Things that patients say that make me smile!

ErinS, BSN, RN · Mar 28, 2011

A hospice patient of mine fell and went to the ER for stitches today. I visited him there and asked how he fell. He lives in a care center and has some dementia. He told me he fell off his horse!

Plasticgloworm · Mar 28, 2011

I had a patient that was born in 1909. He only passed a couple of weeks ago. Whenever I asked him to transfer to the W/C, he would say, "get in the buggy?!". I finally asked him, "when did you get your first car?" "1922". "what kind of car was it?" "A ford. Had to crank it up!". "How did you get around before your car?" "Horse and buggy!!!" Warms my heart to this day. I still think of him and the things he said, and I miss him like my own family.

ninaricci · Mar 28, 2011

I had a patient who was very confused one night. He was an older man in his 80s. At about 3am I went in to check on him and he let me have it but good! He said he was well aware of my intentions and he was having none of it! That he was not getting divorced over me and I was to get the **** out of there before his wife came home! I attempted to reorient him and, although he calmed down, I could tell he wasn't buying a word I was saying. By the next day he seemed oriented, was eventually discharged home and, per his daughter whom I knew, it was reported he was doing well. About a month later I saw him with his wife and daughter in the grocery store. He took one look at me, took his wife by the arm and headed in the other direction. His daughter called me later laughing..."when my father saw you he whispered to me 'that's that woman I told you about, she's madly in love with me. Determined to get me for herself!"

SnowShoeRN · Mar 28, 2011

We had a super sweet demented patient stay at our hospital for a very long time. He liked to sing. Constantly. It could be annoying sometimes as he often would sing VERY loudly and annoy the other patients, but eventually we discovered he took requests. When he would sing at a reasonable volume and was relatively calm, he actually had a very beautiful voice. Sometimes when he would start yelling or becoming agitated we would just call out his name and the name of a song and he would start singing.

When he passed away our floor seemed extra quiet. We all miss him and speak of him fondly.

LoveAlwaysV · Mar 28, 2011

I think its funny/cute when I ask a pt if they are done with their dinner so I can throw it away and they then say something like " oh no dear you can eat it; are you hungry?? You must be hungry by now. Go ahead take it, I really am full already."

3dayRN · Mar 28, 2011

I asked an older man during his admission assessment when his last BM was and he said "well it was sometime this year" I told him I hoped it was sometime this week!

mama_d, BSN, RN · Mar 28, 2011

I had a 92 year old Cassanova ask me to go on a date with him...he named a great restaurant, and said we could go to this little club to swing dance afterwards..."Don't worry honey, I can teach you all the moves." I told him I thought my husband and his girlfriend might have a problem with it. He told me "Eh, your husband can go out with my girlfriend...when you get to my age you're flexible about those things." I told him he was cute and funny, but my husband was younger and certainly not flexible, and I wasn't either. I left him muttering under his breath "Cute and funny sure as heck don't get you any phone numbers anymore."

babyNP., APRN · Mar 28, 2011

Love all the comments! My patients don't talk, but one of my little babies was in a little snuggly positioner, "seat-belted" down in the incubator. 1 hour later, I go to check on her and I find her whole body right next to the isolette wall and her hand pressing on the plastic wall, doing her weak preemie cry. Trying to escape?

I found another 1kg baby in my isolette doing "push-ups" in the incubator while vented, if you can believe it! I think we have a future Olympian on our hands...

EmergencyNrse · Mar 28, 2011

"I'm allergic to Haldol"

... made me smile and actually laugh.

MiniBabyRN · Mar 28, 2011

I once had a little old lady with dementia who was getting confused about where/when she was during my shift. At one point I asked her if she knew where she was and she looked at me like the answer was obvious and said "The pub!"

Another night I had a 92 year old man say something along the lines of "I know I'm kind of old for you, but do you have a boyfriend?" I told him that I did, and his answer was "well I'll just have to wait around for the two of you to break up then!"

raincitynurse · Mar 28, 2011

From the cute soldier to his even cuter 2yo son...

"say thank you! Wave bye bye to the pretty nurse! Blow her a kiss!"

After I had just about drowned them both during an ear lavage! Very sweet :)