me.

Specializes in Trauma/Tele/Surgery/SICU.

A few that stand out:

A pt. who asked me if I would be willing to go to the drug store and get him 10$ worth of lotto tickets and a pint of liquor.

A pt. who asked me if I could bring her pain meds for her boyfriend.

Multiple requests for money/cigerettes/drugs.

Multiple requests to go outside to smoke...while connected to a PCA lol.

Multiple requests to help cooridinate visits between the wife/girlfriends.

A young man who requested a paternity test for his newborn son who was up in our NICU since "they were both there anyway."

And the one that angered me the most: An 8 year old who informed me her grandma told her that she could follow me all day and that I would take her to the vending machine and buy her a pop! The worst part....grandma was a visitor not the patient! This same grandma also requested I call the resident so that she and her granddaughter could get check-ups while visiting! Ugh!

Specializes in Correctional, QA, Geriatrics.

The mother of the DD patient who requested the group home staff and I do a Brazilian on her daughter! Her rationale? No woman could possibly feel their prettiest if they were "unkempt" down there. Of course this is also the same woman who relentessly pursued a surgeon to do a breast reduction on the same daughter because she didn't want the daughters cleavage to attract male attention. Poor child only had a B cup. Sadly the mom finally found someone who did the reduction.

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