What are some of the most ridiculous requests you have heard?

blackribbon · Dec 20, 2015

A post op day 4 patient who thought the RN was necessary to escort her to the bathroom every time. She was in her 30's and totally stable on her feet. She also refused to learn how to call my phone and was upset that I didn't answer the moment she pushed her call light.

A psych patient who wanted to know why he couldn't have sex with another patient on our unit (in patient locked down psych unit).

A VIP early dementia patient who wanted her evening meds spread out over the entire evening...then she would forget the meds you already gave her.

The multiple isolations patient who is concerned about all the things we throw away and wants to keep them to be reused and recycled.

Or how about the day shift nurse that followed me around for about 10 minutes at shift change asking if I was going to give the 7:30 meds (reglan and prilosec) while I was working with a RRT on a patient who I had discovered was stroking out and had an active brain bleed AND had a severely obese patient who was having a nervous breakdown in the bathroom and refused to get off of the toilet and walk back to her bed. (RN finally said "I guess I can give them."...never offered to help with the obese patient even though she was her patient to care for too)

Can I say, some of the stupidest requests I have gotten don't necessary come from the patient room but rather the hospital. (Sure I can take care of one more patient since we have an empty bed but are working short staffed as it is.)

Lev, MSN, RN, NP · Dec 20, 2015

Just last shift:
family invited me to some candy. I politely refused and said that I'm deadly allergic to one obvious component of those candy.
In some minutes, I was called to shift leader and was told to exchange assignment immediately and not to enter the room even if there is a code. Sure I asked what so terrible I did... one family member came to that RN and just honestly told that he always wanted to know if "all those dudes who tell they are allergic to this and that really can die from eating that small candy, or what". He then proposed to the shift leader to order me to eat those candy in front of him while "someone" would stay there and control the process. "She's in hospital anyway, so nothing too bad will happen". He was just curious if something, anything happened anyway. Otherwise, they would not want "a nurse who lies".
I was a subject of that sort of "curiosity" while in middle school. Never expected such stupidity from an apparently mentally normal adult.

It was the same type of person all grown up. Bullies never change.

canigraduate · Dec 20, 2015

I have a few. Ah man, there are some crazy people. I feel like I don't remember the best ones. I work in an ICU.
1) From the patient about his visitor: "My girlfriend fell and hurt her wrist a few days ago. Do you think you could put a splint on it and give her some aspirin?" Ah man, this guy was miffed when I explained the legal issues with treating non-patients.
2) Visitor (she was probably around 20) comes out of patient's room sniffing her pits, dressed to the freaking Ts. "Do you have any deodorant?" she asks me. Obviously we do, but I wasn't about to give out patient supplies to her, so I said I'm sorry, no. "Well, maybe you could go to another unit and get me some?" she says. Again -- so miffed when I explained that we aren't allowed to give out patient supplies to non-patients. (To be fair: if you are really nice and have been there at your loved one's bedside for days, I will go above and beyond for you. No problem. Actually it's my pleasure. But if you are dressed like you were out clubbing, just got here, and then ask me to go to another unit for YOU? No freaking way, man.)
3) "RUB MY FEET! RUB MY FEET! RUB MY FEET!" -- literally being screamed, for hours. You could hear it across the whole unit. Granted, this was one of those AAOx4 patients that you kinda feel like might break with reality at any time (something intangible didn't feel quite right with her although she was perfectly oriented), so I kind of forgave her, but still... the screaming.
4) Patient's estranged wife REALLY wants her ex-hubby (on multiple pressors, acutely unstable, vented and sedated) to be given water to drink and a bed bath immediately. He had already had a bath that day, but I wasn't opposed to the bath, I just wanted to get him his MRI trip on norepi first, and all that good stuff, so I very nicely explained to her that I would give him a second bath as soon as I had time. But no, he needed a bath now because skin was dry. I brought lotion for her. She looks at me and says, "What's in this lotion? We don't use just ANY lotion."
Okayyy. I tell her that I am not sure what is in the lotion. I made some sort of a joke about the hospital certainly not shelling out for Bath and Body Works. I tell her she is welcome to bring in another lotion if she would like. Well, she makes a phone call and within 30 minutes someone has shown up with a strongly scented oil which she proceeds to rub all over him. There was oil all over my beautiful clean sheets and his central line dressing; I shed tears in my head, and the bath did go up slightly on my priorities list.
I go help someone else with something on the unit, and while doing it look up at our unit monitors to see that my patient's BP has acutely dropped. I also hear vent alarms that could wake the dead. I run into my patient's room (RT right behind me) to find that the wife is trying to give the guy water. I ask her to stop (I had already explained why he couldn't have any water while vented)and quickly go up on my pressors. RT is trying to step past the lady to get to the vent, but she is in the way. She doesn't stop, so I ask her again with more authoritas. SHe looks at me angrily and says, "He's THIRSTY."
"I understand, but he is very unstable and we need to calm him before we address that. The water can make him choke,and his vital signs are already in a dangerous place," (I said something along these lines). She ignores me and keeps giving him water, so I really pull out the mom-voice, and I say, "MA'AM, I NEED YOU TO STEP OUT OF THE ROOM RIGHT NOW."
You had better believe I was pissed.My voice works, and she huffily puts down the water and demands to speak with me. I get my patient calmed and meet her outside the room, where she proceeds to literally yell at me about how, "She knows how to calm her husband better than I do!" and "She is going to school for this and knows what is dangerous for any patient, but especially her husband!" and (my personal favorite line from the whole bizarre encounter): "I have seen my husband's private parts many more times than you have!" (I think that last one was related to me asking her to step out while I changed his Foley; I do this in all situations for patients who can't ask for privacy, but ESPECIALLY in situations where the couple is separated. How do I know the guy wants her in the room for that??).
In the end, a nursing supervisor had to come up and talk to her about patient safety in acute situations. She told the nursing supervisor that I was incompetent because "He hadn't had a bath all day!" but luckily the NS thought she was crazy. The wife did demand all male nurses after that though. I am pretty sure that was personal, but you had better believe I didn't shed any tears over being taken off that patient's care.

