What's Your Best Nursing Ghost Story?

What Members Are Saying (AI-Generated Summary)

Members are sharing personal experiences and stories related to ghosts, spirits, and paranormal occurrences in healthcare settings. Some members discuss encounters with deceased loved ones or unexplained phenomena, while others share their interest in ghost stories and movies like "Doctor Sleep" and "The Shining." There is a mix of skepticism, curiosity, and belief in the supernatural among the forum participants.

Nursing is a profession that often involves long lonely night shifts in eerie hospital wards. It's a perfect breeding ground for ghost stories. These stories often involve sightings of apparitions, strange noises, and unexplained events that are said to have taken place in hospitals, hospices, and other healthcare settings. Some of these stories are believed to be based on true events, while others are purely fictional. Regardless, they continue to captivate and intrigue both nurses and non-nurses alike - providing a spooky glimpse into the world of healthcare after dark.

I know you have seen and heard freaky things. Share your nursing ghost stories...

I recently went to an assisted living facility for an interview. The interviewer was running behind schedule and I had to wait for about 45 minutes. As I sat there, I got the feeling. It was very overwhelming, almost unbearable.

I almost did not wait for the interview. I was so relieved to get out of there.

curious.. did u get and take the job?

It really does happen! But no medical staff actually declared him dead, but I would think that the person coming to retrieve the body would have checked for signs of life maybe.

http://news.yahoo.com/african-corpse-wakes-scares-off-morgue-staff-report-194106499.html

:rolleyes:

Oh my...that is scary

man....interesting. I know this is weird, but I've always wanted to go into an old aslyum.

Okay, now that I'm done with nursing school, I do have a story I was saving.

Or... if I told it and forgot, forgive me.

In my first clinical rotation in LTC, I was standing at the med cart that was stationed at the end of a long hall about 10 feet from the nurses' station.

My clinical instructor and several classmates were at the station talking and I was very engrossed in looking up info at the cart.

For what ever reason, I felt compelled to look to my right.

There, coming down the hall, was a mylar balloon. It was about 2 feet off the ground and gliding smoothly and perfectly centered from down the end of the hall. No draft, no diversion from its path, no change in speed.

As it began to pass behind me, I felt spooked and felt the hairs stand up on my arms!

My body swung around to continue to watch this balloon as it passed me and carried on to the nurses' station where, with awed looks and open mouths, there stood my instructor and classmates also very mesmerised by this balloon.

My instructor only moved to reach out and grab it.

It was spookily quiet and I had to say it, "Alright! Who died?"

The instructor looked at me wild-eyed and my classmates laughed, but really! I had to say it, because it was too weird and just felt wrong.

So, my instructor says it's crazy and she wants to know whose balloon it is.

You know how this ends, right?

lol

True story and I'm sure my instructor tells that story to this day.

;)

Specializes in Medical Assisting.
This is not a "ghost" story but instead proof to me that spirits do exist.

One morning in March of 2011, I was filling out paperwork that required family member's names for an upcoming activity. When I went to write my dad's name down, I thought don't put his name because my dad had been in an accident and he won't be able to attend. I did not write his name and forgot about the entire thing until later that afternoon when I had been notified that my dad had a massive heart attack while he was driving causing a multiple fatality car accident. The time of his death was the exact time that I was filling out the paperwork. I know it was my dad stopping by on his way to heaven.

Personally, I have had many encounters with ghosts that I usually only share with a select few. I believe that many people have their minds closed to such encounters and think of those of us that believe as crazy. It is refreshing to read this thread and know that so many people have experiences similar to mine.

It's amazing what happens when one opens up their mind/heart... I too have had experiences that I cannot explain by any other means. :uhoh3: Kudos for you for being able to "see" what's out there! :idea:

Hi! This is my first post so please bere with me! it's going to be a long one!

