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

guest769224 · Dec 26, 2015

From the grandmother of young man with a TBI, "Can't you just give him a brain transplant?"

I was half tempted to laugh, and half to cry at how genuine she seemed.

Tenebrae, BSN, RN · Dec 26, 2015

Oh, that reminds me. One of my clients was adamant that I reuse gloves because "It's such a waste! You can just hang them up on the shower bar and use them later." She, too, was a little upset that I did not grant her request.

Our clinical manager told our CNAs they could only use two pairs of gloves a shift.

(apparently we were running through them too quickly)

I told them to use what they needed to in order to ensure safe effective patient care

Tenebrae, BSN, RN · Dec 26, 2015

A helicopter family member (hovering) told me that she didnt want me giving her parent (who was in pain ? angina/epigastric that was non responsive to GTN, paracetamol and mylanta) charted oxycodone liquid

And was most miffed that I gave it because their parent was in major pain because "it zonks her out too much" (it was christmas night the parent had been out all day and was tired and in considerable distress with the pain)

Family member told us that they are going to demand that the doctor discontinues it.

Did I mention that the NOK is not remotely medically trained

Editorial Team / Admin · Dec 26, 2015

Our clinical manager told our CNAs they could only use two pairs of gloves a shift.
(apparently we were running through them too quickly)
I told them to use what they needed to in order to ensure safe effective patient care

"No, infection control nurse, I have no idea why my unit has so many hospital acquired cases of MRSA and C dif." I swear, the craziest people get put in charge of making decisions.

I've gotten a lot of "While you're in there, can you..." in relation to surgery. Well, the cardiac surgeon can fix your heart, but I'm pretty sure he doesn't work on (fill in the blank for random request here). I mean, I get wanting to get everything done in one shot, but the morning of surgery isn't the time to ask!

Tenebrae, BSN, RN · Dec 26, 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]

In district nursing I had a partner of a patient who was continually using an empty syringe to suck the clots out of her partners catheter. And no matter how often we told her it could cause all manner of problems she persisted in doing so.

She even wanted me to give her some larger syringes and was mos surprised when I refused.

We had another situation where we could not leave any additional equipment in the house because the patients partner would take it on themselves to change the catheter with no clue about the principles of asepsis

Tenebrae, BSN, RN · Dec 26, 2015

If you mean demented, yes. Dementia, no. He was sharp as a tack. Drove, played racquet ball three times a week and was probably more physically fit than I am. He had a need to control everything. Including when and how this sweet woman would die.

Its something I've seen often since starting working in a LTC facility. families don't want us giving their dying person any food or fluids. I've had to on more than one occasion politely explain that if their family member requests food or fluids not to do so would be incredibly cruel and tantamount to abuse

Hoosier_RN, MSN · Dec 26, 2015

Its something I've seen often since starting working in a LTC facility. families don't want us giving their dying person any food or fluids. I've had to on more than one occasion politely explain that if their family member requests food or fluids not to do so would be incredibly cruel and tantamount to abuse

We get it the other way. Let's shove them full of food and pour drink down their throat, even though they are choking on everything. Sometimes even after being made NPO. Ummm, no, food isn't going to cure them at this point...

wannabecnl · Dec 26, 2015

I work PACU and have had patients take home their removed hardware to make something out of it. It's the OR nurse who takes and fulfills the request; I've never had to do more than pass the container of autoclaved art materials on to them at discharge, but I do admit to peeking!

One patient knew someone who made jewelry out of her gall stones.

jadelpn, LPN, EMT-B · Dec 26, 2015

"Yo, Violet.....VI.O.LET!!!!!" "It's Jade, not Violet" "Whatevs. Hey chick with the hippy commie name..Geezuz, Jade, like an oriental hooker....remember, I pay your salary. This room and all the services, you included, belong to me cause I am paying good money for it. Now that we have cleared THAT up, whatever shade of purple you are...go get me a coke. Cold." I am not even kidding.

Oh and my very favorite "my wife is not here...and neither is my girlfriend hee hee hee so you need to put my junk in this jar and hold it while I pee"

And thank you for reminding me why it is ok that I am out of acute care...

Oh, and I had 2 sisters each with kidney stones, admitted at different times here and there. They wanted to keep them as a competitive thing....I passed this one last year, well mine was bigger and hurt more....etc. etc

And don't get me started on those who wanted to keep the placenta to plant it in the garden at home.....

nursejoy1, ASN, RN · Dec 26, 2015

When I was in school for my LPN, I was caring for an A&O gentleman who had rheumatoid arthritis and could not really use his hands other than index fingers and thumb on each hand. I bathed him and did colostomy care every other day. daughter cared for colostomy otherwise. One day, during his bath he asked me to rub his testicles a little more firmly and a little longer. I explained that he was clean and that's all I was doing. The next time, when I arrived to give his bath, he handed me some photocopied pages from a biology textbook and some business cards and some obituaries cut from the local paper. The pages were explaining testosterone and how it works in the body. the business cards said "Nursejoy1 LPN Testosterone Therapist" and the obituaries were of ladies who had passed away, leaving a widower behind. He explained that my washing of his testicles had stimulated his testosterone production and he felt better than he had in years. The obituaries were of potential "clients". I explained that this would be prostitution and he argued it was a legitimate medical therapy. I told him injectable testosterone is medicine, but rubbing testicles was not. I told his daughter everything and explained that if this continued, she would have to find someone else to bathe him. I'm not sure what she told him, but he never mentioned it again.

blackribbon · Dec 26, 2015

How about the hospital care poll that came back claiming that she was OVER medicated for most of her stay and that her family had complained about it while being there. Umm...I was killing myself to remember this patient because I was listed as one of the nurses that did care for her but after seeing the list of the senior level nurses who did care for her and seeing the name of several nurse that I know NEVER give pain meds until the patient specifically asks for them no matter how obvious their pain is...not likely.

The most ridiculous requests I see are from the expectations these poll inspire. We are in trouble because our floor is too noisy at night so we are to close doors, hand out earplugs and tv headphones, etc... Umm, could the problem be that we actually admit patients non-stop almost every night until the floor is full? I'm guessing complaints are more in relation to admitting a roommate at 3:30am or calling a rapid response on a new admit who was never stable enough to belong on our floor in the first place (but you have empty BEDS!!) Stretchers are rolling on our floor all night long and they often send patients up before housekeeping arrives so the patient waits in the hall. (Transfer a patient off the floor and admit a new patient in that bed within a half hour some nights).

effortless · Dec 26, 2015

Scratch my back, please nurse.