What's Your Best Nursing Ghost Story?

Nurses General Nursing Nursing Q/A

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digoe74

110 Posts

I do not have a nursing ghost story as I am still in school to become a nurse; however I do have a couple of regular ghost stores. I'll share one for now and if anyone would like to hear the others I will share those as well.

Two weeks before my daughter turned one year old my MIL passed away; she had been sick for years prior so it was not a surprise when she passed but it did happen very suddenly. She required regular blood transfusions due to the fact she had survived bladder cancer and the poor thing bled (as if she always had her period) for many many years -- even though she was over 80 when she passed. One day on the return trip from the hospital back to the nursing home where she resided she had a stroke and was pronounced dead minutes later.

A few days after the funeral I started noticing my daughter looking up at the ceiling and giggling and smiling at absolutely nothing. I did not think much of it at the time at all. Well, one day I put my daughter down for her afternoon nap -- there was no one in the house except the two of us. About 20 minutes after I put her down, I heard music playing coming from her room (she had one of those toys that played music attached to the side of her crib). So, thinking she had woken up and started playing I walked into her room to try to get her back to sleep -- only to find her sound asleep. So, I turned the musical toy off and turned to leave the room. No sooner did I turn around than the music started playing again. So, once again I turned it off. This happened 2 more times until I took the BATTERIES OUT THE TOY as I figured it was just malfunctioning. Well, I went to leave the room again and sure enough -- it turned back on!!! At that point I was a little freaked out so I stood in the middle of the room and announced "If this music turns on one more time, I am taking the baby and leaving this house immediately! Enough!". It did not turn on again and thankfully my daughter slept through the whole thing. (Never wake a sleeping baby :) ) After the fact, I started to think about my MIL and wondered if it was her. She was so happy/sad when my daughter was born as she knew her failing health would probably take her from this world before she would ever get to see her granddaughter grow. I'd like to think that she watches over my daughter but also feel a little bad as -- I kinda scared her away when I got upset! Hopefully, she still stops in although my daughter has never mentioned anything.

Specializes in Psychiatric..

I was in my 3rd year in college and was working with a nursing agency as a carer to pay my bills etc. They sent me out a monastery owned by the Carmelites for a night shift. The night shift passed without incident. In the morning I met the head nurse on the way out and asked her if they could call me in future instead of the agency as I would work nights there Fri-Sun every week if they wanted. She agreed and so I began working there.

There was only about 10 priests in the whole place. Only 2 of them needed assistance in the mornings so most of the night was spent studying for exams or wandering around the monastery. It was a fantastic building with long marble corridors, windows of stained glass 40ft high and a huge spiral brass staircase at one end and a huge marble one at the other. Looking out the windows there was a lake and the ruins of a centuries old church.

My time there began relatively easy. Id go in at 22:00 and finish at 07:00. They had a huge kitchen downstairs with the absolute best of food. As only religious institutions do !! So about 03:00 I'd make my way down there to root through the walk in fridges and feed myself.

The first thing that happened to me was that I'd begin to smell flowers (Im not sure what kind they were, but it was always the same smell) completely out of the blue. The smell would only last for a split second almost as if when I noticed it it would disappear. I even went so far as to check my office for those plug in deodourisers but there was none.

One night I was a little late arriving for work. Instead of getting changed first, I instead went to the nurses office to quickly read the hand-over book so I could be up to speed in case I met anyone on their way out. As I went into the office, which was complately black as it had no windows, there was an intense bright flash just at the far corner of my eye. I turned to look and a breeze blew past me with that same smell of flowers I was used to smelling by now.... WOW, , I thought and then saw a tiny little spot of light just vanish in front of me. I turned on the desk lamp and sat down thinking this was the coolest thing I had ever seen.

As the weeks went by Id occasionally smell the flowers again and again but no more lights.

So, those kitchens Id mentioned earlier........ well one night I was down there on my own scrounging for food! I never turned the lights on in the kitchen as it was fairly illuminated by those neon insect lights. As I was stnding inside the fridge I heard the sound of what I can only describe as cutlery being moved about on the metal food preparation tables. I was a little spooked but reassured myself that it was late, I was tired and not to be afraid as it was probaly the same thing that made the flowers smell and lights...... I left quickly none the less...

After that I always put the lights on when I went in there. Another night, I put the lights on as I walked into the big kitchen and noticed a huge gust of air fly by me as I walked in. . . again I thought "its late, Im tired, dont freak myself out"..........so there I was, , in the back of the walk in fridge putting some ham on a plate when I heard the loudest bang.... I almost s.h.i.t myself on the spot as I turned to investigate the fridge door slammed shut on me and the lights went out.... I dropped everything, pushed the open bar on the door and ran upstairs to my office.... My heart was about to jump from my chest.... In the morning I went back down to clean up my mess. I checked the door, and as I expected it was one of those safety doors on walk in fridges/freezers that cannot swing closed, only swing open....... So it had to have something push it closed. I pushed it a few times to see how much force was nessescery to close it and I found I had to give it quite a hard push....