Jeez. I would have had her banned from the hospital. I wonder how much life insurance he had?

It's hard to believe someone is that stupid unless it's on purpose.

Elladora · Dec 20, 2015

I'm going to Hong Kong. Will you take me? (From an 82 year old dementia client).

You're just gonna have to call them in. (A client that believed she owned the Denver Broncos and wanted a team meeting. STAT!)

Can you get me some Media? Weed? Lortab? *******? Etc. (Pretty much any early 20's client we've ever had).

I work psych, in case you couldn't tell. :cheeky:

kbrn2002, ADN, RN · Dec 20, 2015

It was passed on in report a couple of weeks ago that "Resident X wants her pubic hair trimmed, a nurse told her that someone would". Well, hold that thought while we figure out who promised you that and she'll take care of it for you. I'm not licensed as a cosmetologist of the downtown area!

We have an old gal that requests this every now and then. Oddly enough she has actually convinced a couple of nurses to do it. I would not be one of them.

Another sad hair incident that was most decidedly not a request..an elderly gentleman came to us with a gloriously full white beard. One of our not the brightest bulb on the tree CNA's shaved him because daily shaving is after all part of her job. Good for her for doing her job, problem is the guy had this full beard his entire adult life. Family was to put it mildly not impressed.

nursingjudgment · Dec 20, 2015

Jeez. I would have had her banned from the hospital. I wonder how much life insurance he had?
It's hard to believe someone is that stupid unless it's on purpose.

I never cease to be amazed by how many family members want to give vented patients water/make them talk/pull out breathing tubes because they are 'uncomfortable,' ,' etc.. But our hospital is very 'family-friendly' so we essentially never ask people to leave. Actually, a few months ago, we had a wife who was genuinely dangerous to patient care. When I cared for the patient, she disconnected my chest tube from wall suction (intentionally). Other nurses reported that she did insane things like turning off running IV pumps, removing restraints (the patient of course pulled something important), and changing the inner cannula of a trach WHILE THE PATIENT WAS VENT-DEPENDENT! Although she continuously did these things which were endangering the patient and completely inappropriate, our supervisors made the patient a 1:1 (for close monitoring of the wife) instead of kicking her out. It was really serious -- like, if the nurse caring for the patient went on break, another one of us would have to sit in the room just so we could watch the wife.

Jensmom7, BSN, RN · Dec 20, 2015

I never cease to be amazed by how many family members want to give vented patients water/make them talk/pull out breathing tubes because they are 'uncomfortable,' ,' etc.. But our hospital is very 'family-friendly' so we essentially never ask people to leave. Actually, a few months ago, we had a wife who was genuinely dangerous to patient care. When I cared for the patient, she disconnected my chest tube from wall suction (intentionally). Other nurses reported that she did insane things like turning off running IV pumps, removing restraints (the patient of course pulled something important), and changing the inner cannula of a trach WHILE THE PATIENT WAS VENT-DEPENDENT! Although she continuously did these things which were endangering the patient and completely inappropriate, our supervisors made the patient a 1:1 (for close monitoring of the wife) instead of kicking her out. It was really serious -- like, if the nurse caring for the patient went on break, another one of us would have to sit in the room just so we could watch the wife.

