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

KatieMI, BSN, MSN, RN · 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.

Farawyn · Dec 20, 2015

Yes, I'll be your guinea pig. By all means, pass the caramels!

Good grief.

amoLucia · Dec 20, 2015

Quite a few year ago, an alert, oriented young woman (hosp) waved a $5 bill at me and ordered me "to go to the XXX dept store and buy her some new panty underwear". The store was just a few blocks down the street.

beckyboo1, BSN, RN · Dec 20, 2015

A male patient once walked up to me in the hallway with a bottle of hand lotion and asked me to rub some on his cojones. He then proceeded to show them to me, right there in front of God and everyone. He was A & O x 3. smh

Oh we nurses all get such a thrill from doing that right? smh lol

CaptainAmazing · Dec 20, 2015

I had a patient come into the ER to have staples removed after knee surgery (already not an emergency, but OK) And she brought a little jar so she could keep the staples!!! She wanted to make something out of them. um... ew.

Penelope_Pitstop, BSN, RN · Dec 20, 2015

After a couple of years in the Emergency Deparment I wouldn't even know where to start.

Aw, come on and play along! I'd bet you have some great stories!

I'm drawing a blank on a personal anecdote...although there was the woman who rang her callbell to ask me to scratch her head. And pointed to the exact location. Um...okay...

Neural · Dec 20, 2015

I was asked by a male patient, diaphoretic from pain meds, to both itch and direct a personal fan at his sweaty nuts.

I also has a notorious drug seeker tell me to go F myself because I couldn't provide her with a strawberry milkshake made with heavy whipping cream.

And I've only been a nurse for 5 months...

CardiacDork, MSN, RN · Dec 20, 2015

Patient asked me if I could give her mom a pedicure.

Patient asked me if her sister could have her simethicone because she was gassy (she was dead serious too).

I had a patient request that I clock out for lunch and go to Starbucks to get him a venti coffee.

NightOwl0624 · Dec 20, 2015

I had a patient's sister (not wife) put on the call light to tell me that her brother did not like the hospital gown - it was too "stiff". Patient seemed ok with the gown, but She wanted something softer for him. I showed her where some spare gowns were stored outside the room and told her she was welcome to pick out another one that was more acceptable. Of course she didn't find one to her liking, she was also upset we did have regular pajamas. She went on and on about it. I suggested maybe bringing something more comfortable from home, but I think she expected me to offer to go buy him some nice, soft pjs at the store down the street. The patients wife was the sweetest person you could know, but that sister was crazy!!

AlwaysLearning247, BSN · Dec 20, 2015

I have a patient that per the mother's request, the gtube only be flushed with sterile water. So for medications and flushes we can only use a "unopened and clean bottle" of sterile water. I think its a bit absurd. I also have patients who think I can magically bake them a cheesecake in the kitchen when I'm working 7pm-7AM and the kitchen is closed. That "H" does not stand for Hilton! I have patients who are my age and expect me to be their wake up call when they're perfectly capable (they'll be on their iphone all night on facebook). I could go on and on!

ClaraRedheart, BSN, RN · Dec 20, 2015

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.

nursingjudgment · 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.