While I haven't had anything happen at work yet,I am a paranormal investagator outside of work. I noticed that Waverly Hills has been mentioned several times. I have investaged it multiple times and it is my "pet" haunted place. I just feel so drawn there. The running joke on my team is I'd rather go to Waverly than eat ice cream and I love ice cream! I've been 5 times in 2 years and know the place like the back of my hand.

Most people know of Waverly Hills from tv shows like Ghost Hunters, Ghost Adventures and the many documenteries made about the place. Sadly a lot of the history has been drummed up to make for interesting tv and the current owners of the place play right into it. I can understand why..they are making a living off of the building being haunted.The current owners sell tours and ghost hunts for a fee and the money is going to restore the building and eventually turn it into a 4 star "haunted" hotel.But for those of you that may be interested in the real story and in some of the ghosts here you go!

History: I've spent many hours researching this place and this is the most factual info that i have found so far.

Waverly Hills Sanatorium is located in Louisville, Ky and was first opened in 1910 to house TB pts. The origonal building was wooden and could only house 40 pts. This proved to be too small for the ever climbing TB rates. In 1923, it was decided that a state of the art hospital would be built to meet the needs of the state. The doors of the new hospital opened in 1926 and could house up to 500 pts and usually had a long waiting list because it was the nation's top TB ward for many years. The hospital featured a Salon,a library,a gift shop, it's own radio sation and the latest medical advancements. Waverly played a large part in the development of x-rays and many surgeries that we would now concider shocking and brutial.

Remember anti-botics wasn't a treatment yet. The most common treatments for TB were freash air,that the pts got plenty of due to the open breezeways on every floor, good food and lots of rest. The pts beds were wheeled out on the open breezeways rain or shine, warm or cold. They used electric blankets in the winter months to keep pts warm.

Other treatments included-Pneumoectomy, the surgical removal of part or even a whole lung. Phrenic Nerve Crush- The nerve supply cut off to one diaphragm to allow the affected lung to heal. Thoracoplasty- The removal of several ribs (usually 7 to 8) to collapse the lung and to permit swelling, this was usually carried out over several surgeries because most Drs only like to remove 2-3 ribs at a time. And Artificial Pneumothorax- the introduction of air into the pleural cavity causing it to collapse.

As you can gather very few made it out alive. Around 8 to 10,000 people died there and at the peak of the TB epidemic the hosptial lost an average of 1-3 pts a day.To keep up pts spirits the Dr's thought it was best that they not see just how many were dying. The hospital is built on top of a large hill. There was a service tunnel that staff used to carry up goods for the hospital from the train tracks below. It also served as a warm way into the hospital for dr's and nurse's who lived off site. The tunnel was rigged with a pulley system so that bodys could be taken out of the hospital with no ones notice. This is where the tunnel became known as "The Death Tunnel" and "The Body Chute".

After the introduction of anti-botics pt numbers dwindled and Waverly Hills closed in 1961. It didn't say closed for long as it re-opened as Woodhaven Medical Services in 1962. Woodhaven was a LTC facility for the elderly and the mentally handicaped. They "specialized" in treating dementia, which at the time was electro-shock. Woodhaven was open until 1980 when it was shut down by the state for pt abuse and neglect.

It has stood open and empty ever since to the elements, to vandals, and to thrill seekers. The current owners bought and opened it to the public for tours and ghost hunts in 2001. They regularly hold a haunted house around Halloween as well to raise money to restore the buliding.

Now for the ghost stories: These are the basic tales told about the place. These are NOT my personal experiances and I will add them later if you'd like.

1. Room 502- There are 2 nurses that are said to haunt room 502. The first was reported to have died in the 30's. Supposedly the young woman was having an affair with one of the dr's and became pregnant.Well being unmarried and pregnant in the 1930's didn't fly very well so she hung herself from a light fixture in the hallway right in frount of room 502. Another verson of the same story goes: that the dr tried to preform an abortion on her and it went wrong and she bled to death. To cover up what he had done he staged her sucide. And yet another version claims that she was unmarried, pregnant, and contracted TB so she hung herself.