Specializes in LTC, CPR instructor, First aid instructor..

Neat story. Have you had any other experiences?

missingmydad

13 Posts

I really don't mean to digress, but this thread has led me to my own question on death and the spiritual after life. My father died recently from cancer. We experienced a lot of spiritual stuff--virtually his family members would pray for something, the answer would come from other family members that were unaware of original prayer, my 4 year old would see "angels"/floating objects that followed family members. My father was very angry with God and had been since he was a teenager. He was a wonderful man, but you could almost see the anger in his eyes if a hospital pastor offered prayer. Anyway, all this strange stuff seemed relevant to my father's preparation for death and eventually seemed to pave the way to acceptance/forgiveness of some sort. He even accepted prayer.

Where do nurses think these ghosts come from? Lost souls that didn't go to the light, or didn't even get the light? Demons waiting to take us away? And does any pariticular religion seem crucial to having a positive death experience? Why are their so many ghost stories in this thread?

It seems that hospice nurses often see patients of all faiths experience similar positive visions. What seems to make one death spiritual comforting, while others die in fear?

I know these are loaded questions, but I'm asking as many nurses as I can. ANY thoughts are helpful! Trying to understand my dad's death seems to be a major part of my healing process. I'm going crazy with these thoughts. URGGGH! If I discuss it with church members, I virtually hear : the good things are from God, all bad things (what's considered bad by their theology is from the devil). So if a Christian had a positive death and saw relatives than they went to heaven, but if an "unsaved person" had the same experience it is because the devil is tricking us.) Thus, I want to go to the people that witness death first hand.

Thanks so much.

CNA_J

3 Posts

i currently work in a small long term care facility that was built in the 1970s. one night we were working the 11-7 shift when we received a call at the nurses station from our hospice room. on the end was a rather desperate sounding patient saying "help me, help me! im in room 110." the only problem was, our hospice room was empty at the time. on other occasions, fellow CNAs and nurses have seen a woman in a white gown walk out of one room at the end of the hall and into the other. the call lights in those rooms go off frequently when they are empty. the faucets have also been known to shut off without being touched, toilets flushing on their own in vacant rooms... to say in the least, 11-7 is not my favorite shift. :eek:

StatBlues

1 Article; 165 Posts

I am sorry for the loss of your dad.

I know we all would like the answers to your questions.

Fact is we do not know for sure. We can only guess.

I believe whatever your dad was mad at God about. Was

cleared up when he, crossed over. :)

And, I believe your dad will be watching over you, as he can.

Perhaps you can talk to a counselor about missing your dad.

Better way to go than in this, thread xoxo

================

I really don't mean to digress, but this thread has led me to my own question on death and the spiritual after life. My father died recently from cancer. We experienced a lot of spiritual stuff--virtually his family members would pray for something, the answer would come from other family members that were unaware of original prayer, my 4 year old would see "angels"/floating objects that followed family members. My father was very angry with God and had been since he was a teenager. He was a wonderful man, but you could almost see the anger in his eyes if a hospital pastor offered prayer. Anyway, all this strange stuff seemed relevant to my father's preparation for death and eventually seemed to pave the way to acceptance/forgiveness of some sort. He even accepted prayer.

Where do nurses think these ghosts come from? Lost souls that didn't go to the light, or didn't even get the light? Demons waiting to take us away? And does any pariticular religion seem crucial to having a positive death experience? Why are their so many ghost stories in this thread?

It seems that hospice nurses often see patients of all faiths experience similar positive visions. What seems to make one death spiritual comforting, while others die in fear?

I know these are loaded questions, but I'm asking as many nurses as I can. ANY thoughts are helpful! Trying to understand my dad's death seems to be a major part of my healing process. I'm going crazy with these thoughts. URGGGH! If I discuss it with church members, I virtually hear : the good things are from God, all bad things (what's considered bad by their theology is from the devil). So if a Christian had a positive death and saw relatives than they went to heaven, but if an "unsaved person" had the same experience it is because the devil is tricking us.) Thus, I want to go to the people that witness death first hand.

Thanks so much.

nenurse5

2 Posts

I personally believe that every slightly seasoned nurse has a ghost story (especially if they've ever worked a night shift)! I worked in a hospital that hadn't changed rooms since the 70s.. right before our transition into new and upgraded rooms I had a patient that was admitted for cellulitis of the LLE, he had experienced polio in his earlier life and obviously high-risk for amputation. Apparently he had a new-onset peanut allergy and was given "ants on a boat" with his supper meal. Needless to say, he went into an anaphylactic reaction... being a small hospital (in the middle of the night, without ancillary staff, RT for instance, being there) this was a big deal. After the CRNA finally arrived, it took at least 5 minutes to intubate him... his last words before intubation were... "Ask the girl in the white cap to do, she's telling me I'm going to be ok". Literally, a man that had virtually no airway said those words. Needless to say, there were no "girls" in white caps. So this man actually lived, without permanent damage. I took care of him for pneumonia a few months after that and asked him about the girl in the white cap. He said, "That's why I lived, because she said I would".

