What's Your Best Nursing Ghost Story?

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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...

We had a hospice patient with uncontrollable pain in the nursing home. We had very limited options back then given her allergies, agitation (she pulled out every SQ pump needle). So unfortunately, she moaned almost constantly for about 2 weeks, even comatose.

I was an aide then on nights. I heard her stop moaning & said to the other aides, the nurse must have given her shot already. No, she's still at lunch, but look! A dark small being scurried out of her room at that moment.

None of us would go in there until the nurse returned and, you guessed it, she was dead.

When the dark shadow appeared 2 nights later, we were glad the nurse saw it too! Because the roommate had said she was going home. She hadn't talked in over 5 years due to a stroke

I have had many strange experiences in my life, even before becoming a nurse. My grandma says I'm just gifted (haha) like her. Anyways, when I first started working at a LTC facility, I would feel someone walk behind me in the halls, and my hair would move...no one there. Once I was preparing meds around 12am, and felt someone poke my back, and the hall was empty. I saw a figure in two different places in a residents room out of the corner of my eye. I never once said anything to my resident, but a week later she began having nightmares about a man all in black in those two exact places who was trying to get her. I borrowed some blessed oil from a resident and prayer for Jesus, God, and the Holy Spirit to cleanse that room. She did not have anymore nightmares after that. Once, at a different LTC, my CNA went on break, leaving me alone on the assisted living floor. I heard a door slam, and went to investigate only to find nothing disturbed, all residents in their beds, etc. I went back to my desk to finish charting when I heard someone walking down the hallway with their walker towards my station. The very clear distinct sound of them walking continued around the corner, in front of me.....there was not a soul there. I don't spook easy, but that was a little shocking to say the least. I shut the door to the office/station, and turned up the radio in the room, and radioed my CNA asking her how much longer till she would be back XD :saint: sometimes my co-workers tease me that I'm just full of it, then sometimes they'll have something weird happen to THEM and apologize

One more story, for the moment. This isn't a ghost story, but a very touching story.

I had been a nurse about 6 months when I had my first death on my shift. She was a decently confused lady, who sometimes was very friendly, or combative. She always, always, always though maintained her love of God and her Catholic faith, and her love for her departed husband. Anyways, she had gone downhill very quickly when her daughter went out of town for vacation (go figure). She was combative, biting at people, just .... sad. She was having a major bout of SOB, so I administered a PRN breathing treatment, which was a feat in itself at this point. My CNA helped me administer it for the full 15 minutes, and I just had a very strong feeling to pray for my resident. I too was raised Catholic. I told my CNA to go ahead, I'd be out soon. I was already kneeling next to her bed, so I just started praying...I glanced up at this woman, who put her hands up to the crucifix on her wall and her face towards it. Her hands fell from lack of strength most likely, I quickly put my head back down, but could not resist another look. She again stretched her arms towards the crucifix, and I felt this presence come over me. I bowed my head and closed my eyes. I couldn't move, but I could feel this intense and overwhelming sensation through my entire body and in the room around us. It is hard to describe, it was intense, hot but not burning (if that makes sense) and absolutely overwhelming. After what felt like an eternity, but was probably a few seconds, the presence lifted from me, and I looked up at this woman. She was gone. I know for certain it was the Holy Spirit/Jesus/Angel/God coming to collect her and take her somewhere better. I couldn't move for several minutes, I was just completely overwhelmed and somewhat in shock at this experience. Another CNA stopped in to see what was happening, and said, "Oh no, she's gone." I started crying due to the overwhelming experience I had just endured, and it took me several minutes to get myself together. I feel extraordinarily blessed to have been honored with being able to share in that experience on that level. I haven't had that happen again, but I don't know if I need/want to. I know there's an afterlife, and I just pray I get to go where she did.

yes. I heard this in the first few months of nursing and many many times since then. Also, always open a window after they pass to let the spirit out just in case. And, death usually comes in 3's or 7's.

Definitely not a good idea for me to be reading these in the dark about to go to bed! So scary but can't stop reading :wideyed:

So I have a couple of stories! None specifically from nursing, but still on topic, and a good read - i hope.

