Every profession has its own slang, and nursing is no exception. Some of these terms are regional, so you may hear them on one unit and never on another. Here are 20 of the most common.
1. "Princess/Prince/Diva": A patient who is on the call bell constantly for minor things and never satisfied. The pillow has to be fluffed just so, the blanket count is exact, the cup has to be Styrofoam instead of plastic.
2. Celestial discharge: Not as pretty as it sounds. The patient has died.
3. "Code brown": Large bowel movement. Call for backup.
4. "Frequent flyer": A patient who comes into the ER often.
5. "Sundowner/sundowning": Patients with dementia who grow confused and combative as the sun goes down. An alert, oriented patient at noon can be in 2-point restraints by 7 pm. Sundowning is a real, documented set of behaviors. The National Institute on Aging describes late-day restlessness and agitation in people with Alzheimer's, and the Alzheimer's Association notes it affects up to two of every three people with the disease at some point.
6. "Vampire": A phlebotomist.
7. "Trainwreck": A patient who is doing badly, with multiple acute problems at once. For example:
81 y/o confused female, non-ambulatory, incontinent, 2pt nonviolent restraints. Dx: CHF exac, COPD, Afib, 4L NC Vitals: BP 190/100, HR 100, RR 24, O2 92%, Temp 99.2 Labs: hgb 6.2, WBC 12, trop 0.12
8. "Happy juice": IV pain medication.
9. "DT-ing": On the DT (delirium tremens) protocol.
10. "Fluid overload": Hypervolemia, usually in CHF patients.
11. "PITA": Pain in the a$$.
12. "About to kick the bucket": Patient is declining and about to code.
13. "Nurslings": Student nurses.
14. "Vitamin H": Haldol. The name is haloperidol, an antipsychotic whose injectable form is used to control acute agitation, per its DailyMed label.
15. "Vitamin P": Lasix.
16. "Milk of amnesia": Propofol.
17. "Walkie talkie": The patient every nurse dreams of: ambulatory, conversant, low maintenance.
18. "Drug seeker": A patient with a substance addiction who comes to the ER chasing a fix.
19. "Breathing treatment": Stepping out for a cigarette.
20. "Penile intubation": Placing a Foley in a male patient.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is nursing slang? Informal shorthand nurses use among themselves for patients, conditions, and procedures. Some of it is practical ("walkie talkie" for an easy, ambulatory patient) and much of it is dark humor that helps staff process hard shifts.
Is "sundowning" real or just slang? Real. The term is informal, but the behavior is documented. The National Institute on Aging describes late-day confusion and agitation in people with dementia, and the Alzheimer's Association reports it affects up to two in three people with Alzheimer's.
What do "Vitamin H" and "milk of amnesia" mean? "Vitamin H" is Haldol (haloperidol), an antipsychotic used for acute agitation per its DailyMed label. "Milk of amnesia" is propofol, named for its milky white appearance.
Should nurses use slang in charting or with patients? No. Slang stays in the break room. Patient records and conversations require clear, professional, accurate language, and terms like these have no place in documentation.
Why is so much nursing slang dark? Gallows humor is a common coping mechanism in high-stress healthcare work. It lets staff release tension after difficult cases without losing professionalism in front of patients and families.