When will people learn NOT to say the "Q" word...

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Its 6:35pm, census is 6 patients on a 16 bed icu.... Just as I'm about to give report, the oncoming nurses states how "quite" the unit is. Before the nurse can even finish her statement my patient who was given transfer orders goes into 40 beats of bigeminy pvcs and is symptomatic.

People please, don't say the q word, especially around a new grad rn ICU nurse....

The last time I remarked it was a "quiet" night, the CNA promptly came to inform me the lady in room 269 was naked and pooping in the wastebasket of the guy in room 247....

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I didn't say Quiet...I took a picture of an entire wall of empty beds in the ER to show my husband and within 10 minutes we had what seemed like EVERY ambulance in the area on our back door step. I will NEVER do that again.

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Specializes in Rehab, Med Surg, Home Care.
I didn't say Quiet...I took a picture of an entire wall of empty beds in the ER to show my husband and within 10 minutes we had what seemed like EVERY ambulance in the area on our back door step. I will NEVER do that again.

Oh, yeah-I even feel a little nervous THINKING that word...my husband is so accustomed to this that his parting comment when I leave for work is "Hope it's the "Q" word"!

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Specializes in Rehab, Med Surg, Home Care.
Someone said the "q" word at the start of a shift the other day. I made her spin around three times and spit to prevent bad things from happening.

Kewl. I just alway figured once it was out of anyone's mouth we were doomed.

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Specializes in Rehab, Med Surg, Home Care.
Are people really that superstitious?

Yep-because it's a consistently repeating pattern in my experience (that and the full moon, too). I'm not talking about when it IS quiet to start and then makes up for lost time-just normally hectic nights that go completely out of control about 4 times out of 5 shortly after the fateful comment is made. Go figure-but I've learned by experience.

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Specializes in Cardio-Pulmonary; Med-Surg; Private Duty.

Kinda like how hockey goalies (and anyone who knows a hockey goalie) will never use the word "shutout" on a game day! (says the hockey mom ;))

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30 years here.. many areas.. firmly believe the Q word should not be spoken.

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I don't think this is true I'm a new nurse top.

I once had a preceptor tell me wearing certain colors was bad luck so she only ever wore purple and pink

I was like no thanks I love my green scrubs

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1/3 of my unit was empty. Someone said what happened to our census this month. The board is empty. Bam, every nurse get new admission and the unit was full. Happened within 4 hours. When pt asks hows your night? I tell them I will not answer that question.

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Specializes in Acute Mental Health.

We too are sorry everytime someone uses the Q word on our unit. Never fails the **** hits the fan within the hour!! Bad JuJu!!!!

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As someone mentioned, confirmation bias.

Are nurses more superstitious than other scientifically-trained professionals?

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Specializes in Acute Mental Health.

I like the comment by a previous poster who stated it could be intuition. Seriously, every single time someone mentions how quiet it is, all hell breaks loose. Never have I heard it and not witnessed everything hitting the fan. Call it what you will, it's true.

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