Share The Weirdest Reasons Patients Push The Call Light

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You guys always crack me up, so I came up with this question to hear more funny weird stories.

What were some funny, stupid, or weird reasons patients push the call light for?

Are you supposed to go to the room right away or how does it work? I will be an RN next year and interested in knowing more about the actual daily life w/ pt.

Here are some of the best...

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Specializes in Mostly geri :).

I've gotten "scratch my ass" over a dozen times:D

Specializes in Geriatrics.

I work in LTC and some of the residents push the call button for the strangest things.

Last year I had a real PITA who was CONSTANTLY on her light. Most of the time she pushing it just for the hell of it :banghead:. After awhile, she started demanding that I find her artifical big dog. I couldn't figure out what in the world she was talking about. Turns out she wanted the stuffed dog back that she stole from her roomate. God, I miss her. She died last summer.

The other day a guy called me into his room wanting me to score him some weed :chuckle. Right, like I'm going to do that.

Specializes in Geriatrics, Home Health.

One woman wanted a light turned on. Ten minutes later, she wanted it turned off because it was too bright.

The same woman wanted to know if she was ringing too much (17 times in 24 hours!).

Another woman couldn't find her husband an hour after he went to the store. He had come back, and was sitting right next to her. She was blind, and hadn't noticed.

We had a guy call 911 3 mornings in a row. The night before the third time, he had threatened the nursing staff by saying "If my weight shows I gained one pound I am calling 911!" Well, he wasn't exactly restricting his calories and did indeed gain a pound.

The LPN working with him was freaking out as she had not seen the story play out the two days before. She excitedly alerted the nurse manager, "He called 911 and they are on their way!!" Nurse manager replied, "Yes. Let them come."

Fortunately, the same EMTs showed up each time. They walked in, said to the patient, "Well, let's go" and he walked out with them.

once had a resident at my nursing home that was 91 say she was having a baby when i came in the room and started acting like she was pushing it out!!! Oh and then there was the resident that was screaming and crying because chocolate was spilled on her doll and she thought it was blood LOL!!

Specializes in Geriatrics, Home Health.

One night a one of our frequent ringers hit the light during dinner. I went to the intercom and asked If I could help him. He just kept yelling "Help, help, help!" I walk down and ask what is wrong (he often will yell for help with out telling you what is wrong). He tells me That he doesnt want his supper. I look over and sure enough he hasn't eaten a bite. I then try to talk him into eating it (about 20 min. that I could have been feeding wasted). He ignores me completely. I told him that I was going to take it back to the kitchen and that once I left with it, that was going o be it...no more supper. He tells me bye and proceeds to call his wife and tell her that we would not give him anything to eat! She then calls me and believes me when I tell her what happened. She told me that he is punishing her for leaving him at a nursing home! Oh Lord, the man isn't confused he's just not right!

This other LOL at the NH will go strait to her room after supper, pull the call light in the bathroom, wheel herself by her bed, take her shirt off and wait...when someone comes she always asks the same thing: Please could you take my day bra off and but my night bra on. Somthing she could do on her own! she has those bras that hook in the front!

Specializes in ER, TRAUMA, MED-SURG.

I took care of a little old man who said he wanted to see how long it would take us to get there. I finally told him we had a counter at the desk and after he called 100 times it wouldn't work any more. Needless to say, he only called maybe 2 times after that.

Anne, RNC

Specializes in LTC.

My favorite is when they put on the call light to ask where the call light is :lol2:

Specializes in ER, TRAUMA, MED-SURG.
My favorite is when they put on the call light to ask where the call light is :lol2:

Oh yeah!!! We got those too!!! Drives me NUTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anne, RNC

A resident once pushed his call light to complain about his 85 year old roommate, who had moderate dementia. He had MTV turned on VERY loudly with his face 6 inches away from the screen and was slightly bobbing his head up and down. Never have I seen an 85 year old man take such an interest in hip-hop/rap music. Jay-Z's "Empire State of Mind" appeared to be his favorite.

Ah, the joys of working in LTC. :D

Specializes in Telemetry, M/S.

I answered a call light of another nurses patient yesterday. When I went in and asked the LOL what she needed, she pointed at the TV screen at Tina Faye and asked me who she was and why she was on Oprah.

I told that was Tina Faye, and I did not know why Oprah would have her on. *sigh*

Working in an Alzheimers home you see some funny stuff.

One day a little man calls me over " hurry hurry come quick". I come over by him and he lets a big fart. I busted out laughing.

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