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If you’ve ever treated a “frequent flyer” patient with a case of “Nintendo thumb” or “Avatar blues,” you may be familiar with this list of 40 humorous nursing lingo terms.
Courtesy of our Scrubs Magazine readers and SlangRN.com we present these slang terms nurses use and wonder, what are some more? Scroll to the bottom to submit your favorites!
1. frequent flyer
Definition: One who visits healthcare providers, emergency departments, etc. for every little health problem, often drug seeking or wanting work excuses.
— contributed by scrubsmag.com reader, Kelly
2. boyfriend
Definition: The cute little old men who are a joy to take care of.
— contributed by scrubsmag.com reader, Grace
3. BONITA
Definition: An acronym used in the ER which stands for ‘Big ‘Ol Needle in the A$$.’
Usage: I’m about to give this patient a bonita.
— contributed by scrubsmag.com Facebook fan, Tiffany Pizzimenti
4. DFO
Defintion: Acronym for ‘Done Fell Out.’
— contributed by scrubsmag.com Facebook fan, Nanci Leigh Nix
5. MD
Definition: Acronym for Makes Decisions.
Usage: Do you see MD after my name? That means Makes Decisions.
— contributed by scrubsmag.com Facebook fan, Maranda Thompson
6. RN
Definition: Acronym for Refuses/Resists Nonsense.
Usage: Do you see RN after my name? It stands for Resists/Refuses Nonsense!
— contributed by scrubsmag.com Facebook fan, Maranda Thompson
7. TMB
Definition: Acronym for ‘Too Many Birthday.’
— contributed by scrubsmag.com Facebook fan, Amanda Belcher Klumpp
8. Jack in the Box
Definition: A patient who can’t stand or walk yet insists on trying.
— contributed by scrubsmag.com Facebook fan, Susan Broadway
9. FDGB
Definition: An acronym used in the ER which stands for ‘Fall Down Go Boom.’
— contributed by scrubsmag.com Facebook fan, Tiffany Pizzimenti
10. F/U
Definition: A shortened version of ‘Follow Up.’
Fun (and cautionary) fact: The contributor of this term actually got in trouble by the state surveyor for using it in his charting!
— contributed by scrubsmag.com Facebook fan, John Allen Hough
Slang terms 11-20 include the “Crispies” and the “Whine Line…”
“circling the drain”
By Jennifer W on April 26, 2010 at 5:18 pm
I’ve also heard about the 3 o’clock break — when the kid comes home, has a snack, climbs a tree, falls out of the tree and breaks his/her arm. And the Sunday Bagel, where the person decides to slice the bagel while holding it and slices their palm as an extra morning treat.
Loved this article. Thanks!
Stav
By Stav on April 26, 2010 at 6:55 pm
“frequent flyer”–one who visits healthcare providers, emergency departments, etc. for every little health problem, often drug seeking or wanting work excuses
By Kelly on April 26, 2010 at 10:00 pm
Boyfriend- the cute little old men who are a joy to take care of
By Grace on April 27, 2010 at 5:14 am
trainwreck- pt with multiple heath problems and multiple diagnosises that has no buisness on a med-surg floor but doesn’t “qualify” for ICU….. that is until they code in the middle of the night. It’s my favorite word/label, we’re usually pretty close to right when we label them too…… darn doctors….
By Tabatha on April 27, 2010 at 1:55 pm
We have the “whine line”. In prison it’s the inmates suddenly needing to see medical because it’s raining and they don’t want to have to go to work. In the hospital it’s the uninsured that show up in the ER at 0200 with sniffles, etc.
“It’s cold and rainy out there. Gonna have a whine line this morning”
By Linda on April 27, 2010 at 2:28 pm
AFN was once a popular term used on the Emergency Department whiteboard to protect the privacy of psychiatric patients at a facility I worked at, until the patients realized what it stood for.=D
By Clever Pseudonym on April 27, 2010 at 2:32 pm
I heard a psych nurse use a new one the other day–drunkacidal. They come to the ER drunk with suicidal ideation, but as they sober up they deny any suicidal/homicidal thoughts or attempts.
By ERNURSE on April 27, 2010 at 4:38 pm
FUBAR – we used to refer to critically critical trauma victims as FUBAR to indicate the hopelessness of the case but we were trying anyway.