The second nurse in 502 either fell,jumped, or was pushed from the window inside the room sometime in the 50's.

2.The 4th floor OR is said to be haunted by a dr,maybe the one who killed the nurse in 502?

3. The 4th floor is also home to "Big Black" a very large shadow figure that is said to go from floor to ceiling, and "The Creeper" a smaller shadow figure that scurries along the walls and ceiling.

4. The spirit of a small boy is said to roam the whole hospital and play with the many toys people bring for him.

5. The 3rd floor is supposedly inhabited by the ghost of an old man and his white dog. A group of cultists brought a homeless man and his dog into the hospital and murdered them. The Police found him the next day after answering the call for a tripped security alarm. They had thrown him down the elavator shaft.

All over the hospital people have reported hearing footsteps, whispering, people talking, seeing shadows, seeing people, smelling food, feeling something touch them ect.

I'm happy to answer any questions about the place or to relay my personal experiances.

Thanks, Leoduola, for the information you provided on the sanitarium in Kentucky. My Mom and several members of her family were diagnosed with tuberculosis around 1940 and Mom spent a couple of years in a sanitarium in Minnesota. She rarely talked about it but as she got older, she said that she always scared doctors when they saw her for the first time because they "removed her lung". When she passed away 3 1/2 years ago, it was because her remaining lung was just plain worn out - she lived for around 70 years after her bout with tuberculosis.

Specializes in Med/Surg, DSU, Ortho, Onc, Psych.
Hi! This is my first post so please bere with me! it's going to be a long one!

While I haven't had anything happen at work yet,I am a paranormal investagator outside of work. I noticed that Waverly Hills has been mentioned several times. I have investaged it multiple times and it is my "pet" haunted place. I just feel so drawn there. The running joke on my team is I'd rather go to Waverly than eat ice cream and I love ice cream! I've been 5 times in 2 years and know the place like the back of my hand.

Most people know of Waverly Hills from tv shows like Ghost Hunters, Ghost Adventures and the many documenteries made about the place. Sadly a lot of the history has been drummed up to make for interesting tv and the current owners of the place play right into it. I can understand why..they are making a living off of the building being haunted.The current owners sell tours and ghost hunts for a fee and the money is going to restore the building and eventually turn it into a 4 star "haunted" hotel.But for those of you that may be interested in the real story and in some of the ghosts here you go!

History: I've spent many hours researching this place and this is the most factual info that i have found so far.

Waverly Hills Sanatorium is located in Louisville, Ky and was first opened in 1910 to house TB pts. The origonal building was wooden and could only house 40 pts. This proved to be too small for the ever climbing TB rates. In 1923, it was decided that a state of the art hospital would be built to meet the needs of the state. The doors of the new hospital opened in 1926 and could house up to 500 pts and usually had a long waiting list because it was the nation's top TB ward for many years. The hospital featured a Salon,a library,a gift shop, it's own radio sation and the latest medical advancements. Waverly played a large part in the development of x-rays and many surgeries that we would now concider shocking and brutial.

Remember anti-botics wasn't a treatment yet. The most common treatments for TB were freash air,that the pts got plenty of due to the open breezeways on every floor, good food and lots of rest. The pts beds were wheeled out on the open breezeways rain or shine, warm or cold. They used electric blankets in the winter months to keep pts warm.

Other treatments included-Pneumoectomy, the surgical removal of part or even a whole lung. Phrenic Nerve Crush- The nerve supply cut off to one diaphragm to allow the affected lung to heal. Thoracoplasty- The removal of several ribs (usually 7 to 8) to collapse the lung and to permit swelling, this was usually carried out over several surgeries because most Drs only like to remove 2-3 ribs at a time. And Artificial Pneumothorax- the introduction of air into the pleural cavity causing it to collapse.