1. So my mom works (still) in surgery at a hospital here in Oklahoma. She has worked there since I was about 6 (I'm 25 now) and we used to visit her from time to time, sometimes have lunch with her, I'd be broke, call mom, and meet her for lunch, lol. Anyway, when i was about 17 or so i started working as housekeeper after school, and on weekends. One linen closet we used was back down towards the morgue. We didn't use it a lot, but from time to time, we'd have to go back there for extra supplies, carts, ect. anyway, one night i was taking a cart of extra linens to the closet. The grill stopped serving food at like 8 or something, so when I heard metal clanking together, I didn't think much of it. I figured it was someone from the caf doing something, and I kept walking. I dropped my cart off, and turn around to start walking back. Mind you, this was a fairly long hallway. It has one intersecting hallway, and alllllll the way down at the end, was the morgue. So, I was walking back, and i would have made a left at the intersecting hallway to get back to the stairs and stuff to go back to my little area. Im about halfway there, and I hear that metal clanking sound again. Again, I keep walking but at the time, I think its kind of weird, because I can't tell where it's coming from. That's when I redirect myself to get the heck out of there, and I see this foot, just a bare foot turn around that corner i'd have to go down. I froze. There was no body attached to it, and it just moved so fast, I almost wasn't sure if I saw it. Needless to say, I high tailed out out there and literally refused to EVER go back down there by myself. Told my boss about it, and she just kinda shrugged and said, "well i wondered how long it would be before you wouldnt go down there either." apparently, the other girls refused to down there alone.

This one is totally non-RN/Hospital related, but again, true and creepy:

I was living with my parents and I think i must have been about 18 because I no longer had curfew. I had just gotten home, and it was after 2am sometime (no, i wasnt drunk) and I went inside the "den" living room, which was a big room, open floor plan with the kitchen, and small breakfast nook. My parents had kind remodeled, just knocked out the half-wall that divided the two rooms, retiled blah blah. So my mom had a big red sectional, and the longer side kinda divided the kitchen from the living room area. So i come in and i go over to the chase side of the couch, sit down and im waiting for the TV to boot up. We had baby gates in the entry way to keep the dogs from getting on the carpeted areas of the house. I hear with my ears, this scuffing sound against the floor, then see this big oval shaped light/glow come up over the gate, the gate actually fell down, and it heard it AGAIN scuff on the floor, then dart back behind the kitchen island. It alarmed me so much I jumped up! I thought it was my dog, I had a little white dog, oddly enough, named "Boo" but the whole point of the gate, was that he couldnt get over it, he was too short. Just a little Westie, and they have short lil chunky stocky legs (that are too cute) so then Im like, Ok maybe it was a plastic bag?? I mean i seriously tried to rationalize the situation and I never could!

Something that happened to me......

I had just gotten my CNA and began working at a very nice, small, LTC facility. A lot of our PTs were still fairly independent, only to have someone stand in the BR with them when they showered, dressed etc., just in case they fell, that was about 75% of our pts too. So night shift was a breeze and we generally didn't get a whole lot of call lights, or disturbances throughout the night. We would do our rounds, and it was usually really quiet. I was still in school at this time, and I was going PT during the daytime 4 days a week, so sometimes on my hour long ‘dinner' break , I'd go in this empty room where there were two extra beds, and just some random supplies, and I'd take a nap.

This room was back on the furthest side of the nurse's station, and I'd always assumed that was why it wasn't used. I mean, it a fully functional room…with a bathroom, walk-in closet, even had a mounted TV on the wall…anyway, I remember thinking I hope nobody ever takes this room, I don't know where I'll take my naps!” (Jokes on me)

I had done this several times. Never had anything odd happen, but one night I was laying in the bed, and I was knocked out. I remember my alarm going off, and I hit snooze and was resting a little more. The bed was in the middle of the wall, so either side was open, as beds are normally positioned. I have long hair, usually in a ponytail but when I sleep, I like to have it down because my head gets sore. Well I felt fingers run through my hair, like twirling it, playing with it. I grabbed my hair and literally, it was locked up in a little twirl. I had to comb my fingers through it to undo it. It was the creepiest thing ever.

So I didn't mention it to anyone. Thought maybe I was just crazy. FF to a week later, I was so tired, I really didn't give a crap (lol) about anything and went to take a nap. I was sick, with bronchitis, so I had a terrible cough, headache…the works. So I go and lay down. After coughing for a while, I finally was able to fall asleep. I sleep on my side/stomach usually. Well I woke up to feeling 4 strong pats on my back! It was hard enough to wake me. OF course I turn around and again, not a person in sight. I never felt threatened, or terrified, just creeped out because…obviously, who wouldn't be?

I have a few more stories from this same place, a couple that are a scary! But I will share those in a bit.

Something else, I would like to share. Not related to nursing, but it is within subject:

I was about 17, my mom and dad went through a nasty divorce, and being that I was a young woman, I wanted to live with mom. We had just settled into a big apartment. It was once a gigantic house, turned into quadplex...four 2 bedroom apartments. But it was nice, large, newly renovated, new appliances, ect.

