What Was the DUMBEST Request Made By A Patient?

Nurses General Nursing

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Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.

Once, I saw a patient in a wheelchair while I was walking to my clinic and she asked me for a wrench. I asked why and she said "I need you to screw in my wheels".

Another one was I was walking out of the building by the information desk, where patients are allowed to make a courtesy call. I was talking to my friend on my cell phone trying to ask where to meet her to get a ride home from work. A patient ran behind me out of the building, into the street to ask me if she can use my cell phone. I turned around and told her to please ask the information desk and she said that she didn't want to be charged any extra money. I was so annoyed, I kept walking.

Was walking in a shopping mall (in uniform) and a patient I remembered ran to me and asked me to weigh her, and then right before I was able to respond, asked me if I can get on the computer and make an appointment for her. I told her I do not walk around with a scale and she will have to call for an appointment because I am off duty.

What's yours?

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Specializes in acute care.

the only dumb things I can think of is being asked to perform sexual favors. :nono:

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Specializes in CVICU, CCU, MICU, SICU, Transplant.

Nasty and very inappropriate pt asked that when he got discharged, if we could go out on a date. Knowing his previous interactions with other staff members, I know exactly what kind of "date" he wanted lol

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Specializes in EMS, ER, GI, PCU/Telemetry.

a patient who put his call light on one night when i was sitting at the nurses station. i answered him on the squawk box "how may i help you?" and the reception was horrible because all i could hear was muffled static. so after i said "may i help you?" again and was about to get up to go answer it in person, the reciever suddenly kicked in and the patient screamed at the top of his lungs "I WANT SOMETHING FOR PAIN. CAN YOU HEAR ME. PAIN. P-I-N. PAIN." we all got a chuckle out of that...

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Specializes in M/S, SNU, Office, and Private Duty.

I had a pt asked me for that Latte' that they showed on TV. Our hospital recently put out a few commercials about the comforts of back home after a stay in the hospital.:uhoh3:

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Specializes in ER.

This is not really dumb.. but really cute

I had a LOL who had fell and fractured her hip.. she was a hold in the ER and as I was passing her meds she asked me if I would go to her house and feed her cat b/c she was in the hospital and he would be hungry!! Later on she wrote her address down and stuck it in my pocket.:paw:

Her Daughter tells me when she gets there... Mom does not have any animals...never did

I smiled all night

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Specializes in Medical, Paeds, Ob gyn, NICU.

Well I was in shock the other day.

I had a VERY demanding patient, who was constantly on the call bell all shift. After getting her water for her, moving it closer, no moving it farther away, to the left to the right and so on, i was just leaving to go to my other patients when she asked me to fluff her pillows for her!

I really only thought that was something you only saw on telly!!

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Patient put on call light and I entered the room. Patient requests that I hand him the water. It was right in front of him on the tray within his reach. I say, "I think that you can lift your arm up there and pick up that glass." Patient does.

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We admitted a young man whose ER drug screen was positive for pretty much everything. Needless to say he was a bit agitated, so several of us were holding the guy down while the pulmonologist inserted a central line. The patient apparently took a liking to the doc; after it was over he reached in his pocket, pulled out a handful of joints and assorted drugs and asked the doc to party with him. The guy seemed quite put out when he refused. :lol2:

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Oh!! Well, Merry Christmas to all you!!! LOL

My Mom found a joint in a cancer patients meds once and was REALLY proud that she knew what it was!!

Dumbest requests......pillow fluffing, wanting things that you can already reach, trying to "trick" me into giving you an extra dose of your narcotic pain meds.....

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Specializes in RN, BSN, CHDN.
Well I was in shock the other day.

I had a VERY demanding patient, who was constantly on the call bell all shift. After getting her water for her, moving it closer, no moving it farther away, to the left to the right and so on, i was just leaving to go to my other patients when she asked me to fluff her pillows for her!

I really only thought that was something you only saw on telly!!

If only :lol2:

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We admitted a young man whose ER drug screen was positive for pretty much everything. Needless to say he was a bit agitated, so several of us were holding the guy down while the pulmonologist inserted a central line. The patient apparently took a liking to the doc; after it was over he reached in his pocket, pulled out a handful of joints and assorted drugs and asked the doc to party with him. The guy seemed quite put out when he refused. :lol2:

That ranks right up there!

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