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

[Joe V]

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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[GadgetRN71, ASN, RN]

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.

We used to let them have the hardware most of the time, but no go on gallstones, kidney stones, etc. I did have one guy that wanted to keep his amputated finger. He was told no as well.

[Cat365]

I was enjoying this thread and didn't think I had much of anything to share at least nothing was coming to mind, and then I get one!

Patient's mother wants to go to the cafeteria but doesn't know where it is, I give her directions. She says she doesn't think she can remember that, and can I take her there. No, I can't take you there, I have patients to take care of now, but maybe one of your two sons (who are visiting with the patient) can take you? No, no, she doesn't want to bother them, they are having a nice visit, and it'll only take "a minute" so can't you just take me there now? NO, I can't take you there now, either remember the directions (NOT hard btw) or ask one of your adult sons to go with you!! She was annoyed I wasn't going to drop my patients and anything else I might have been doing to personally escort her to the cafeteria.

I'm glad to have something to contribute to the conversation lol but honestly would've preferred not to have!

At my last hospital we would have gotten a PCT to escort her. It was specifically stated during my orientation that this was a part of the "hospital culture". We did not just give directions. We were to guide the person or ask someone to guide them. It helped that it was a smaller hospital so most people could navigate it easily, it never took much time, and there weren't twenty million people walking around.

[Extra Pickles]

At my last hospital we would have gotten a PCT to escort her. It was specifically stated during my orientation that this was a part of the "hospital culture". We did not just give directions. We were to guide the person or ask someone to guide them. It helped that it was a smaller hospital so most people could navigate it easily, it never took much time, and there weren't twenty million people walking around.

That sounds nice. At the hospital where this happened there was no possibility of someone having that kind of time on our unit, if we had a PCT with time to be a social director we were overstaffed and THAT never happened! I agree it would be nice to have someone perform this function, but in reality if we did say "Sure, sit tight and someone will come to walk you down there" she would have starved to death first!

[RNOTODAY, BSN, RN]

A younger woman requested that, after we remove her GALLBLADDER, could we please pack it up nicely, she'd like to take it home..

🙄🙄🙄🙄 Umm, No, dear... no, you can't .

What did she want to do, put it on a shelf... a desk? I wish I'd asked now..... 😂

[JazminAnaMaria]

My dad was a patient in my ED with severe muscle spasms. After some Toradol and Valium, he asked his nurse, "Do they have sugar free banana splits here?"

I knew he was feeling better once he started craving something sweet! I had to remind him this is not a dessert shop!