Inspiring...but creepy.

zephyr9

151 Posts

Hi, frist please forgive the spelling in this post . I found this thread on the net and have been reading it all night and it has helped me so much . My mom just passed away in July she had been sick for years and was in the hospital when she passed .my dad did tell me how sick she was becouse I have been sick for months myself and he did not want me to get upset. So he told me she was geting better the night befor she died.

the next day I went to vist my mom and becouse I am leagly blind I could not read the sign that said to go see the nurse befor going in . I walked in the room and my mom laying on her bed her face was this odd yellow and she was not moving they ran in and told me that 15 min. Befor she had vomited so much that she breathed it in and died becouse her small bowl was blocked.

I sat with my mom for about an hour or two and when I went to leave I kissed her and said I love you ,you know I love don't you ? And right then the tv turned on the remote was on the table next to bed so there is no way I hit it . I now beleave my mom was and maybe still is in that room I am now thinking of doing something in the nursing feld as soon as I find out what I can do being half blind I have never run into a blind nurse

Trekfan, I was just reading a book entitled "Just a Nurse," one of the nurses featured in this book is blind: she got her master's degree and works counseling seriously ill children and their families. She may have been an RN before her blindness, I am not sure, but, she makes use of her faculties other than sight in the work she does now, and says that her dog plays a role in her work with families, putting them at ease. She worked at CHOP in Philadelphia, I believe.

Bhavana

67 Posts

I have no answers for you. None of us can really know the truth about death till we experience it ourselves. I would guess that the difference between those who die in peace and those who die in fear may have something to do with their faith, and in the way they have lived their lives....but on the other hand, you have science minded people who explain the "bright light at the end of a tunnel" and voices/visions of loved ones who previously died as nothing more than synapses firing off in the dying brain. Something to do with the peripheral vision being the first to go, which explains the "tunnel" effect with the "bright light" at the end (remember what we learned when studying diseases of the eyes) and the visions of loved ones nothing more than flashback memories from the dying "computer" that is our brain. But who really knows? In spite of all of these stories about ghosts and visions, there is really no proof of what happens to us. I think that people want to believe that death is not the end, after all, life would be pretty meaningless to most if death WAS the end...so therefore, we believe what we want, we believe whatever it is that makes life more bearable.

For sure, we will all find out when we die.

conim2002

1 Post

Specializes in CCU, surgical floor, phlebotomy.

I don't share this very often because it is more "Sacred" to me then scarey. My last full time job was with Hospice. I really enjoyed the one on one with my patients. You get to know the family quit well, working with them on a daily basis. We did become quit close.

On this particular assignment, I was caring for an elderly lady who had been on Hospice for over a year. Usually they don't keep you as a Hospice patient for much longer then that, but this little lady kept beating the odds. We called in the family on several occassions during that year, because we thought she was going to die....but she kept on bouncing back. It became kind of a light hearted joke.

My story: Toward the end of her life, this sweet lady lost her oldest son in an auto accidient. The family chose not to tell their mother about her son's death. They figured it would serve no positive purpose....so we never spoke of it to her.

Continueing on: The day before this woman expired she called me into her room and asked me if I saw "Michael"? "Michael, your son?", I asked. "Yes", she said...."He was with me all night". "We had a wonderful visit..he wants me to get ready, because he is going to come and get me in the morning" All I said was, "How wonderful it must have been to see your son". My first impression was that she was just having illussions.

The next morning upon reporting to work at 6am, I said goodbye to the family as they left for work, as I had done for over a year...I went about my usual routine. I walked down the old familiar hall to my patient's room and down the hall, ahead of me, I saw a man all dressed in white walking away from my patient's room. I went into my patient's room and she indeed had expired. I mentioned nothing of this to the family, but I did speak of it to the Hospice RN. "Thank goodness!", she said to me. "I thought maybe I was losing it". Apparently she had seen the same gentleman the day before standing in the corner of this sweet little ladie's room". This is not my only experience of this type. Like I said....some things you are reluctant to share. It is a great testimonial to me that we do go on. I must mention that there was such an enormous feeling of peace that morning when my patient left this world.

Specializes in LTC, CPR instructor, First aid instructor..

That is such a wonderful story. I can see why you hold that experience so sacred. Thank you so much for sharing it.

CFitzRN, ADN

385 Posts

Specializes in L&D; GI; Fam Med; Home H; Case mgmt.

@Irishpsychnurse - You're Irish so there's a fair chance you know about this, but when our Blessed Mother appears anywhere, there is almost always a strong fragrance of flowers (many times roses but not always). And sometimes one only smells the fragrance and doesn't see an apparition. Being that you were in an old monastery (cool!) I'd say there is a fair chance there was a lot of Marian devotion there, so it's not out of the realm of possibilities that you experienced a visit from our Mother.

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