Full Moon Syndrome: Fact or Fiction

[madwife2002]

Wikapedia 2012 said:

"The lunar effect is the theory that there is correlation between specific stages of the Earth's lunar cycle and deviant behavior in human beings that cannot simply be explained by variation in light levels. There is no good reason to expect this to be the case, and in spite of numerous studies, no significant lunar effect on human behaviour has been established."

When it appears crazy at work, I always ask "is it a full moon tonight?" and 9 times out of 10 a full moon is close.

Even my pets seem to have more mad moments of charging around the house.

I know personally that I feel that I am less tolerant during that period of the month, I feel anger more quickly and I put things out of perspective.

Is this due to the moon you might ask, or is it due to a stressful job as a manager?

All I know is that all the staff seems to have multiple communications issues with each other, which they cannot sort out alone. More complaints about co-workers 'easier assignments' or they hate the schedule they are working.

Do Call Off's increase? Not that I noticed but we could always start monitoring the full moon and sickness.

I have personally seen an increase in attempted suicide attempts.

Increase in pain tolerance for patients.

More patients coming in for detox ?

When I was a midwife we expected more women going into labor round this time.

Or are they all old wives tales?

Think about where you work, have you noticed an increase in the abnormal around the moon cycle or is craziness around all the time?

Those of you who work in the ER, you must have some good examples of 'full moon madness'. ?

[NsugaBuga]

YES. I do see these things happen. More falls, more elopements, more combative behavior, wandering at night & sleeping during the day...etc. W/ the coworkers, I just think its a reaction to the patients.

[teddycat1962]

Study or not, there IS a definite behavior difference when there is a full moon. I work on a dementia floor and the residents act out much more during the full moon phase. They become more aggressive, physically and verbally. It makes me glad that I work on the day shift!

[amoLucia]

BlueDevil,DNP said:

Klone was responded to as if the topic was just a spoof and advised to lighten up and have a sense of humor. So it is hard to know how to respond to these things.

My answer: no, there is no such phenomena as "full moon syndrome."

My question: do nurses want to be taken seriously as professionals in the scientific community, or not?

Yes, I would like to see nsg professionally regarded in the scientific community. But while I can't prove the "full moon syndrome" theory, but I can't dis-prove it either. Maybe the correct research has yet to be conducted?!?! Maybe...???

A big part of me believes it to be fiction, but it is a convenient excuse to explain workplace craziness when it occurs. However, it is believed that animals have some pre-existing or precognizant knowledge of impending natural catastrophic events like earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. So why not a lunar effect on the human species??? Personally, I like to use the "drop in barometric pressure" theory; that is, things go crazy just before big weather events like blizzards and nor'easters.

Like I said, it is an easy explanatory excuse. But don't cops say the same things too?

[Spidey's mom, ADN, BSN, RN]

Lots and lots of research studies have proven this is all myth.

Fun myth.

But myth nonetheless.

I'm not superstitious so this kind of stuff bugs me. I say I walk under ladders, break mirrors, throw away rabbits' feet, run over black cats, step on every single crack in the sidewalk, and say QUIET at work all the time. My luck isn't bad and my mom's back is still intact.

[Mandychelle79, ASN, RN]

I find that any time the moon hits a designated phase we seem to have an increase of referrals from other hospitals and we are usually running a high census at the time.

Also see it happen when the weather changes ( specially when its gets cold) I find it amazing how many homeless addicts decide that they would like to get clean right at the same time the snow starts to fly. Or the number of patients who are suicidal until they sign into the unit and then deny anything is wrong.

[al586]

As a nurse in LTC, I can say truthfully, without shame or embarrassment, the full moon phenomenon exists. I don't know why, but my more difficult patients get considerably more difficult during a full moon - I have the bruises to prove it.

[bleemadden]

As others have said, the moon has its effects on the tides and since the human body is appr. 60% water, I'm sure it has its effects on us also.

I worked in LTC and I'd like to believe that we have more sundowner's residents on full moons. Once full moon I had a resident smearing feces in one room while another resident was streaking down a hall...both behaviors weren't "normal" for these two, but crazy happens everyday in LTC.

It is a fun idea and topic and even with no test results showing it actually exists, I still "prepare" myself for every full moon!

[brownbook]

BlueDevilDNP. Said it so well I can't add anything except I hope the majority of nurses agree with him.

On the other hand I ate carrots for a snack yesterday and had a fender bender car accident afterwards. PROVE the carrots did not cause my fender bender.

[nkochrn, RN]

Our Ambulance service that usually averages 1 call per day, ran 30 calls during the week of the full moon! I've never been a believer in any full moon superstitions, but wow does it seem to have had an impact this month!

[angie2927]

Quote

Lots and lots of research studies have proven this is all myth.

Fun myth.

But myth nonetheless.

I'm not superstitious so this kind of stuff bugs me. I say I walk under ladders, break mirrors, throw away rabbits' feet, run over black cats, step on every single crack in the sidewalk, and say QUIET at work all the time. My luck isn't bad and my mom's back is still intact.

Thank you! I thought I might be the only nurse alive without a superstitious bone in my body. I'm still new and the more experienced nurses always remind me about not using the "Q-word" and other crazy beliefs they have. Come on! A car is not going to crash, someone isn't going to have a MI, a pt won't code, etc simply because I observed we're not very busy this shift.

As for the full moon thing... we have plenty of crazy shifts all month long. But as soon as it's the full moon, somebody is always blaming it on that. What's the excuse for the rest of the month then?

[gayl01]

I agree. I have seen this too often as well.

[SherylM]

It's all in your head, and a professional does not rely on what she "intuits" alone, but also on empirical evidence. You have quoted scientific studies that contradict what you think, so I suggest you stop believing in superstition and start being a professional.