One time on the cardiac floor, I had a drunk patient who had to stay flat and was NPO (nothing by mouth) the entire shift. He was restless from the moment he arrived. At one point he got out of bed and leaned out his door. He could not go any farther because his IV pole was still parked at the bedside. His gown was flapping in the breeze, a coffee cup in his hand, and he yelled down the hallway, “Waitress! Waitress! I need a cup of coffee!”
We made it through the night, just barely. I was about to punch out when his call light came on. I went in to see what he wanted. He was sitting on the edge of his bed with a joint between his fingers. He looked up at me and asked, “Do you have a light?”
It took three security guards to wrestle the joint away from him.
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65 comments
Oh, my goodness! I have a special place in my heart for nurses. They never get the credit they deserve. Bless you for doing all you do for others. Your website is beautiful. Thank you again for visiting and commenting on my site.
It’s so nice to see you! It was my pleasure to visit your site.
Thank you for the compliment on the website. And thank you for appreciating nurses, too. xo
Did he actually call out “Waitress”? 🤔
Yes, he sure did. More than once that night. lol
hahahahaaha, oh you gotta luv him!
He just didn’t even know where he was. LOL I’m glad you liked this. 😀
We have many health care professionals in our family, and they all have patient stories like this to tell, lol. Your job is definitely not boring, Kymber.
How true that is, Teri! 😀 I wish I could hear your family members’ stories. I bet they’re doozies.
Wow! What a story. Three security guards wow. He must have been big or tough wow.
He really wanted that joint, I reckon. LOL
😆 🤣
🤣😂
Yeah like he could smoke a joint in hospital
Yep. Exactly. I guess he was too drunk to realize where he even was.
Bless you for doing this job and facing these challenges. Our son also has stories. Have a good evening Kymber. Allan
Hi, Allan. I hope you are having a good evening, too.
Thank you so much. I bet your son has lots of stories. 😊
Good grief. My sis worked in a Veteran’s hospital. Her stories are similarly absurd!
There are so many of them. Lol
That’s a really fun story! I can see that hapening!
LOL I’m glad you like it and that it made you laugh. 😀
Wow! How trying! And then there’s the fact that I bet that wasn’t part of your training.
It was a trying night, that’s for sure but I can laugh about it now. And you’re right, you don’t exactly train for that sort of thing. lol
The stories you can tell . . .
LOL There are so many, Mary. 🙂
Yikes!
An angel nurse Susan saved my life 10 years ago next month. I was overdosed in the hospital. Hey, Narcan works! So did slapping my face. . . Bless you nurses!
I’m so happy Susan saved your life. Bless you, too. xo
Wow man, that’s so sad! There is no good that comes from a bottle, Kymber. I used to battle the bottle years ago but have been dry a long time and don’t smoke a darn thing these days! Battles, won. 💪🏻
That’s great to hear, John. I’m so happy for you to have accomplished all that. It isn’t easy, that’s for sure. 🙂
Got to love nurses, they put up with a ton of bitching and crying and still treat everyone like Kings and Queens. They are the ones who make your visit tolerable and even fun sometimes. I do understand a drunk putting up such a fight for the right to ignite though. 💗😁✌️
LOL Yeah, I did, too. 😀 The nurses had lots of jokes about that one.
LOL! “…fight for the right to ignite…” – there may be a song in there somewhere, Dawg!
HA HA you may be right boromax, if so I’ll dedicate it to you!
Yes, you must make a song, brother! LOL 😀
It sounds interesting so I’ll work on one.
Cool! Can’t wait!
I think it sounds like a song, too, and Dawg is the best when it comes to music. lol
Yes, I remember those days well. Ah, the stories I could tell!
Right? It’s a treasure trove of material. lol
At least you can laugh about it now 😊
Yes, most definitely. 😀
This sounds like one of those unforgettable nursing stories! 😄 Healthcare can be challenging, but sometimes the unexpected moments of humor become the stories we remember for years. Looking forward to reading how this one unfolds!
LOL Thank you, Safia. I definitely will never forget this one.
Dealing with a drunk would be the absolute worst. Some would pass out and be fine but the others, no thank you!
He was a challenge, it’s true. Later, I was able to laugh about it. At the time, when my shift was over, I already had one foot out the door. LOL
Bet you have a few tales to tell Kymber.
I sure do. I’ve decided to post them on Wednesdays. lol 😀
Good plan for a series!
Thank you, Di. I was hoping so. 😀
Challenging patient! 😆 I bet you had enough of those to write a book.
LOL At least one for every Wednesday of this month so far. hahaha
mash or scrubs??????????
LOL One begins to wonder.
jests abound merely for humeroous climaxes. eg you get two things when you wonder. bread and stevie!!!! mom was an rn and wanted me to be one. i said no i m not nice enough and too lazy to crash the books.
You definitely have to have a passion for it or you burn out.
I wanted both of my children to be RNs, too, and they both went other directions.
I think Scrubs. My shift wasn’t nearly dramatic enough for MASH.
nurse bigelow graces mash matters
Certainly not what you signed up for. Thanks for sharing the story
My pleasure. I sure had some adventures over the years. lol
Talk about being a difficult patient 😱
Right? He didn’t mean to be, but he was. Later, I was able to laugh at the whole thing.
These people make the job of a professional, difficult.
So true. Somedays, there is a lot to deal with.
I understand.
💗🌺Thank you, Sadje.
You’re welcome dear friend