What's Your Best Nursing Ghost Story?

Nurses General Nursing Nursing Q/A

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 are at a clinical site that was once a TB facility many moons ago. Some of us has decided that since today is Halloween we are going to go down to the old section of the hospital and see if any "activity" is happening. We have heard rumors you can hear the children crying that passed away during their stay there. I guess many years ago people basically were put there to die. Im also going to take my camera to see if any "spots" show up.

I whole heartly believe in the spirit world. Now I have goose bumps:uhoh21:

Please post what happens!

Ok well something did happen. I was in my patients room talking with him, the facility has those tv's that are on those arms that stretch out by the bed. tv was off and we were chatting - next thing the tv started bouncing up and down-not slightly-Im talking no doubt in the world it was bouncing up and down. we both looked at each other and looked at the tv as soon as we did that it stopped.:idea:

I got chills all over-freaked me out!!!! of course everybody thought I was nuts-but at least I have one other person who saw it.

just wanted to let you in on what happened this halloween night for me. my first nursing ghost story. you know these would make a great book. the have that chicken soup for the nurses soul. how about a book about ghost stories told by nurses?????Id buy it

bump

I'm sorry, I haven't posted too many times on this site so can anyone tell me what bump means?

I have another non nursing story and since everyone seems interested in all things involving ghosts and spooky occurences, I will go ahead and post it. I was babysitting one night when I was about 13 for one of my neighbor's friends. The little girl was 5 years old and had beenplaying outside earlier in the day. The family never used the front dooe and it was always kept locked. When the little girl came in for the night, I locked the back door and gave her a bath. I put her to bed and then went and sat at the kitchen table to do my nails. I had my headphones on very softly in case she called out for me. All of a sudden I heard a loud slamming sound so I took off my head phones and called for the little girl. She was alseep in bed so I looked out the back door thinknig maybe her mom came home early and I heard the garage. The way the house was set up they had a back porch area and the back door was on the side of the room (sorry it's kind of hard for me to explain how it's set up). When you looked out the kitchen window you could see the back door and when I looked out the window I could see the back door was open a crack. That freaked me out because I distinctly remember locking that door. I couldn;t see anything on the back porch because it was pitch black. I ran in the living room and the front door was wide open!!!:uhoh21: Mind you, they never use that door! At that point I really freaked out. I called a friend's mom because mine wasn't home (this was before cell phones) and she called a neighbor for me who came over and checked out the house. No one was there and the little girl was fine, she was fast asleep. To make matters worse, after the neighbor left I sat there watching tv and the girl's mom had the lights on a timer so they went off and stayed off after a certain time. That was the last time that I babysat ever.

I'm sorry, I haven't posted too many times on this site so can anyone tell me what bump means?

the person doing that is simply "bumping" the thread back to the top

Specializes in LTC, CPR instructor, First aid instructor..
I used to work in and old labor and delivery unit. It was a small hospital, so often times I was back there by myself. I liked to keep the lights low and things quite back there, so naturally I heard a lot of creeps and groans. There was a whole back hall unused, there was also no access to it accept by passing me. I could hears metal objects clanging, and doors shutting. Sounded like somebody was getting ready for a c section.I could always sense something there with me it seemed. There was also a back room on the med surg floor that was never used. It was a patient room converted to a storage room. That room was strange... Call light always going off, and nobody near it...Whole hospital had a creepy aura...Maybe it was the cemetary next door..If that in itself is not strange.... :p
Zombies!!!!!
Specializes in LTC, CPR instructor, First aid instructor..
We have a white figure that has been seen in the medicine room, sometimes the carts are moved down the hall while you are in a room giving meds, etc. One of the male CNAs reported seeing a very tall black figure going from room to room several times. We have all seen balls of light floating around. From what we have been able to gather from old pictures of the property that the nursing home is on there was a mobile home park at one end and a cemetary at the other end of the building. Everyone has seen a little boy walking around but the freakiest part was when they saw wet childrens foot prints coming down the hall and followed them to the wall and there were footprints in the snow outside that came right to that place in the wall.
This is why I like and watch the TV show Ghost Whisperer so much.
Specializes in LTC, CPR instructor, First aid instructor..
I was working ICU and caring for a patient with breast Ca who was dying, minimally responsive for days (this was a long time ago when we actually kept dying patients in ICU). Anyway, she suddenly awoke and was very lucid, asking for some water.....I was a little stunned but got her water for her. After she drank she said, "Do you know what Jesus just asked me?" Of course I got a few chill bumps at this point, but answered, "No, what?" She said, "He asked me if I had done everything with love." "And what did you say, I replied. "I told him that I had tried," she said. I told her that most likely that is all any of us are capable of doing. I turned her with some pillows and she fell asleep and died about 10 minutes later. Needless to say, this affected me greatly, I want to be able to give the right answer when Jesus asks.