Kind of makes you wonder what went on in their relationship that made her want to be so obvious about doing him in. [emoji33]

nursingjudgment · Dec 20, 2015

Kind of makes you wonder what went on in their relationship that made her want to be so obvious about doing him in. [emoji33]

The funny thing is, I don't think she did want to! This wife CARED. She was ALWAYS there, and was extremely involved. As my husband says, I think a lot of these stories illustrate how crazy people can be in times of extreme stress. This particular lady (the chest-tube one) told each and every one of us how she used to be a nurse. It turns how she had been a lactation consultant -- definitely an important job, but not one that prepares you to make decisions in a level 1 trauma center iCU. I think she knew just enough about healthcare to know how often mistakes are made, which made her think that we were constantly harming her husband when we weren't. For example, he was on a lasix drip at 2mg/hr. She was very agitated about this, and kept talking to her adult children about how dangerous and strong lasix is, and what a high dose that is. Meanwhile the guy had a lumbar drain, and she clearly took it as a sign of dangerous ignorance on my part when I said that a patient can't be sent to a med-surge floor with a lumbar drain in place.

Just to add to this story: my first day with her, I walk up to find her flipping through her husband's chart and I overhear her say to her son that she wants to take a picture of part of it to study later. I obviously explain just why this is completely illegal, and she was very offended and said, "We used to let people do it all the time!" When I continued to explain that she would need to formally request access through medical records before having access to her husband's chart, she says "Well, I guess I will have to get a doctor's order saying that I am allowed to look!"

Okkayy, lady. Just let me know when you find a doctor willing to write that order.

BuckyBadgerRN, ASN, RN · Dec 20, 2015

You WAIT in the room for 20 minutes while someone taps a kidney? Ain't nobody got time for THAT!

I know that this is not ridiculous... but still. When our manager is pushing for us to be out by 8PM I had a back patient that HAD to walk RIGHT at shift change when the techs are supposed to be doing vitals (the tech was a trooper and took her for a walk). Then of course my precious 90+yo lady had to pee during report. It took 20 minutes to effectively empty the bladder. Understandable. But I still had 1 patient to give report on while waiting and watching the clock tick was excruciating. It was at least 20 minutes in that room to wait for a lol to pee. As far as ridiculous goes... I get requests all the time (while I'm attempting to administer critical meds) to fluff and change pillows on some of my patients. When I CAN, I go to the rooms. It's usually a trap that requires a 20 minute bathroom trip, a linen change and 4 new fluffed pillows... Oh yeah, and some tomato soup...while my medication goes late in the next room.

Jensmom7, BSN, RN · Dec 20, 2015

You WAIT in the room for 20 minutes while someone taps a kidney? Ain't nobody got time for THAT!

If she's a fall risk, you'd better find time. Or be prepared for the extra paperwork and phone calls.

annie.rn · Dec 20, 2015

When working hospice I dealt with a very difficult husband. He was a retired high ranking military pilot and used to bossing people around and getting what he wanted. His wife had cancer but was no where close to dying. She could walk, talk, eat and drink w/o any difficulty. She was beginning to show signs of dementia, however, and he couldn't deal with the lack of control that goes along with that. One of his complaints was, "I was in the bathroom shaving and she came in and stood there asking when dinner was and it was 8 in the morning!"

One day I go for my routine visit and I sit down at the table to get my paperwork out. He sits down across from me and slaps a piece of paper down on the table and with a look of fire in his eyes he starts pointing at it violently and yells at me, "I want to enact this Living Will and if you all won't do it, I will call my lawyer!"

"It says right here that if she is diagnosed with a terminal illness she no longer wants food or fluids!"

I tried to explain that this means artificial feeding and that his wife can still eat and drink without any difficulty and still regularly asks for food and water.

He practically punched me. It was awful.

Supervisors got involved rather quickly.

It was a hairy situation. Prior to that I thought I was so lucky to be assigned to this adorable octogenarian couple. Looks can be deceiving!

BuckyBadgerRN, ASN, RN · Dec 21, 2015

I'm thinking "delegate". A nurses time can better be spent getting some other things accomplished.

If she's a fall risk, you'd better find time. Or be prepared for the extra paperwork and phone calls.