I remember loving it at first. We were on the bottom floor, so we also got a private, fenced in little back patio, and it was my first time living in the city, too. I felt like a NYC girl. lol (we were in Oklahoma City)

The first time I remember anything happening, I was home alone, of course. My mom was a Vet, and ran a 24 hour animal hospital. She got called because someone's dog was hit by a car, but was still alive, super sad. It was about 9:45 and I had school the next day, so I was laying in bed, watching Three's Company. I heard someone go, "Honey, I'm home!" Something my mom would always say to me when she came home. I came out of my room saying, "Wow that was fast! Did the dog not make it?" Only to find an empty apartment. I mean it was so weird because IT WAS MY MOMS VOICE. So I just brushed it off, thinking it must have been from one of the other apartments and it's not so weird to say 'honey i'm home' upon arriving at home, so I just said 'hm, ok.' and went back to my room.

I was trippin a little, because I could have sworn it was my mom's voice.

A couple of days later, my mom stayed home due to working so late, and she calls me in the middle of the day and is like WHAT ARE YOU DOING HOME YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE AT SCHOOL!

I'm like '*** mom i'm at school?" and shes like "NO! I just heard you singing in your room! If i get up and you're in that bed I'm gonna put my foot in your ass!" (she is really sweet, i promise lol she just didn't like my teenage shenanigans)

Well, i just told her that she was crazy and then we got off the phone. I got home and my mom was sitting on the front porch and she told me she was sleeping, and heard someone knocking on her door. She didn't know what time it was so she thought it was me coming home from "wherever i had been all day" (she was convinced i was home, singing in my room) and when she turned over and looked at the door, there was a big, black shadow standing there. But she blinked and it was gone. She said it scared her so bad she came to set outside until I came home.

I can't even count how many times we'd swear we'd hear the other one talking, and we'd find we were in the house alone or the other one as soundly sleeping, I would just assume is was coming from one of the other apartments but it sounded so much like my mom (or so much like me when she heard it) and it sounded like it was just coming from the other room.

This is long I apologize. But ive got one more good one, from this same house:

So, on top of just strange little instances, things being in weird places, burners on the stove randomly turning on, water randomly turning on in the night, tapping/knocking/footsteps, this is the one that still will send a shiver down my spine.

My mom was cooking dinner and I hopped in the shower. I had just finished and was standing, butt naked, in my room getting dressed. My hair was up in a bun and I was bending down to put some lotion on. I kind of felt this breeze of air, not too strong, almost what you'd feel if someone walked by you really fast. It caught my attention and when I stood back up, I had goosebumps all over my arms and I could feel like breath on my neck. It felt like someone was just standing right behind me. I wigged out pulled my pants on and ran to the kitchen. My mom said, "i feel that all the time, usually after I shower."

That same night, as I was laying in bed I felt that same breeze again and swear I looked to the corner of my room and saw two little white dots (Eyes?) idk.

Our lease was up soon after this, and we moved into a different house, with no creepy ghosts.

TuggaWar, don't mind being long...I was glued to my seat!

My grandparents were newly married in the late 1910's. On the family farm (grandfather's) an area toward the back field was designated theirs and a house was built for them. Soon after their first child, my aunt, was born in May 1920. My grandmother would stay at home with the baby during the day while her husband and others worked the farm. Well, it started with hearing voices. She would be inside the house and would hear what sounded to her like the field hands talking and laughing as they came down the long path leading to the home and stopping at the well. She heard the chain movement as though water was being cranked up. When she looked out though...nothing. No one was there. At other times there were the sounds of movement within the house unaccounted for. The last straw came, as they say, when my grandmother who was sitting on the porch while the baby slept inside, heard from the kitchen what sounded like a pot lid that had been dropped on the floor and was rotating on its edge before finally settling. There was a pause, then came a thunderous noise as though every single thing in the cabinets had all at once been sent crashing to the floor. My grandmother was surely terrified, but she ran into the house and grabbed her baby all the while noticing not a thing looked disturbed or out of place. They moved shortly thereafter.

Not really a ghost story but I worked on a behavioral health unit during nursing school. Every morning we would ask the patients how they were feeling emotionally on a 1-10 scale (suicidal patients were most common on that unit). I asked one patient, a middle aged man in his mid 50s, no serious health issues except being depressed/suicidal, how he was feeling. He said he felt like a 3. I asked him what was bothering him and he said "I don't really know, I just don't feel very good today." He went down the hall to his room and I went on about my business. A few minutes later he came back up

to me and said that one of our geriatric patients had wandered down into his room. I went down there to get the geriatric patient. I had just gotten the geriatric patient back to his own room and sat down to begin charting. The middle aged man's roommate came running out of the room and told us to come quick his roommate had passed out. He had a massive MI. We coded him for about 30 minutes but we couldn't get him back. It just freaked me all the way out that he knew something wasn't right and had a massive MI not even 15 minutes later.

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