The second incident, we had an older man with a massive heart attack, lots of other problems and he ended up on the ventilator. He was the meanest old coot ever. His grandaughter worked at the hospital and apologized for his behavior and told us he had always been quite a rounder. He would bite, kick, spit, and had to be restrained to keep him from pulling every line he had out. We coded him three times during his stay. After the third time, his demeanor changed and he became much more cooperative. We explained the change as a bit of ICU psychosis that had resolved. The gentleman became a "frequent flyer" in our ICU, coming in multiple times with CHF and becoming a regular at our outpatient CHF clinic. He became a favorite, always smiling, joking, a dear man. One day he asked me, "Do you remember the first time I was here and how awful I was." I assured him that I did indeed remember. He said, "Do you know why I changed?" I replied that I didn't but just thought that his meaness was related to his illness. He said, "No, it wasn't that....the last time you guys brought me back when my heart stopped....I woke up and remembered being in this very dark place....it was awful......It was totally black and there was this awful smell of sulfur and the heat was terrible. I called out and called out and no one answered. I remembered hearing that when people die and then come back a lot of them see a light and a lot of other "good" stuff. I was scared....I didn't see a light and I knew then I had to change." He lived a couple more years after telling me his story and when he finally died in our ICU, I have a feeling that he saw the "light" and the "good things".......at least I hope so.

Awesome!!!!
Specializes in LTC, CPR instructor, First aid instructor..
Working the 3-11 shift in a nursing home, I was doing my med pass when I was summoned by a CNA to a room. Upon entering, the CNA states, "I think she just died, while I was changing her!" I checked for breathin, circulation and the patient's orders. She was a DNR (Do Not Resucitate) then attempted to get a B/P. NOTHING..... so, I called to notify the Pt's son, who requested for Mom to be sent to the ER to be Pronounced, and they would go straight to the hospital. I contacted 911 (our protocol for transferring for pronouncal) and summoned the ambulance. Approximately 20 minutes passed before the ambulance arrived. The Paramedic and EMT followed thier protocol, and followed the same steps I had (breathing, circulation, and BP) and got NOTHING. By the time they loaded my patient, covered her, and set on the way to the hospital, 30-40 mins had passed. In transport to our local hospital the ambulance had to cross a Railroad track. When the ambulance crossed the tracks, the patient sat up, pulled the sheet from her head, and proceeded to point and shake her hand at the Paramedic screaming, "TAKE ME BACK, TAKE ME BACK RIGHT NOW! I MEAN IT, TAKE ME BACK RIGHT NOW!!!" The EMT driving pulled over to check out the commotion, the Paramedic exited the Ambulance and proceeded to Vomit. The paramedic then continued to the hospital, and phoned the nursing home to tell me what had happened. Approximately an hour later, the son phoned stating "I was SUPRISED to arrive at the ER and my mom GREET me! Did you perform CPR after talking to me, you know she was a DNR, right?" When the family was told of this incident, they simply said...."It just wasn't her time."

The only thing that I can come up with (even to this day) is......... the bumps caused by the railroad crossing, "jolted" her heart to start beating again!

Any other thoughts or ideas about this?????

BTW, the paramedic resigned when his shift was over the next morning!

Now this is a creepy one. I don't blame the paramedic for quitting. I wonder if his underwear had any stains on it.
Specializes in LTC, CPR instructor, First aid instructor..
:chuckle We had a woman the the 3-11 RN sent for the funeral home 3 different times before she actually died and stayed that way. We'd get her over on the cot on the body bag and she'd start breathing. It got to be a big joke well is she really dead this time?????? They stayed quite a while the last time even after she was in the body bag "just in case".

The vitals were probably so low as to be not able to detct them. But it sure makes you wonder. :rolleyes:

:uhoh3:It makes me wonder how many were actually buried alive.

Where I work has a long history of mysterious deaths and abuse (way back when, before the state stepped in). There is a cemetery behind the facility that I have to patrol at night when I have that job. I remember one night I was bored and decided to check out the stones. Some of those individuals were 6 and 7 years old.

I just remember it got really cold all of a sudden and I got the shivers and when I turned around, I swear for a split second enough for an eye blink, I saw this disformed little figure look at me and then just vanish into thin air.... creepy. I'll never forget it.

Specializes in Skilled Nursing.

I enjoy paranormal research and investigating. But I also like the debunking aspect of things, such as if someone says they think they have a spirit in a place, I like the idea of finding what it REALLY is. And if it is paranormal...all the better.

I am enjoying reading the posts here, I have experienced footsteps coming towards me, go behind me,,and continue in the next room. Not one person there besides me, it was really cool!! I love history behind old places, like Eastern State, Waverlly Hills Sanatarium..etc.

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