Are Nurses Superstitious?

There is something very powerful about superstitions. Some nurses are superstitious, some aren't, and some just don't want to tempt fate.

Suspend Your Disbelief

Some of us have cognitive dissonance around superstition. Meaning we both believe and don’t believe. How can that be? It’s knowing a superstition is irrational and performing the action anyway. On some level, we know that knocking on wood is not going to keep the status quo such as “no one coded so far”.

So why then do we look around for some wood and then rap on it if we know that it cannot possibly prevent a code from happening on our shift?

Can we actually prevent bad events by what we say or do?

It seems the hotel and high-rise building industries think so. Most builders wouldn’t think about having a 13th floor in a high rise or hotel. In superstitious hotel math, if a hotel boasts 16 floors, there’s really only 15.

There are no 13th floors because we all know that the number 13 is unlucky. If a guest had a heart attack on the 13th floor, it would be because of the unlucky number 13, unlike having a heart attack on the 13th floor that was misnamed as the 14th floor.

Control

Maybe we need to feel in control because it’s difficult to comprehend that we have little, if any, control. We can’t control earthquakes and losses and heartbreak and disappointments in life, for the most part. But we can avoid walking under a ladder and opening an umbrella indoors. It’s a false sense of control bought with a wish, but hey, we’ll take it.

Fear

Many of us wouldn’t necessarily say we’re superstitious people, but when faced with the opportunity to prevent bad luck, why tempt fate? Rock the boat? Jinx good luck? Who wants to tempt fate by saying the Q word at work? No one I know.

Who wants to “Step on a crack and break your mother’s back or step on a line and break your mother’s spine?”

Far be it from most of us to taunt the universe. There’s some sense of relief in doing everything you can to ward off bad things, just in case they work.

Tradition

Sometimes superstitions are borne of tradition, such as blowing out birthday candles on a cake and making a wish. It’s almost impossible not to say “Bless you!” when someone sneezes. "Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue" is a tradition that brings good luck to a marriage and has the extra benefit of rhyming.

Other Countries and Cultures

Sometimes when we hear about others’ superstitions we dismiss them as ignorant or false conceptions. Who in the western world possibly believes that the number 4 brings bad luck? That’s clearly just as silly as believing that the number 8 and the color red are lucky.

We do, however, believe that a rabbit’s foot can bring good luck while wondering how others believe evil eye jewelry can protect one from negative energy.

Americans agree that Friday the 13th is unlucky but sticking chopsticks upright in a bowl of rice can’t cause misfortune, right? Come to find out, chopsticks should not be stuck upright into food, especially rice. Chopsticks are only stuck upright into rice in the bowl on the altar at a funeral or when paying respects to the deceased.

Nursing Superstitions and Beliefs

Baseball players and other athletes are known to be superstitious. Many nurses are as well. Are you superstitious? Here are a few nursing superstitions or if not superstitions, illogical beliefs:

The Q word. Most of us will never say “It’s quiet” because we all know it will cause an influx of patients.
Power of 3’s. Many nurses will tell you “Deaths (and codes) come in 3’s”
Delaying charting is bad luck. If it’s a slow day, and you wait to chart, then all heck will break loose.
More codes happen at change of shift (I’m convinced of this one).
Full moon and babies. If there’s a full moon, the floors will be crazy and we’ll have lots of babies

Superstitions are pretty harmless and can relieve anxiety while bonding with colleagues. How about you, are you superstitious? If so, what superstitions do you believe in?

Best wishes,

Nurse Beth