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

Pangea Reunited, ASN, RN · Jun 9, 2015

I had a very creepy, intense patient tell me, "I will murder your children before they're born." And semi-related ...a girl I went to school with told me she was going to light a candle every night and pray for me to fail.

Farawyn · Jun 9, 2015

I feel like psych patient threats and insults don't really count... I've had patients say they were going to eat my face, or track me down and kill me... manic patients all know the President, or the CEO of the hospital, or they're a senator, and they're all going to get me fired for holding them illegally. All of the manic patients. Although I did have a guy say, "Just because you have highlights in your beard doesn't mean you get to tell me what to do." I'd never heard that before. My hair is brown and my beard is reddish, but it was so random that I just said, "... well, technically that's true..." but then his dead father who communicates with him through a communicator in his brain told him I was okay so he took his meds. So, it all worked out.
We had a patient who was obsessed with one of the male therapists, but hated all the other men. We had a therapist named Manuel who she called Man-hole and she wouldn't let him near her because she said he was gay. We still call him Man-hole.

Bwhahahaha!!! Highlights in your beard!

I've also laughed at really pissed off patients while they are yelling at me and whoa, does THAT set them off even more!

Dogen · Jun 9, 2015

"Can you get all the nurses to line up so I can pick one of the pretty ones. I don't want to have some fatty touching me." Unattractive, middle aged man.
Sir, I think you've mistaken us with a brothel.

If this were "the creepiest thing a patient has said to you," I would have some stories. We had a late-50s male patient convince his cute, 23-year-old new grad nurse that he "needed" all his meds as suppositories. Bless her heart, she called the prescriber and got orders, until the 6'5" body building male night shift nurse came on... and suddenly he didn't want PR meds anymore.

Here.I.Stand, BSN, RN · Jun 9, 2015

Not to me, but once in this SNF rehab unit, this woman was berating the CNA for being "stupid" and "unable to speak English." She (CNA) had immigrated from Eritrea just a few years prior and did have a thick accent, but her English was actually quite good. She was probably my favorite CNA to work with; she was one of those who, when you see she's on duty, make you feel like the day will be better. If I remember correctly, the CNA's infraction was that she reported to me that the pt had refused a shower. Imagine that, a CNA reporting to the RN. :sarcastic: There was nothing judgmental or any hint that she was reporting a *problem* with the pt. Just stating fact that 1) this is why the CNA didn't complete an assigned task, and 2) if I needed to do a skin check, I wouldn't be able to do it during the shower, which was the common practice.

So anyway, I'm thinking "customer service be damned. I can't say nothing and allow this poor woman to be abused like that." (Pt, by the way, was completely A&O.) I told this woman, "Speaking to her like that is completely uncalled for. We are all here to help you." For some reason this pt liked me, and said "Oh honey, don't put yourself in her league." I told her I was proud to be in her league.

There have been very few times when I've been so angry with a pt. I was shaking, I was so mad. :madface:

editingeyes · Jun 9, 2015

(disclaimer - I work psych, so I get insulted every day pretty much).

Just today a dad of a patient got upset that I wouldn't refill his kid's meds because she hadn't shown up for her last 6 appointments (she is underage so it is his responsibility) and I found out she had another prescriber that last filled her meds. He apparently didn't like my answer so he called me a "******* retard" at which point I promptly hung up on him.

I had a borderline patient that I was a 1:1 with call me so many terrible, horrible things that I thankfully found hilarious. At one point she told me I should go work on the street corner like the "ratchet white a** hoe that I was" because I would probably make more money. I told her that I probably would make more and asked her which corner she suggested since she seemed to know so much about it.

I'm one of those people that tends to laugh when people are mean or disrespectful but I come back with a slight barb of my own if needed.

nursedorkface · Jun 9, 2015

I had a pt. call me a thick-as-s**t, butter-faced c**t and a double-bagger. A co-worker was nice enough to explain the insults and I got on with my day. I worked as a telemarketer for years so I am very hard to offend.

NICUmiiki, DNP, NP · Jun 9, 2015

Clean my *poop* out of my trash can. That's YOUR job.

kbrn2002, ADN, RN · Jun 9, 2015

I work in LTC so there are just too many insults to list. Very few if any of us are offended as they usually come from elderly folks with at least some dementia....or they are just mean old people that may or may not have been mean their entire lives.

One that sticks in my mind is one of our very rare black residents took a great dislike to a young, blond male CNA. Even walking down the hall resulted in yells of "honky" coming from her room. If he was in her sight any longer than just walking by he became "honky white trash." Poor guy was a little rattled and had no idea how to react except by quickly walking away. It did get kind of funny though watching him try to figure out ways to sneak by her without being noticed.

dannibeeRN · Jun 9, 2015

The most offensive thing I've heard was not really directed towards me but it still hurt my feelings. This happened when I was a young CNA working in LTC about 15 years ago. We had the sweetest resident who always spoke with a soft, southern accent. I loved her! Well she developed a UTI and shingles at the same time. Another CNA and I were attempting to get this pt out of bed to change her linen and she was a little weak that morning. So on the third attempt to help her stand, she yelled "BE EASY!!! YOU GUYS ARE ARE PUSHING ME AROUND LIKE I'M SOME N****R!!!" I was shocked because this pt knew me very well but I'm not sure she knew I was Black. She was also pretty sick and that tends to make normal people act looney. I didn't hold it against her and she was back to her sweet self by the next time I worked with her.

Glycerine82, LPN · Jun 9, 2015

"Do you know what the hell you're doing, or what"

I went home and bawled.

For a couple days.

Elle23 · Jun 9, 2015

I honestly can't recall anything nasty or mean that has been said to me. That could be because I spent a large chunk of my career at a hospital where most of the families (NICU) didn't speak English. If they were cussing me out I didn't know it!

One hurtful thing I do recall (though the patient didn't mean to be hurtful) was when I was a very young LVN working med-surg. The patient asked when I was due.

I wasn't pregnant!

I was wearing a white knit pants/shirt set that a lot of nurses on the unit wore on nights because they were super soft and comfy. Comfy, but not at all flattering, apparently!

T-Bird78 · Jun 9, 2015

I had a pt ask if I was pregnant when my child was 7 years old--nope. I've had a few pts tell me they never want me to give their shot ever again. I had one pt yell at me when I was pregnant because I didn't have a water cooler with distilled water delivered to my house and drank filtered tap water. I was wearing my subcu Zofran pump during that same pregnancy due to hyperemesis gravidarum and a pt asked what it was. I explained how it delivered nausea medication continuously to help relieve my sx, and the pt told me that morning sickness is "all in your head" and that I should get over it and quit seeking attention. I had another pt strike up a conversation about a local airport that was wanting to expand to full commercial flights and the neighbors were upset because the airport is across from a school and was never zoned for commercial flights. I happen to live in this community and side with the residents, but the pt said that maybe the airport would buy everyone's house so we could "move somewhere nice". I get the usual "are you just an LPN?" all the time.