What's Your Best Nursing Ghost Story?

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...

Not nursing related...

My youngest son was just a baby and it was the middle of the night, I was going across the hall to his room to nurse him. I saw a little boy standing at the other end of the hallway. At first I thought it was my older son (3 years old at the time), but when I turned back he was gone.

I didn't mention it to anyone figuring it was my sleep deprived state making me see things. Shortly after my older son started complaining about the little boy in his room that kept waking him up and teasing him. I asked how big the boy was and he said the same size as him. So I told him next time the boy did it to just tell him he needed to leave him alone because it was time for bed. My son told me the next time the boy did it that he told him to go it was time for bed and the boy did.

Fast forward 3 years later my then baby now three year old was in the room my older son used to sleep in. He complained one day of the little boy that was in his room at night.... I gave him the same advise I gave to my older son. I asked my older son about this figuring he told his brother, but he had no memory of this happening.

Not too long ago my older son was complaining about people talking to him while he was going to sleep every night, they were saying his name and whatnot. We thought maybe it was noise from outside or something and he insisted that no it was right in his room. When he went to school that day and I said "I don't know who is bothering my son, you are welcome to be here but you need to leave my children and us alone. If you keep bothering him you will have to leave" I asked him a few days later if it was still going on and he said no it stopped. About 6 months later complained again about this happening and I went in his room and reminded the voices about what I said, again it stopped.

My husband and I have seen a black shadow in the shape of a large man in the house. My husband has told me he frequently hears me calling his name when it's not me... which creeps me out totally.

We are only the 2nd owners of our home and the previous owners are alive and well, but a former pt actually told me he used to graze cattle in the area where our neighborhood is, so I'm guessing there were maybe deaths on the land?

Have another from college but will save that for another day.

Specializes in Operating Room Nurse.
I'd have to say nurse managers. I've heard they exist, but I very rarely see one.

absolutely true.. But Chief nurses also. They are just sitting in the nursing department without making a rounds :uhoh3:

My friend's brother was in a bad car accident in the middle of the night, and was brought to the hospital I work at. My friend came to the hospital, leaving her husband and two small children at home. She didn't say anything to her children about what had happened, and didn't wake them up either, as she thought it would be best to wait.Anyway, despite the efforts from the medical team, her brother did not survive the trauma and died a few hours later. When my friend got home from the hospital, exhausted from her night and in shock from what happened, she was greeted by her very sleepy 6yr old daughter, who heard her keys in the front door. She was rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, and said "mommy where is uncle Timmy?", my friend, not expecting this from her daughter, only answered "what sweetie?", her daughter said " uncle Timmy was in my room and told me to always where my seat belt, and that he loves me, but mommy where did he go? is he having breakfast with us?" My friend was in such disbelief she didn't know how to respond and just told her daughter that uncle Timmy had to go. Its amazing what messages spirits can leave behind and how they can still get through to us after they have passed.

My sister saw my uncle come back on the night of his funeral. He just came to give her a friendly smile. I believe this.

Specializes in Med surg, Critical Care, LTC.

Okay, true story. I have always been "sensitive" to paranormal stuff - it's been happening all my life. My earliest memory is hearing the phone ringing and ringing while we were eating dinner - and I said "Is anyone going to get the phone!" It was then that it rang, I heard it before it actually started. Apparently this kind of thing happened often, with the phone, door bell, knowing who was coming to visit before my parents, etc... eventually it freaked my mother out and she said "just STOP IT! I can't take this anymore!" So I eventually just "stopped" - but nevertheless, almost every house I've ever lived in was haunted - my daughter who is 27 is a "sensitive" too, as she has a ghost that "follows" her around to which ever apartment she is in. It's a shadow ghost. Anyway...

One night I got up to go to the bathroom, (we have 2 night lights in the hallway), as I came out of the bedroom, I nearly collided with a 7 foot black/grey figure - who had the vague outline of a head and shoulders but the rest of him just sort of expanded in a blob sort of way. He had substance because he blocked the nightlight he was next to. I whirled sideways to avoid colliding with it, and when I turned around, it was gone. This really spooked me. I'm use to living with my friendly ghost, Mary, but never a black/grey blob that gave me the feeling of evil and dread.

I called TAPS (Ghost hunters), spoke with Grant - and they sent a team to investigate my house. I told them "no TV". We got some great voices on tape, footsteps, but no sign of my blob thing.

That was 4 years ago, and I never saw it again. Just our friendly ghost remains, and I don't mind sharing my house with her, so long as she doesn't rap on walls (she's done that before), or touch me (that too) then I'm good. I feel her sit on my bed at night, I've long since stopped looking to see whose there, as I never see her, but she gets up after a few minutes and goes on her way. Guess that's my story. I could give you lots of details, but not sure you would be interested.