As you can gather very few made it out alive. Around 8 to 10,000 people died there and at the peak of the TB epidemic the hosptial lost an average of 1-3 pts a day.To keep up pts spirits the Dr's thought it was best that they not see just how many were dying. The hospital is built on top of a large hill. There was a service tunnel that staff used to carry up goods for the hospital from the train tracks below. It also served as a warm way into the hospital for dr's and nurse's who lived off site. The tunnel was rigged with a pulley system so that bodys could be taken out of the hospital with no ones notice. This is where the tunnel became known as "The Death Tunnel" and "The Body Chute".

After the introduction of anti-botics pt numbers dwindled and Waverly Hills closed in 1961. It didn't say closed for long as it re-opened as Woodhaven Medical Services in 1962. Woodhaven was a LTC facility for the elderly and the mentally handicaped. They "specialized" in treating dementia, which at the time was electro-shock. Woodhaven was open until 1980 when it was shut down by the state for pt abuse and neglect.

It has stood open and empty ever since to the elements, to vandals, and to thrill seekers. The current owners bought and opened it to the public for tours and ghost hunts in 2001. They regularly hold a haunted house around Halloween as well to raise money to restore the buliding.

Now for the ghost stories: These are the basic tales told about the place. These are NOT my personal experiances and I will add them later if you'd like.

1. Room 502- There are 2 nurses that are said to haunt room 502. The first was reported to have died in the 30's. Supposedly the young woman was having an affair with one of the dr's and became pregnant.Well being unmarried and pregnant in the 1930's didn't fly very well so she hung herself from a light fixture in the hallway right in frount of room 502. Another verson of the same story goes: that the dr tried to preform an abortion on her and it went wrong and she bled to death. To cover up what he had done he staged her sucide. And yet another version claims that she was unmarried, pregnant, and contracted TB so she hung herself.

The second nurse in 502 either fell,jumped, or was pushed from the window inside the room sometime in the 50's.

2.The 4th floor OR is said to be haunted by a dr,maybe the one who killed the nurse in 502?

3. The 4th floor is also home to "Big Black" a very large shadow figure that is said to go from floor to ceiling, and "The Creeper" a smaller shadow figure that scurries along the walls and ceiling.

4. The spirit of a small boy is said to roam the whole hospital and play with the many toys people bring for him.

5. The 3rd floor is supposedly inhabited by the ghost of an old man and his white dog. A group of cultists brought a homeless man and his dog into the hospital and murdered them. The Police found him the next day after answering the call for a tripped security alarm. They had thrown him down the elavator shaft.

All over the hospital people have reported hearing footsteps, whispering, people talking, seeing shadows, seeing people, smelling food, feeling something touch them ect.

I'm happy to answer any questions about the place or to relay my personal experiances.

PLEASE tell us ur personal experiences!! I would love to read them and I'm also off work 2day so it will give me something to do later on!!

Specializes in LTC, Acute care.

Leodoula, please more of your experiences. I can hardly wait...

I cant believe I finished reading all 203 pages. Took me about 5 months. Cant wait to hear more stories.

This is not a "ghost" story but instead proof to me that spirits do exist.

One morning in March of 2011, I was filling out paperwork that required family member's names for an upcoming activity. When I went to write my dad's name down, I thought don't put his name because my dad had been in an accident and he won't be able to attend. I did not write his name and forgot about the entire thing until later that afternoon when I had been notified that my dad had a massive heart attack while he was driving causing a multiple fatality car accident. The time of his death was the exact time that I was filling out the paperwork. I know it was my dad stopping by on his way to heaven.

Personally, I have had many encounters with ghosts that I usually only share with a select few. I believe that many people have their minds closed to such encounters and think of those of us that believe as crazy. It is refreshing to read this thread and know that so many people have experiences similar to mine.

Did you not think about this at all after you did this? Very interesting.....

I am sorry for your loss xoxox

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