What's the meanest thing a patient has said to you?

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Just curious, what's the meanest, rudest, nastiest thing a patient has said to you? Tonight I had someone tell me they wished I would die and go straight to he!! Then they said they hoped it rained everywhere I went. They also told someone they were a son of a b. What's your best line?

Specializes in ICU.

I just laughed.

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Specializes in ICU.

Ive got thick skin lol

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Specializes in hospice.
Ive got thick skin lol

You shouldn't have to with your own husband, but hey, you choose where you want to live.

I go for honor and respect, but I get that that's not everyone's bag.

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Specializes in Geriatrics, Dialysis.
I was told by a hard stick patient as I was trying to find a vein that she hoped I never had children because I wasn't gentle (this was said on my first shift back after I had a baby that was stillborn)

I was told that I deserve to be eaten alive by maggots when I told a patient that no he couldn't have another sandwich (after bringing him 5).

I've been told that the patient was going to kill me and feed me to the other nurses because I had to place a catheter in him.

Hah! Finally proof that nurses really do eat their young.

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Specializes in M/S, LTC, Corrections, PDN & drug rehab.

The worst one I can remember was when I worked in corrections. I was doing pill call & the inmate refused his meds, walked away, came back & wanted his meds. I tried to educate to him about the importance of talking his meds but he didn't want to hear it, the C.O.'s in the pod were useless so he ended up yelling at me. I defended myself & that was that.

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Specializes in Medical Surgical.

Maybe her husband likes a big booty. It is necessarily a bad thing.

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I don't work as a nurse yet but at my previous job this lady told one of my co-workers "I don't take orders from the help" my co-worker was mortified!

I may be a little weird but reading some of these comments is one of many things that excites me about being a Nurse. I love dealing with all types of people plus I hardly let anything phase me. I hardly let people get under my skin. I would just look at the person like they were half crazy, blink twice, and continue on with my day un-phased. That normally just makes them more upset, when they don't get an reaction from you all of their hard work to insult you was for nothing. LOL. I find it amusing.

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Specializes in Rehabilitation, Geriatrics.

Elderly patient in LTCF told me I was her slave and I was ugly. I'm multiracial (which doesn't matter), but still offensive. She demanded I get the doctor or she would have my job. I said ok and left the room. I laugh about it, just thinking if I was born 100 years ago, I don't know if I would survive. Boy am I glad times have changed, for the most part. "Kill them with kindness" is the best response to racist statements.

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Specializes in ICU.

Most of the rude ones I've had have been demented or confused, so what they say doesn't count. I did have a nasty as heck patient a few times - a chronic dialysis patient with a slew of other problems including heart disease, stroke, etc. who was now bedridden. He would call us all kinds of stuff and cuss us out every time we came in the room.

I personally don't think there's any excuse for that kind of behavior. I think the A&O people who act like this are just terrible human beings. Being horrible to other people is always a choice - it's not like anyone is forcing them at gunpoint to open their mouths and spew hate. If that's how they choose to deal with their problems, I have zero respect for them as human beings. I have been angry, in pain, and scared before, and that's still not an excuse to be hateful to other people.

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In my first hospital job out of nursing school, we had a notoriously mean/nasty patient who I was lucky enough to have in my assignment on both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day... At one point there were multiple family members in the room and I entered the room to check her blood sugar and give insulin before dinner. I introduced myself to the family, chatted, and asked the patient if I could check her sugar/give insulin. The patient literally acted as if I did not exist... No eye contact, no verbal refusal, nothing. I repeated my question, asked if I should come back later and still no response. Never before had I been treated like I was completely invisible. Needless to say it was uncomfortable and robbed me of some holiday cheer!

I had completely forgotten about this patient until you posted this! I say "this patient" because I'm wondering if we shared her at some point, LOL! I asked the woman in the bed something (I can't remember what) and she responded by turning her face away. I moved slightly, so I'd be in her line of vision, and repeated the question. Face turned the other way. Okkkaaay.....so I spoke LOUDER, lol, and repeated AGAIN. This time she looked at me and said "oh, so NOW you want to talk to me?" Floored. I had never met the woman before in my life, and was just coming on shift. Yeah....Miss Sunshine was mine for the next 12 :(

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Most of the rude ones I've had have been demented or confused, so what they say doesn't count. I did have a nasty as heck patient a few times - a chronic dialysis patient with a slew of other problems including heart disease, stroke, etc. who was now bedridden. He would call us all kinds of stuff and cuss us out every time we came in the room.

I personally don't think there's any excuse for that kind of behavior. I think the A&O people who act like this are just terrible human beings. Being horrible to other people is always a choice - it's not like anyone is forcing them at gunpoint to open their mouths and spew hate. If that's how they choose to deal with their problems, I have zero respect for them as human beings. I have been angry, in pain, and scared before, and that's still not an excuse to be hateful to other people.

There are quite a few chronic dialysis pts who are like that- just awful people. I have no sympathy for them. As you said, they choose to behave the way they do.

I'm having to deal with one of these type of people regularly, and I just dread it when I know I'm going to be assigned to her. Mgmt just makes excuses for her behavior. I'm just totally sick of her.

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Specializes in Hospice.
There are quite a few chronic dialysis pts who are like that- just awful people. I have no sympathy for them. As you said, they choose to behave the way they do.

I'm having to deal with one of these type of people regularly, and I just dread it when I know I'm going to be assigned to her. Mgmt just makes excuses for her behavior. I'm just totally sick of her.

When I worked MedSurg, we often had HD patients. Many of them exhibited the same kind of behaviors-mean, cranky, a bit paranoid. We called it "Dialysis Brain", it seemed to show up more in the ones who had been on HD for a longer time.

Granted, some people with chronic illnesses do just have a mad on at the world, but the behaviors seen in long term HD patients are often metabolic in nature. Doesn't make them easier to deal with, but it does help explain at least some of their behavior

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