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

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    Joe V
    Editorial Team / Admin

    Joe V

    7 Articles; 2,555 Posts

Specializes in Programming / Strategist for allnurses.

All day breakfast - Are you kidding me?!

Aren't you amazed by patients (and families) who think nurses are there to wait on them hand and foot. Yes, we provide service around the clock, but it is not in the form of food but medical care. What are some of the most ridiculous requests you have gotten?

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Outside of the really perverted ones I seem to have the look of someone who gives a good foot rub, "dear".

Also, a request to shave my patient's back. He did need it, but Nope!

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Specializes in NICU, ICU, PICU, Academia.

Coke. (We're a Pepsi facility)

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Specializes in school nursing, ortho, trauma.

i work in a school - had a kid that swallowed a quarter. Mom called me and told me that they were using plastic grocery store bags to collect and BMs. ok, no problem. he can use me bathroom, i can set him up if he needs to go. "ok, great. and call me right away after you've searched if you find the quarter." Uh no... they don't pay me enough for that... (and do i get to keep the quarter if i find it?!?!)

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Specializes in ICU, LTACH, Internal Medicine.

Do not even start on this with me...

Most common is "can't you just get him a new (lung, brain, heart, etc), is it too difficult?"

Just bring a few of these pills here, I will take one when I need... what, I do it all the time at home, why not now??

Wash him good, really good. No, with washcloths AND a brush, and get a hard one, don't you see IT IS AWFUL! (patient recovering after Stevens-Johnson, with unsightly pieces of old skin literally shedding all over. Had to be IV sedated for tepid hands-only baths b/o pain).

Can't you just MAKE him walking for just one time for my wedding day? (poor father of bride, upper Ts shattered)

Can't you just kinda replace her bones? I saw it done, there is no reason why you can't! Where? In Harry Potter movie, that's where!

Can't you just make it wider with your finger? (High urethral stenosis)

Can't someone just turn off the electricity here so that your machine would be disabled? (defibrillator pads, family concerned that mom will be in pain if they fire. Vent is running as well).

You should get your hand up there and push the stuff out of him (LPN with X+ years of strict office experience reg. acute small bowel obstruction).

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Silk sheets.

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Silk sheets.

Hard to miter those corners.

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Specializes in critical care.

Had a young guy ambulate to the hallway to let us know he needed help ambulating to his bathroom (which was closer to his bed than the hallway).

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Specializes in ICU, LTACH, Internal Medicine.
Silk sheets.

Oh, yeah. Only can tolerate organic Egyptian cotton and organic baby laundry supplies... also, all food vegan and organic, no plastic cups/silverware, all IV and such only "natural plastic" (what the heck it might be remains a mystery) all meds are cruelty-free. Prisoners and immigrants recommended instead, in exchange to stay in America the Beautiful for the latter ones.

FBM and everything else in this line, with eventual overdose of painkillers+ benzos+ weed.

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You've already got three admits? Want another?

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Specializes in Dialysis.

Can you order me a pizza? Oh, and I'm broke, I need you to pay for it, but put it on my bill

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Specializes in Med/Surg/ICU/Stepdown.

Can you save those dressings so I can prove to my mother just how gross my leg is?

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