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

[fangirl]

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?

[NottaSpringChik, BSN, RN]

I work at a jail. I've been called it all. I had a diabetic inmate who was hypoglycemic last night tell me to bend over and kiss his ass as I was trying to get him to eat.

I was doing a DUI blood draw on an inmate about a month ago and as I was drawing his blood, he says "oh my God, you have a double chin" then looks at the cop and says "I thought you said there wouldnt be any fat people here!" (He was very flamboyant).

My favorite line was to a coworker. The imate told her she smelled like oven cleaner, but even that didn't hide the smell of her her black heartless soul.

I work at a jail too. I spent the last three days listening to a patient yelling insults and threats at me and others at a manic energy level. His favorite insults involve weight, incompetence, and that we are all child molesters, felons and he is going to sue us all and ruin our credit. Fun stuff. I have a headache.

[snow22]

It wasn't a patient who told me this but a co-worker: "You might want to re-think becoming a pediatric nurse." Because I was stressed out a lot one night. SMH

[Jory, MSN, APRN, CNM]

I was once speaking with a family member for an HOUR on the phone that was being particularly abusive for no reason. I can't give more details without identifying it.

I live in a southern city and she started "educating" me on how people were "around here". I am from a neighboring county and when I mentioned where I was from, she said, "Well, that explains a lot."

To me, she crossed the line.

I said, "My entire job encompasses in helping you. I am trying to help you. I understand you are upset about the condition of your family member but it seems to me that instead of finding a solution, all you are doing is being verbally abusive. I can tolerate people being upset about a situation, but you crossed the line lady when you started attacking me personally when I have offered solutions that are within our policy and if you have an issue with then, then I highly suggest you call the CEO and tell him to change them. Other than that, I have offered you what I am able to do, I will chart your refusal to select any option for your family member. At this time this conversation is over and I suggest you call back tomorrow and speak to someone else. Nowhere in my job description does it require me to take verbal abuse from anyone. You have a great day."

And I hung up on the witch.

[am6459]

One of my patients told me that when he got out he was going to torture me to death, cut out my female parts, clean them up, and then send them in the mail to my parents. Yeah...

[grad14]

Ï cannot write the words I have been called because they are swear words. I am called swear words pretty regularly. I have even had patient's try to use guilt saying, "I thought you were the nice nurse." to manipulate me. I have had patients say to me, if I didn't give them their methadone they would go out and get high and if they died it would be my fault and their families would come after me. I'm just doing my job, I will not give methadone to a person who I can see already has a lot of drugs on board, I will not contribute to their death.

[MECO28, BSN, RN]

This is so crass I probably shouldn't share it but here goes:

Patient with acute encephalopathy after I lifted the lid off his plate of meatloaf that the CNA had ordered for him:

Patient: That smells like ****

Me: I'm sorry, are you sure you don't want to try some?

Patient: I bet that's your (other word for cat) that I smell.

Me:

And that is the absolute worst thing a patient has ever said to me.

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

wasn't a patient who told me this but a co-worker: "You might want to re-think becoming a pediatric nurse." Because I was stressed out a lot one night. SMH

i can't figure out how this is mean or nasty. It may even have been well-intended.

[Horseshoe, BSN, RN]

Elderly patient in LTCF told me I was her slave and I was ugly.

It would have been tempting to hold a mirror up to her own face and say "come again?"

Not really, but still...

[kcksk]

I had a pt scheduled to be discharged, everything in place. All I had to do was go over paperwork with him. He didn't want to go. He called the police and told them we were killing him. Needless to say it was a very long day by the time he left, the police came to check things out and everything go straightened away. He was by far the most trying pt I ever took care of. He was so challenging, nobody got him for more than one shift.

[JustHereToDo12]

Had a patient as a student that I was to get up 1st day post-op surgery. He was medicated, and I told him I would get him up after I returned from lunch. He told me "I hope you choke on your food." I calmly looked at him and said, "I might, but IF I don't DIE, I'll be back to walk you in 30 minutes," smiled and walked out the room. He was SO nice when I came back to walk him.....

[stayc615]

I just volunteer at LTC/memory care so most of what they say isn't intentional however... There is one resident who reminds me of my grandma. And that woman wasn't afraid to speak her mind.

For example:

I've complimented her hair and she comes back with, "It wouldn't kill you to look in the mirror though. What's wrong with your hair?" It's a bit frizzy though I've learned to deal with it.

She'll come back with another one, like at lunch, "Should you be eating that? You're looking a little plump today." This from the same woman who said, on my first day, "You're not eating anything. Someone get her an ice cream." It's usually about my looks.

"Why aren't you married? You're pretty enough." "My, my Miss xxxx, you certainly know how compliment a girl"

She is also A & O. She knows she's saying these things. She even said "I don't know why you're smiling. I insult you and you keep on smiling." And I do. I don't know why but I just don't have any comeback for her.

[JV-RN]

A patient's family member told me I should be a kindergarten teacher instead of an RN. They were very difficult to deal with and I had to try and often smooth over family dynamics. I don't know why it bothered me so much but it did.