Specializes in L&D, Family Practice, HHA, IM.
Okay, true story. I have always been "sensitive" to paranormal stuff - it's been happening all my life. My earliest memory is hearing the phone ringing and ringing while we were eating dinner - and I said "Is anyone going to get the phone!" It was then that it rang, I heard it before it actually started. Apparently this kind of thing happened often, with the phone, door bell, knowing who was coming to visit before my parents, etc... eventually it freaked my mother out and she said "just STOP IT! I can't take this anymore!" So I eventually just "stopped" - but nevertheless, almost every house I've ever lived in was haunted - my daughter who is 27 is a "sensitive" too, as she has a ghost that "follows" her around to which ever apartment she is in. It's a shadow ghost. Anyway...

One night I got up to go to the bathroom, (we have 2 night lights in the hallway), as I came out of the bedroom, I nearly collided with a 7 foot black/grey figure - who had the vague outline of a head and shoulders but the rest of him just sort of expanded in a blob sort of way. He had substance because he blocked the nightlight he was next to. I whirled sideways to avoid colliding with it, and when I turned around, it was gone. This really spooked me. I'm use to living with my friendly ghost, Mary, but never a black/grey blob that gave me the feeling of evil and dread.

I called TAPS (Ghost hunters), spoke with Grant - and they sent a team to investigate my house. I told them "no TV". We got some great voices on tape, footsteps, but no sign of my blob thing.

That was 4 years ago, and I never saw it again. Just our friendly ghost remains, and I don't mind sharing my house with her, so long as she doesn't rap on walls (she's done that before), or touch me (that too) then I'm good. I feel her sit on my bed at night, I've long since stopped looking to see whose there, as I never see her, but she gets up after a few minutes and goes on her way. Guess that's my story. I could give you lots of details, but not sure you would be interested.

I'm interested! I would love to hear the details. (and, BTW, I share my flat with a ghost, too. He's very quiet but has made his presence known.

Specializes in Med surg, Critical Care, LTC.

Okay, I'll do my story in segments. The day we moved in, I saw Mary for the first time. Basically, what I saw was 1/2 of a lace gown walking across my foyer from the front door to the stairs. (we live in a 110 y/o home, my foyer is so large it is a room unto itself) I didn't see her face, or legs, just the dress that I could see through. This was broad daylight - I wasn't scared, but I was curious. The kids started complaining to myself and my husband that "Josh took my truck" or "Sara took my door stop" - the kids would search and search and eventually find the object in a place where they first looked. One night all the kids were in one bedroom watching TV - when the framed picture above the bed somehow fell by the food of the bed onto the floor - this really spooked the kids, because they knew that could never happen without some kind of "help". I lightly said, "perhaps we have a friendly ghost who wants us to know they are here" then told them not to worry about it, that it would probably stop once the ghost got use to us in their house. The kids were really excited after that, "I live in a haunted house" - surprisingly, they weren't afraid.

I saw her several times after that, always walking from the front door to the stairs. One day my hubby and his partner, Kathy, came by for lunch. I mentioned to Kathy that I "think" the house is haunted. She said "I knew it was haunted from the first time you showed it to me" I said, "How did you know?" She said, I saw her dress moving across that room (pointing to the foyer) once directly on, another time in the reflection of the TV. Kathy was "sensitive" too. I then told her, that all I see is the dress too. That was when I named her "Mary" - because she "felt" like a Mary.

When 9/11 happened, Mary noisily made her presence known (we bought the house in June 2000). We were all so sad and crying - we began hearing raps on the walls, three at a time. Even the dogs heard it. We were all in the same room watching the TV coverage. Some of us heard the raps from above the TV, others heard the raps across the room above the couch. This went on for some time - and the kids were getting upset - so I said out loud "Mary, that is enough! We are all very upset, and your rapping is making it worse - no more raps!" There were no more after that until my mother died. (another post)

I've come to believe that Mary "raps" to let us know she feels our pain. She always stops when asked to.

One day I was sitting on the couch watching TV, and I noticed my dogs were "staring" at me for the longest time. I began looking at them, it was then I realized they weren't looking at me, but above and behind me (the foyer area) I then noticed the cat was sitting on the other end of the couch looking at the same area the two dogs were. The hair rose on the back of my neck - and I talked myself into being brave enough to turn around and see what was there, my heart in my throat, I whipped my head around and saw....nothing. When I turned back, the cat was gone and the dogs were laying down. But, the three of them had been looking at something for quite a while! Wish they could talk. LOL Time for bed, I'll write another installment tomorrow. Blessings

Specializes in Med/Surg, DSU, Ortho, Onc, Psych.

Babs0512 can't wait to read more! Thanx 4 sharing!

thanks Babs, you da bomb. Share more pls :)))

I feel things around me when I am at work but I haven't seen anything. I feel things watching me. Sometimes it is a friendly vibe, others times not so friendly. This only happens when I work noc shift.

My dad said that it is because I have 'mana', which means power.

Specializes in ICU.

Has anyone heard repetitive knocking at a door and there is nobody there?

:lol2::yeah: Love it.

I'd have to say nurse managers. I've heard they exist, but I very rarely see one.
Specializes in Med surg, Critical Care, LTC.

I promised another installment of my haunted house, but I just got through working, it's 2115 here, and I've been working since 0600. After a good nights sleep, I'll post tomorrow.

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