Crazy old wives tales and odd customs...

[SDALPN]

Ok, if you have ever done PDN for a while you know you've run into some weird things. What have you seen?

I had the Mexican Family (Mexican old wives tale) that placed a red string moistened in their mouth on the kids forehead to stop hiccups.

People who swear you get colds by being cold, cold air, wet hair, no socks on your feet, "cold formula" that is room temp and must be heated.

The most recent one I'm observing now is a family using oils to heal because someone told them it heals every illness out there. Like peppermint oil on the feet to cure a cold and another oil on the feet to detox. Eucalyptus oil to sterilize the air. Its fun watching them start to realize it doesn't work.

Had a family who thought their child was cursed and that they had to lift the curse so the kid would heal.

I'll think of more. What have you seen?

[Adele_Michal7, ASN, RN]

Was she Haitian or from some other country?

I don't believe she was Haitian but definitely wasn't from the US.

Sent from my iPhone using allnurses.com

[Adele_Michal7, ASN, RN]

Was she Haitian or from some other country?

I don't believe she was Haitian but definitely wasn't from the US.

Sent from my iPhone using allnurses.com

[amoLucia]

Years ago when I did hospital, I had a pt who would cover up his head (like tucked under the covers) when he slept. He believed that he would 'let his guard down' when he slept and that's when the devils/demons/bad spirits would enter thru his nostrils/ears//mouth/eyes. He would then be possessed if his head were not covered up. He sincerely believed this and he WAS from the islands down there.

That was my intro to transcultural nursing long before it became a recognized, accepted topic.

Another odd belief was that of a pt who was adamantly refusing amputation for severe PVD gangrene. NOBODY took the time to ask him why he was refusing. It was his religion that he would not be able to get into heaven if he didn't 'have all his parts' with him when it was his time to die. I got the OR/social work involved and he had his surgery. I think they arranged for his limb to be cremated and gave him his ashes.

That was my second expo to transcultural nursing about the same time as the first.

Not exactly crazy old wives tales, but definitely odd & unusual experiences for a new GN at the time. I have since learned...