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

Nurses Relations

Published

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?

I can't think of that many. I've had snippy patients, but nothing like I'm seeing here. I did have a nice little lady who became a sundowner every night. She accused me of trying to poison her when I hung her iv antibiotic.

One of the nicest:

We had a guy come admitted after dinner. His nurse was Linda, a beautiful blonde, blue eyed woman. The next morning, Barbara took over. She was a gorgeous red head with emerald green eyes. That night I walked in to meet him after report. I have brown hair and dark eyes. He said "Where the hell am I?! What is this, effing Charlie's Angels?! This place is awesome!" I loved that guy. :)

Up Vote Up Vote ×

"I hope your husband regrets marrying such a stupid whore!" after seeing my wedding ring.

Well, he bought it so he's stuck with it, stupid or not.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in psychiatric.
Me: "Hi, my name is Dazglue and I'll be your nurse tonight. Can I get you anything right now?"

Patient: "I don't associate with black people." After that she promptly pressed the call light requesting a new nurse.

Dazglue, you win.

On another note, when I worked skilled, the elderly folks were so awesome, they cracked me up all the time. I had a gal in a wheelchair, mostly non verbal and she would get into everything. I would sit her with me at the nurse's station while I charted and she would page through a med book over and over. One day while I was transferring her to a chair with the help of another gal, well the transfer did not go according to plan but we got her situated. As we were finishing up she looked me in the eye and announced "You're Dumb." I had to agree with her.

Other than that I've been called plenty of names, plus I work in psych so I have been promised all kinds of dire punishments.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in hospice.
Me: "Hi, my name is Dazglue and I'll be your nurse tonight. Can I get you anything right now?"

Patient: "I don't associate with black people." After that she promptly pressed the call light requesting a new nurse.

Honestly, I think the charge nurse should be in there with discharge paperwork at that point. "I am so sorry to hear you don't associate with black people. Since our hospital employs many, many black people, this is not the right place for you. Transport has been called and someone will pack up your belongings." I know that will never happen in this customer service world moronic politicians and health care "leadership" has built, but it SHOULD.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Honestly, I think the charge nurse should be in there with discharge paperwork at that point. "I am so sorry to hear you don't associate with black people. Since our hospital employs many, many black people, this is not the right place for you. Transport has been called and someone will pack up your belongings." I know that will never happen in this customer service world moronic politicians and health care "leadership" has built, but it SHOULD.

I think this subject has been covered here before, and I think the usual reaction from administration has been to tell the nurse "yeah, they suck, but there's no point in making you deal with their issues. We're reassigning you." Sure would love to see your imaginary scenario, though.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

My best "insult" was more of a compliment.

I was speaking to a VERY non-compliant and demanding mother of 3 children. She told me she was glad she wasn't my child because she could never live up to my expectations. I informed her I was glad she wasn't my child since she was about 10 years older than I am. She proceeded to hang up on me. :) And yes my child who is all of 2 years of age, is already more responsible than that "mother" has ever been.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.
Honestly, I think the charge nurse should be in there with discharge paperwork at that point. "I am so sorry to hear you don't associate with black people. Since our hospital employs many, many black people, this is not the right place for you. Transport has been called and someone will pack up your belongings." I know that will never happen in this customer service world moronic politicians and health care "leadership" has built, but it SHOULD.

I think this subject has been covered here before, and I think the usual reaction from administration has been to tell the nurse "yeah, they suck, but there's no point in making you deal with their issues. We're reassigning you." Sure would love to see your imaginary scenario, though.

Has happened, and not an imaginary scenario. We had a patient come in for elective surgery. The staff assigned to the room included a black man. Instead of agreeing to the patient's demands that different staff be assigned (this guy was the go to person for that procedure), management told him he could either continue as was or seek care elsewhere. He didn't get his surgery at our facility.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
19 year old patient yelled at me for not giving him his Colace on time "What kind of nurse are you?"

Not the meanest thing ever, but I cried anyway, for reasons other than Colace. He had cancer of the aorta and died a week later.

I'm sure I've been called everything under the sun, but that rolls off me. This one stuck.

I think the realization of his own mortality was hitting him at that point.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ICU, LTACH, Internal Medicine.

That's what happens in real life:

Nurse sues Flint's Hurley Medical Center over claim she was barred from treating infant because of her race | MLive.com

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ED, School Nurse.
I was out for two days of training last year; when I returned, one of my students asked me if was training to become a real nurse (vs. a school nurse). Student is often rude to everyone, but that ticked me off. Luckily at my school, I can ask him to apologize and he did.

I had a student come in with another student who needed a band-aid for a blister. Non- blistered student picked out blistered student's band-aid out of my stash and said "There's your band-aid. Now I'm a nurse!"

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I can't think of any but there was a patient who manipulated time and then called me heartless for not offering condolences on recent loss of a loved one. She had spent 30 min debating the admitting consent form (no OOP costs, just being difficult) then when I tried to expedite things to get to assessment and tx, she called me heartless and without compassion. She was a retired nurse and said she had never been treated with such disregard. She had multiple personality/mental disorders but I must have been PMS'ing as I went home bawling.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
I think the realization of his own mortality was hitting him at that point.

Well, yea. I knew where it was coming from.

I've been called every F word under the sun, but this is the one that hurt.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment