ADVERTISEMENT

Life as a nurse, doctor or any other healthcare professional can be incredibly rewarding and unbelievably difficult at the same time. There are many pros, but the list of cons can sometimes seem to be equally as long (if not longer), especially after a hard day of helping patients, not all of whom are the brightest of the bunch.

A British nurse, who goes by the nickname GoddessBadger on Imgur, shared her work stories about the most oblivious, impolite, and downright bizarre patients she’s ever had to deal with. Upvote the stories you enjoyed the most, share them with your amigos, and keep on scrolling. While we’re on the subject of nurses, be sure to check out our post about the best and funniest nurse memes — they’re sure to get a chuckle or two out of you.

#1

Nurse-Shares-Insane

"We, of course, explain to her that cola is not an appropriate food to be giving to her child."

GoddessBadger Report

Add photo comments
POST
facebook_radek avatar
Radek Suski
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

People should seek official permission for having a baby

stacywinnubst avatar
SBW71
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Need a license for everything else, having a baby should be top of the list

Load More Replies...
james_fox1984 avatar
Foxxy
Community Member
4 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

What the actual f**k? I don’t understand how a parent doesn’t know that babies either need breastmilk or formula.

kkittywidget avatar
Karen Klinck
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

But she had the cola on hand Breastfeeding 'ruins your figure'. (Don't worry, I don't understand that one either.)

Load More Replies...
jmchoto avatar
Jo Choto
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

How can someone go through an entire pregnancy and never find out how to feed a baby?

kkittywidget avatar
Karen Klinck
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Ask the mothers who hit up the welfare department for disposable diapers.

Load More Replies...
veni_vidi_vicky avatar
Vicky Zar
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Poor baby. I hope it had no lasting health problems from all that caffeine and the Mom did learn her lesson.

veni_vidi_vicky avatar
Vicky Zar
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Thinking about this... how did the baby survive a) without formula/ breastmilk and b) with caffein instead?

Load More Replies...
meinespammailadresse1 avatar
A B C
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Could we please establish needing a license to make babies?

earloflincoln avatar
Martha Meyer
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Better, having to take a child raising course once they are pregnant. Otherwise baby will not be handed over after birth.

Load More Replies...
jolijngvk avatar
nashamagirl avatar
Nia Loves Art
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Mom sounds stupid more than malicious. They should try parenting classes and monitoring before taking the kid away.

Load More Replies...
johnl_2 avatar
John L
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Sad part is some people truly do not know any better...

monilip avatar
veni_vidi_vicky avatar
Vicky Zar
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I would say that too. But is it really in the eyes of the law if the parent did not know better? Although how anyone can think that Cola is appropriate for a baby is beyond me.

Load More Replies...
sink_venice avatar
Sinkvenice
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is precisely the reason people need to take tests before being allowed to procreate.

rhodabike6 avatar
Seabeast
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This isn't funny, this is terrifying. I hope CPS was called.

christysmith_1 avatar
Christy Smith
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This makes me think she's very young, and obviously very stupid, with a side of pool size ignorance.

deannawoods avatar
deanna woods
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Are some parents really this stupid that they it is okay to give cola to a baby? That would be like letting your baby drink a Monster.

kkittywidget avatar
Karen Klinck
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

They give them hard liquor 'to help with teething'. They give them beer 'because'. They give them marshmallows when they're older 'because that's what they eat.' I had a friend who worked CSP; you wouldn't BELIEVE the stories I heard! I worked for welfare for 33 years. I heard more.

Load More Replies...
nehru avatar
Brenda Swann
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I fear people, meaning this young girls parents, should be more involved. How is it a female can Become impregnated, go thru pregnancy, bare a child, and not one adult with half a brain be by her side and teach her. IT TAKES A VILLAGE TO RAISE A CHILD when that child does not have an adult to raise her.

kkittywidget avatar
Karen Klinck
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

We're too far into the 'don't ruin their lives' culture. And with the anti-life-all-women-should-have-that-baby-no-matter-what people trying to make stupid laws, this is what we get!

Load More Replies...
flaviaslag avatar
Flavia Slag
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

As a nurse I really hope this hospital got counseling for this woman on how to care for a baby.

ccilev_ avatar
Cécile V.
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In the old days, hope that it is over, babies were given cider with their milk to put them to sleep. Or beer. Normandy in France for example. Elsewhere? I am sure.

jodesa41 avatar
Jody Arnold
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

If any mother is that stupid then I find it hard to beleive that she is capable of properly caring for her child at all, I mean really......feeding her baby coke.

kkittywidget avatar
Karen Klinck
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And think where her priorities lie. She had Cake for herself, but didn't buy milk for her baby. People!

Load More Replies...
mbrhapsody avatar
mbrhapsody
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

A few years ago I taught a parenting class and informed a mother who was feeding her baby cola from a baby bottle that she shouldn't do that. She insisted "But he LIKES it!"

kkittywidget avatar
Karen Klinck
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

"But it's all he'll drink." It's amazing the stories people will tell you.

Load More Replies...
ryan-micheleeagleton avatar
RME
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

JFC, this one isn't funny, it's horribly sad. That poor baby.

mirasbestway avatar
kkittywidget avatar
Karen Klinck
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Oh, yeah. How about: the only reason I send her to school is that the law makes me do it. She doesn't need to; she can stay on welfare." ?

Load More Replies...
t_janine avatar
Non-New-Toni-An
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

giving a baby a taste for caffeine is really c**p, apart from the obvious health risks, you are setting her/him up for addiction,

maribeltenorio avatar
Remliel
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Some people seem to inly have children so they can have someone to s**t over 24/7.

suzannevandoorn avatar
suzanne van Doorn
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

How is this supposed to be funny? This is child neglect and could have killed the baby...!

abdallah06apple avatar
Blue Cicada
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

When I lived in a small town in central Ohio, many people told me that I should put Mountain Dew my babies bottle, to calm her down when she's fussy. Thankfully, I did not take this advice.

kathinka avatar
Katinka Min
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

What part of the world is this where people do not have some kind of class or parent advice???

meowpoint1 avatar
meow point1
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Wait until they're, like, six, and even then only give them a sip occasionally, *not* as the only thing they drink!

kode1303 avatar
Jesper Rasmussen
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

If it doesn’t say on the bottle not to feed it to an infant, the mother can sue the heck out of the cola people. (In the USA - here in Europe we believe in using the brain).

kkittywidget avatar
Karen Klinck
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Contraceptives should be mandatory at 5, and people (of both sexes!) should have to a) take classes and b) pass a mandatory intelligence and practicality test before being allowed to have a baby.

ryu_bakura avatar
Ryo Bakura
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Wait, Coca-Cola, Pepsi, or some other brand? Because only one is acceptable to drink. Not by babies, but you know what I mean. Also, the correct answer is Coca-Cola.

michaelghee avatar
MikeyG
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Surely everyone knows you shouldn't feed a baby Coca Cola?! Pepsi is much better!

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#3

Nurse-Shares-Insane

"Truly amazing how much this gets thrown at us NHS nurses when somebody can’t get their own way... Do they not realise that we pay taxes too?"

GoddessBadger Report

GoddessBadger’s work stories were a booming success on Imgur. It even made the front page! Her meme collection got 4,930 upvotes and was viewed over 150,220 times at the time of writing. But these numbers keep on getting bigger and bigger, as the stories go even more viral.

The emergency room nurse from England detailed just how weird her shifts can get: from one patient refusing suppositories because they’re ‘not gay’ to a mother giving her baby fizzy drinks instead of formula. [Groans internally]

It takes the patience of a saint to get through to people who are as oblivious as this. So we’re probably all grateful that there are so many healthcare professionals out there who are patient enough to excuse our mistakes.

#4

Nurse-Shares-Insane

"She was at LEAST 80 years old"

GoddessBadger Report

Add photo comments
POST
tinapotter avatar
Serbob
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My (now passed) 90 year old grandmother said she didn't want to date anyone in her retirement home because they were all too old for her and she didn't have the energy to lift her butt in the air anymore. She had 8 children and said that every time she took her pants off she got pregnant. I hope I'm as spunky when I'm 90.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
ADVERTISEMENT
#5

Nurse-Shares-Insane

GoddessBadger Report

Add photo comments
POST
brigitta-swart avatar
Restless
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Oh dear....that misunderstanding can get them into jail, never mind ER

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu

Speaking of patience with patients (pun intended), Jacksonville University has some great advice on how to deal with incredibly inconvenient individuals. The most important thing for a healthcare professional is to remain calm and maintain control.

Furthermore, it’s vitally important that nurses, doctors, and other hospital staff be as empathetic as they can. If a patient is angry or upset, they might simply want to complain a tad, so try talking to them, show them that you understand their pain and that you’re on their side. We’re all human beings and we all want to be heard.

#7

Nurse-Shares-Insane

"Racism is surprisingly common. I am British but not white so I face a lot of these comments. Sometimes I can be on an entire shift without a white British staff member...

If you’re a racist, I have one thing to say to you... 'Grow the f**k up.'"

GoddessBadger Report

Add photo comments
POST
james_fox1984 avatar
Foxxy
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I understand asking for someone who is more fluent in your language due to misunderstandings and language barriers but definitely not because of race. That’s just ignorant. My regular GP is an Indian and there are rare occasions where he says something that I need him to repeat and he is happy to do so. He is one of the best GP’s I have come across in a very long time.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#8

Nurse-Shares-Insane

"We end up giving them an IV instead since they were adamant they didn’t want a suppository."

GoddessBadger Report

Add photo comments
POST
meinespammailadresse1 avatar
A B C
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It's funny (and a little sad at the same time) how many men still believe that anything touching their a**s means being gay.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
See Also on Bored Panda
#9

Nurse-Shares-Insane

"After much deliberation and a look through their medical records, we realised they meant “Sickle Cell” as in anemia."

GoddessBadger Report

Arguing with patients is also never the answer because it doesn’t lead to anything other than more arguments: it’s far better to be respectful; the ER is not the place for a screaming match over whose opinion is correct. That being said, you have to set concrete limits on how a patient can treat you. If a person is being disrespectful, say that this is the wrong way to treat you and walk away. At the end of the day, if you’re feeling exhausted and emotionally sapped, just remember, that you’re doing this job for a reason and that the temporary inconvenience is worth it in the long run.

#10

Nurse-Shares-Insane

"This was truly one of the most bizarre excuses I’ve ever heard for a dildo stuck up the butt. This patient insisted that he was minding his own business, running as he normally does in the morning when a dildo wielding assailant appeared and started chasing after him. He claimed he tripped and that’s when our mysterious dildo man inserted the toy... Did we believe him... No... and they never caught the dildo wielding man."

GoddessBadger Report

Add photo comments
POST
cstinley avatar
Dr.Scott
Community Member
4 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

While you're making jokes we have a dildo wielder running around unabated.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
ADVERTISEMENT
See Also on Bored Panda
#11

Nurse-Shares-Insane

"These types end up in the ED often and often they just need to go home and sleep it off. Discharge is often queried with “How am I supposed to get home?!” Why is that my problem? The Ambulance Service is not your personal taxi service."

GoddessBadger Report

Add photo comments
POST
patriciaross avatar
tuzdayschild
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Well, if you sit awhile over there in that waiting room, you can take yourself home in the morning.

View more commentsArrow down menu