death in numbers

canada · Jul 20, 2003

I work in a LTCF and it's true deaths and births do come in 3's.

Years ago I worked in OB , we always had deliveries in 3s. Also the full moon has a lot to do with activity in hospitals.

Weird ...I know.

PennyLane, RN · Jul 20, 2003

Wow, I've never heard of deaths in 3s--but I lost 3 family members in 2002.

I have heard of bad things happening in 3s, though.

KIWIRN · Jul 20, 2003

Yep!I would agree i SEEMS to always happen in 3's. but the time between them can vary, so i guess you make it only happen 3 times then stop counting for a while?

when do you start the next three?

the world is a mysterious place and death is only part of it.

:confused: :

SmilingBluEyes · Jul 20, 2003

I don't believe it. I don't see it consistently happening where I work. Sometimes, it comes in 1's...sometimes in 4's. who knows, stuff happens. NO magic about it there.

fedupnurse · Jul 21, 2003

I've seen the 3 thing alot. And also the quiet word being utterd causes all hell to break loose. In my experience both hold truth!

live4today, RN · Jul 21, 2003

I've always believed it, and witnessed it with celebrities: They have always always always died in threes for as far back as I can recall. Wonder what's up with that? Coincidence or other? Any guesses? :)

KaroSnowQueen, RN · Jul 21, 2003

We would always start counting when someone died where I work, and sure enough within a week or 10 days there would be three gone. Every once in a while there would be 4 who went, and we would say it was a "bonus". A little morbid humor there.

P_RN, ADN, RN · Jul 21, 2003

OMG Fedup nurse NEVER say the "Q" word!!!

Noney · Jul 21, 2003

If you try hard enough you can link anything together. Is three a magical number who knows? I have a personal thery about it.

I think sometimes when a spirit leaves another that has sorta hanging around senses it and take off with it. So when the first leaves, sometimes the other two that have been hanging out a little undecisive decide to take off also.

Audreyfay · Jul 26, 2003

I'm sorry, but I have to say, You guys are something else! Don't you know that after you reach the third one, you start counting over again. It's just something that is an old wives tale. Kind of like why is it that when you are looking for something, it's always in the last place you look? I guess it's because you stop looking? Call me skeptical. :chair:

Soulcatcher · Jul 26, 2003

The chain of three seems to hold merit in this old VA hospital. For example, we had a death in ICU this week and the next day our Med/Surg unit had two within 35 minutes of one another.

There's no cause/effect relationship, of course. I think it's just human nature to look for patterns and to group things together.

rileygrl11, BSN, RN · Jul 26, 2003

I've heard about the 3's ruling too since I was little from my mom. Always thought it was an old-wives tale but then someone would point it out and keep count. Seems to ring true but then the other half of my brain kicks in and says that it's coincidence or whatever. Most people swear by it at the hospital I work at AND get ansy when there is a full moon. Things seem to really get wacked out when that occurs. And the "Q" word,....NEVER, ever say that word. That's the calm before the storm.