10 Unforgettable Ghost Stories Told by ER Nurses
Published: August 24, 2025. By Fellow Nurses Africa
The hospital corridors, especially during the late-night shifts, hold more than just the echoes of hurried footsteps and medical equipment. For many emergency room (ER) nurses, these spaces are haunted by unforgettable tales that linger long after the patients are gone. These spine-chilling ghost stories, shared by brave nurses who witness life and death daily, blend the supernatural with the raw human emotions of loss, fear, and resilience. Compiled from their firsthand accounts—some featured in the popular YouTube video by Bone-Chilling Nightmare—these narratives offer a haunting glimpse into the unseen world of healthcare frontline. Read on if you dare, as we delve into 10 terrifying experiences that will leave an indelible mark on your soul.
1. The Unseen Force and the Raging Taps
During a frantic emergency effort to save a patient in a Nigerian hospital during a power cut, something unnatural occurred. Both taps in the room suddenly started running water on their own. The nurses tried to turn them off by hand, but the water kept flowing with force until the patient passed away. The eerie silence that followed left everyone unsettled, as if an unseen spirit was mourning the loss, its presence felt in the damp air.
2. The Ghostly Visitor at Home
A nurse attended to an elderly woman who died peacefully in her ward. Two nights later, while resting at home, the nurse saw the woman’s face clearly in her sitting room. With a sly, toothy smile, the apparition shouted “Hello!” loudly before vanishing instantly. The nurse’s throat was sore from her own scream, her heart heavy with the memory of the patient’s gentle passing now tainted by this terrifying visitation.
3. The Persistent Call Bell
In an empty ward of a hospital just after a patient’s death, the call bell kept ringing repeatedly. Even after the nurses disconnected it and placed the cord on the bed, it rang again, its shrill sound piercing the silence. The aides ran away in fear, whispering that the departed spirit was still reaching out, desperate for attention in the cold, empty room.
4. The Invisible Grip of Doom
A patient recovering in a specific bed in a hospital complained that an invisible force grabbed their left arm tightly every time they tried to sleep. When the nurse inquired, she learned every previous occupant of that bed—many lost to illness—had reported the same strange grip. The nurse’s hands trembled as she realized the bed might hold a lingering sorrow, a silent plea from the past.
5. The Pacing Spirit in the Corner
After a patient died during a code in a room, a new hospice patient was moved there and kept saying someone was pacing angrily in the corner. When the nurse asked for a description, she perfectly detailed the dead patient’s appearance, including his clothes and build, though she had never seen him. The nurse’s eyes welled up, imagining the man’s restless soul trapped in grief.
6. The Heartbeats of the Empty Room
At 3 a.m. in a rural Nigerian health centre, a nurse walked into an empty recovery room to get supplies and found two heart monitors switched on, showing steady heartbeats with no patients or connections. No surgeries had happened in over 24 hours, and they stopped only after being unplugged. The nurse’s breath caught, feeling the weight of a presence from a life once fought for and lost.
7. The Floating Nurse in White
A young patient after an appendectomy in a hospital, known for its strange tales, described a woman in white entering his room. She sat in the corner, then floated over his bed, holding his neck while shaking him. Colleagues nodded solemnly, saying it matched Amina, a nurse who died of exhaustion in that room last year. The boy’s wide eyes reflected the nurse’s own fear and pity.
8. The Silent Watcher in the Coat
Late at night in a clinic, a nurse saw a tall man in a black coat, boots, and hat standing over a dementia patient’s bed, just watching. When she blinked and looked again, he vanished. The patient later asked why the “kind man” left suddenly, describing him the same way. The nurse’s heart ached, wondering if it was a guardian spirit or a harbinger of the end.
9. The Dark Men of the Trauma Ward
In a busy trauma unit, a patient started shouting about “dark men” surrounding her bed, trying to pull her away. She died suddenly moments later. Later that shift, another patient smeared blood on the walls to scare off “shadow men,” matching a nearby emergency code. The nurse’s hands shook as she cleaned the blood, feeling the weight of unseen forces amid the chaos.
10. The Voice of Mercy
During a night shift in a hospital, a nurse heard a woman’s voice over the call light from a non-verbal stroke patient’s dark room: “He is in pain. He needs his medicine.” No one was there, but after giving the medicine and adjusting him, the light stayed quiet for the rest of the night. The nurse whispered a prayer, moved by the compassionate spirit that aided her work.
Why These Stories Resonate
These unforgettable tales from ER nurses are more than just ghost stories; they reflect the human struggle within the healthcare system—overworked staff, limited resources, and the emotional toll of witnessing death. In a country where cultural beliefs in the spiritual world run deep, these experiences blend fear with a profound connection to the departed. Whether you believe in ghosts or not, the raw emotion in these accounts—fear, sorrow, and fleeting hope—touches the heart.
Final Thoughts
As you reflect on these haunting narratives, remember the courage of the nurses who share them. Their stories are a testament to the unseen battles fought in hospitals, where the line between the living and the dead blurs. Have you encountered a similar tale or heard a spooky story from a loved one? Share it with us in the comments below, and let’s keep this conversation alive.
Fellow Nurses Africa is the independent voice of African nursing, we educate, inform and support the nursing profession.
Note: This article is based on accounts from the Bone-Chilling Nightmare YouTube video.
