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...

[Nurset1981]

OK this is a little off the subject...When I was 13 my nana dies of cancer that started in her shoulder and mets to the lymph nodes and lungs. My parents had built an in law apartment for her that was attached to our house in 1986 (I live in it with my fiance at the moment). Anyway, she died in July early in the evening with her mother and sisters and kids and grandkids all around her. My sister and I cleaned her up and did post mortem care. I went into my parents house and was drinking a glass of water while leaning against the sink. You can see through the hallway into the living room, the door to the apartment is in the living room. I saw my grandfather pass by toward the door. My grandfather died in Januray of 1985. He paused and smiled at me. I always thought that he was comming to get her to taker her to heaven. I live across the street from a the cemetary and can see their grave from my front porch.

Nana still comes around the apartment once in a while. I have a few black and white pictures of her and papa and sometimes when I come home they'll be flipped. She'll turn on lights or the faucet sometimes. She's just letting me know shes here.

[RNAnnjeh, MSN, CNS]

I was looking after a pediatric patient who was diagnosed with a brain tumor. One night, he was especially restless and irritable and could not be consoled. I was worried that his intracranial pressure was rising, and had the resident at the bedside with me for pretty much the entire shift. The charge nurse relieved me for my break and told me to go lay down for a short nap (it was OK for night nurses to nap in this facility). As I gathered some blankets and stretched out on the cot, I heard a voice say "why aren't you watching him?". I jumped off the cot and ran into the patients room just in time to see his HR drop into the 40s. The nurse relieving me had stepped out of the room to answer a call bell. Needless to say, I refused to leave his side, had the resident move into the room with me, and he went for a VP shunt first thing the next morning.

[Nurset1981]

I live just north of Boston. About 3 miles from me in Danvers, MA there is an old state hospital with a very very lengthy history. It was built in the late 1800's as a mental hospital that housed patients with every mental illness you can imagine. Unfortunately alot of the patients were teenagers whose parents dumped them there with "failure to socialize" and silly things like that..most likely they were just teenagers. The began doing lobodomies, shock therapy and water therapy, along with some procedures that were not even remotely acceptable. We all know what mental health was like in the 1900's, non existent. There was a lot of abuse that went on there. If you look at a picture of Danvers State from the air it looks like a bat. The wards that were furthest away form the main building housed the extreme patients. I have heard more creepy stories from nurses who worked there (including my dad who trained there in nursing school in 74). It closed in 86 and remained empty and in disrepair until this year. Kids used to party up there and there was a few incidents of cult worship going on there too. Google it and you will be freaked out! Anyway, two stories related.

Danvers state was heavily patrolled and guarded since the early 90's I can't say how I was able to go up there but I did with 2 other people. It is a sprawling place on many acres of farmland (it was a "self contained city" had its own everything) I had been wanting to see it up close for years, and I finally got the chance. WE parked in front of the main entrance. I got out of the car and walked up to the front door. It was sort of open so we pushed it open all the way. I saw a long corridor with the creepiest wheelchair I have ever seen. I suddenly had the most intense feeling of dread come over me. I felt like I was rooted to the ground. I heard a voice say "get out'. You can bet my butt was back in that car as fast as my legs would carry me. I refused to go in and look around (which I get razzed about all the time because all kids that grew up around here try to get into danvers state). I went to work the day after and was getting sheets out of the linen closet. Its not uncommon to have sheets marked with area hospitals names on them, they come back with the patients. I pull out a sheet and take it in to make a bed. I flip it open and don't you nkow it has "PROPERTY OF DANVERS STATE" printed on it. I put it in a bio bag and threw it out with the hazmat!

I had a patient who was at danvers state until 1986 when they closed. She never left the nursing home I worked at out of fear we would send her back. She would flip if you tried to send her to the doc or for tests or what have you. The only time she went out of the building was the day she died.

When it closed in 86 a lot of patients were just released with no place to go. Courtest of budget cuts, so alot of them just kinda migrated back there and lived together until they were forced out. Theres a lot of info on and it in 2004 a movie was filmed there called "Session 9" if you want the scare of your life rent it! It is seriously one of the best movies ever. David Caruso is in it. Anyway, look it up and read up on it..theres a lot more to the story..oh by the way we tried to save it as it is a historical site but a big wig company bought it and now its being renovated into conds...maybe I'll buy one.

[sanctuary, BSN, MSN, RN]

Maybe old retired phych nurses could get a condo and do a time share there. Keep a log book of all the creepy things that go on. :chair: :sofahider

[supernurse65]

i love these stories

[akmagnolia]

I was working Christmas Eve a couple of years ago (my hospital used to be the state sanitarium) and caring for a womean that had experienced a TIA. Between hourly neuro checks the tv monitor to her room began to get really crazy, white stripes marching sideways, diagnol, and the screen began to jump up and down. I could still see her from the nurses station, so I didn't get too concerned. At her next hourly neuro check, she woke and said, "Oh, I was just sure that my husband had been in her holding me and talking to me. He died 4 years ago and that is the first time that I have experienced anything like that." The interference with the monitor stopped after that. I still feel bad for ruining her time with him.

[christymwinn]

Have to give a BUMP, and put in my "bookmark".

[supernurse65]

bump

[angel5]

If you are saying that this is not possible I too witnessed almost an identical situation. The man would kick his feet and scream to be pulled up in the bed. He did die and to this day I regret that I did not witness to this man, but I was new on the job and TERRIFIED to go in his room. One of the Docs even said, He must be seeing the flames of Hell!

[StatBlues]

You make your own hell.

It is what you think it is, in your mind.

So think good thoughts, about heaven.

" movie was filmed there called "Session 9"

I will look for the movie..........thanks!

[supernurse65]

bump

[BabyRN2Be]

I was thinking, who's going to buy a condo in a former asylum? But the building is sort of pretty, if not imposing. I'm sure lots of people would buy as there is a lot of interest in the building, but count me out of wanted to buy a condo or rent an apartment at the former Danvers State Lunatic Asylum.

:sofahider