Tie a knot on pt's bed keeps them alive for your shift??

[LrElizabeth7]

So has anyone heard the superstition that if you tie a knot in your patient's bedsheet at the start of your shift, they won't die during your shift. I'm talking about a hospice/comfort measures patient. At my hospital, the nurse's aid did that to one of my patient's & told me about it. Just curious...

[Spritenurse1210, BSN, RN]

I agree. I once cared for a little old lady with skin cancer. She was a dnr and on hospice. She started chein-stoking around 5am and i just sat down next to her and told her its ok to die and that she didnt have to suffer anymore. I sat with her till the end of my shift and she died half an hour after i left. She was a wonderful lady who had touched me deeply. I still think of her to this day. I cant help but smile when i remember the way she used to joke around and call me a good girl. I think she didnt want me to see her go. Rip iris (name changed to protect privacy)

[suzy253, RN]

I haven't heard about the bed knot.

But I have held the hand of many a patient when there were no family there and told them that they can go now...their job was done here. And just stayed with them until they passed.

[nursejohio, ASN, RN]

When I worked LTC as an aide, a few of the nurses would do that... All fine and good if you're trying to give family a chance to come in, but sometimes it was just cause they didn't wanna deal with the paperwork. I still don't feel guilty about going behind them and untying it. Whether it works or not, it's just cruel to try to make someone hang on when it's their time to go

[Illinurse2010]

Not to be rude but this sounds like hocus pocus..If it were possible to keep someone alive by tying a bed sheet we would not need doctors, nurses, or hospitals. Do you carry a lucky pencil, throw salt over your left shoulder, and avoid working on Friday the 13th too?

I believe in angels and the power of prayer, but I thought most of us had stopped believing in old superstitions.

[Preemienurse23]

We had one of our rooms blessed because he had several deaths in a row. Ironically, after the last one, the window was leaking and they had to remove it (ours don't open), so maybe the spirits were able to leave. But that room hasn't had a death in it since.