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Top 25 Nurse Jokes That Only RNs Will Understand

3 Min Read Published August 24, 2023
Top 25 Nurse Jokes That Only RNs Will Understand

Laughter truly is the best medicine! It not only helps to reduce stress but also improves your mental state. As nurses, delivering high-quality patient care often requires long hours of hard work. So, if you’re looking for something to lift your mood while providing respite from the pressures of nursing life, we suggest reading some nurse jokes! 

Here are 25 hilarious nurse jokes that will have you laughing out loud and sharing a smile with those around you. Whether or not you regularly practice humor in your workplace or prefer more serious conversations during shifts, these nurse jokes represent great opportunities for generating amusing stories when times get tough on the floor. Enjoy!

Nursing School Jokes

  1. Why did the nursing student bring a red pencil to clinicals?
    In case they had to draw blood!

  2. How many nurses does it take to change a lightbulb?
    None, they have the nursing students do it. 

  3. How many nursing students does it take to change a lightbulb?
    Five: One to change it, and four to document the procedure!

  4. Why did the nursing student carry a stethoscope everywhere they went?
    To always have a "heart-to-heart" conversation!

Emergency Nursing Jokes

  1. What do you call an ER nurse with a great sense of humor?
    A lifesaver!

  2. What's an emergency nurse's favorite bedtime story?
    "Goodnight, Patient 1, Goodnight, Patient 2..."

ICU Nursing Jokes 

  1. Why did the ICU nurse go to art school?
    They were already experts in drawing blood!

  2. What's an ICU nurse's favorite dance move?
    The Code Blue Shuffle!

  3. Why did the ICU nurse always excel in yoga class?
    They knew how to keep patients in "stable" positions!

Nursing Vein Jokes

  1. Why was the nurse so good at finding veins?
    They had a good "point" to make!

  2. What's a nurse's favorite cartoon?
    Add-Vein-ture Time!

  3. Why did the nurse want to go to the museum?
    They loved looking at beautiful "vein-tage" masterpieces!

  4. How do nurses play darts?
    They aim for the "bull's vein"!

Nursing Management Jokes

  1. Why was the nurse manager always calm under pressure?
    They had a lot of experience dealing with "staff infections"!

  2. How do nurse managers handle stress?
    They delegate it to someone else!

  3. How did the nurse manager win the boat race?
    They were experts in "running" a tight ship!

  4. How does the nurse manager stay fit?
    They regularly do "staff development" exercises!

Patient and Nursing Jokes

  1. Why did the nurse give the patient a pencil?
    They heard it was the "write" medicine for them!

  2. What did the nurse say to the patient who is afraid of needles?
    "Don't worry; we have plenty of 'pointless' conversations to keep you distracted!"

General Nursing Humor

  1. What did one nurse say to the other when they were feeling tired?
    "We've got to keep running this unit – that's how we stay in shape!"

  2. What's a circulating nurse's favorite game?
    Playing "Operation" with real patients, of course!

Night Shift Nursing Jokes

  1. Why did the night shift nurse always carry a flashlight?
    They liked to shed some "light" on the situation!

  2. How do night shift nurses greet each other?
    "I'm dead tired; how are you?"

Funny Patient Encounters

  1. Patient: "Nurse, I think I'm a pair of curtains."
    Nurse: "Pull yourself together!"

  2. Patient: "Nurse, I keep seeing an insect in my eye!"
    Nurse: "Don't worry, it's just a bug in your vision!"

Humor is one of the best ways to lighten the mood and show someone you care. These 25 nurse jokes will surely bring some much-appreciated levity to your day. Taking time to embrace humor and laughter daily is essential to our health and happiness. Our physical, mental, and emotional well-being all benefit from a hearty laugh or a smile.

Breann Kakacek
BSN, RN
Breann Kakacek
Nurse.org Contributor

Breann Kakacek BSN RN has been a registered nurse for more than 8 years and a CNA for 2 years while going through the nursing program. Most of her nursing years include working in the medical ICU and Cardiovascular ICU and moonlighting in the OR as a circulating nurse. She has always had a passion for writing and enjoys using her nursing knowledge to create amazing online content.

Education:
Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), Arizona State University

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