MALIBU BARBIE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE- where the resident doctors who wore 6 inch heels, short skirts, and acrylic nail tips attended medical school (the higher the heel, the more help they needed making decisions about what tests to order for the patient… yipes… I know, it sounds kind of sexist, but it was a real term…)
By Kelli Waller on April 27, 2010 at 7:33 pm
PITA-Pain In The Ass (can be patient or family)
“Patient is great but the family is a real PITA”
By Lisa on May 3, 2010 at 7:38 am
NONE of the terms submited are accually ‘slang terms for nurses’. none of the terms mean “nurses”. They are more of ‘slang terms and abreviations that nurses use’ and or ‘slang terms and abreviations that are used by nurses’.
I was realy looking forward to reading some diferant terms and workds and can be used in place of the word “nurse”.
This needs to be fixed ASAP or much sooner, please. ok????
By sean on May 4, 2010 at 10:57 pm
Here are a few slangs that are used in the ER where I work…
CCFCP-Coo Coo For Cocoa Puffs (as in that pt is crazy, wierd, eccentric, etc).
WADAO-Weak and DizzyAll Over (pronounced wahdayo)
FMPS-Fluff my Pillow syndrome (used for a pt that is super demanding and acts sicker than they really are)
Chandelier Sign- (when a pt hits the roof with palpation of a specific area) That pt exhibited a positive chandelier sign when I palpated her abdomen.
By Sharon on May 7, 2010 at 6:12 pm
Code brown – when an incontinent patient has a mishap. Most of the time a c-diff pt.
We have a code brown in room 180.
By DJSWTHRT on May 27, 2010 at 4:35 pm
LOL,FOF – Little old lady found on floor.
LOL,DFO- Little old lady, done fell out.
Acute FOS syndrome – Acute full of sh%t syndrome.
Vitamin X- Xanax (see above disorder)
Chronic Alphabetitis – A patient who has Hep B, Hep C, HIV and most likely an STD. AKA – Double glove!
By IrishNurse on May 27, 2010 at 7:45 pm
CAH- Crazy As He77
(family or patient)
The patient is sweet, but Im diagnosing her mother with CAH
By Vernika on May 28, 2010 at 1:46 am
FLK- funny looking kid.
Man that’s a FLK but he’s kinda cute
By C.B. on May 30, 2010 at 11:26 am
AJU= All Jacked Up (multiple issues)
FTF= Failure to Fly (usually head-bonks, but can be used throughout traumas)
FLK with GLM/GLD= Funny Lookin’ Kid with Good lookin’ Mom/Dad…probably a syndrome
-likewise–FLK with FLM/FLK= Funny Lookin’ Kid with Funny Lookin’ Mom/Dad…probably just genetics
Capital A circled…can mean either ‘anxious’ or ‘a**hole’, depending on the situation…one step above PITA.
I’m sure I’ll think of more later….
By NurseDaisy on June 1, 2010 at 8:15 pm
The “Q” sign–Dead. (Picture a round cartoon face with the X-ed eyes and the tongue hanging out )
By Stephanie D on June 5, 2010 at 11:14 pm
Repeat Offender–same as Frequent Flyer
By Stephanie D on June 5, 2010 at 11:15 pm
the “O” sign, not quite dead yet. Will soon become the “Q” sign
By Barbara on June 9, 2010 at 1:24 pm
GOMER- get out of my ER.
F&N- Freakin nuts, usally a different first word.
By Caleb on June 21, 2010 at 3:20 pm
I prefer “tanorexic” for those with too much tanning booth usage
By katy on June 22, 2010 at 6:26 pm
FTD-Fixing to Die
By Terri on June 22, 2010 at 9:18 pm
“Celestial Discharge”-patient has passed.
bad but cute!
CTD-Circlin’ the drain. (Getting ready to die)
BSC- Bat s**t crazy
By Amanda on June 25, 2010 at 11:31 am
Hi…we agree, and have changed the title to slang terms “nurses use.”
All best,
Miriam
Scrubs Mag
By Miriam Bookey on July 19, 2010 at 9:34 pm
B.A.T.S. fracture
broke all to sh*t
By becca on July 24, 2010 at 12:28 am
DND: damn near dead
In the Med/Surg ICU I work in alot of our patients are DND when they hit the doors.
By Stacey James on July 24, 2010 at 11:50 pm
Drunk Tank – the hallway beds in the ER where we keep our frequent flyer, homeless, ETOH abusers that have soiled their clothing with emesis, urine, stool or all of the above.
By CMH on August 4, 2010 at 12:53 am