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

lovedijah · Jul 18, 2012

I am still a nursing student so this is all new and interesting. Really had no idea about the "q" word. Anyway, when I was a server we had some who thought it was bad luck to count your money before end of shift. And if they saw you count? You were bad luck too. I would just laugh and laugh never falling for it. My husband is an airman and believes he will never have a son because "once you work with planes, you don't make boys anymore". So maybe all jobs have this element of "strange belief". Interesting.

Music in My Heart · Jul 18, 2012

What can I say? I've become something of an iconoclast as my fifth decade is rapidly closing.

emtb2rn, BSN, RN, EMT-B · Jul 18, 2012

I have experimented with muttering "sure is quiet" on quiet nights. Sometimes something happens, sometimes it doesn't.

Here's my question: How come if someone says "it sure is busy", it doesn't slow down? Shouldn't the reverse hold true?

OnlybyHisgraceRN, ASN, RN · Jul 18, 2012

If you start telling me I must or must not do x, y, or z because of your religious beliefs, when those things don't affect you personally, then we have a problem. (For example, asking me not to put my left over pork chops next to your lunch would be reasonable. Asking me to turn around three times and throw hand sanitizer over my shoulder before entering a room would not be reasonable.)
Where do you draw the line on the superstition? How about a nurse who counsels a parent not to have her child receive blood products because it is against the nurse's religious beliefs?
When you're running to deal with a code, what if you decide that you must not step on the cracks between the linoleum tiles?
Where do you draw the line on magical thinking?
It's interesting how, when passing (or not) the NCLEX, so many new nurses invoke their religious beliefs, even after explaining how hard they study-and even after considering the very high pass rate of the NCLEX, even by non-believers. Certainly it's their right, but it's statistically interesting. I wonder if the personality types of nurses tend to be more religious than other groups. Beside ministers, I mean.
Praying, not saying "quiet," and $2 will always get me a cup of coffee at Starbucks. Praying and not saying "quiet" will never get me one.
♪♫ in my ♥ makes a good point: Sometimes refusing to play the games garners hostility.

This thread was meant to be a lighthearted story that other nurses may or may not relate to. You are taking this thread waaaay to seriously. I highly doubt that anyone will be skipping lines when on their way to a code. Really?

Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN · Jul 18, 2012

It wouldn't matter if the Q-word belief meant that nurses might choose superstition over evidence-based practices. You could do a ritual dance one day, and then if the same patient showed up and it was raining, or the patient reported that a black cat had crossed their path on the way in, they would need to change the treatment on the fly - perhaps a sprinkle of tincture of benzoin in the doorway, or throwing away all the odd-numbered sterile glove sizes. Stuff like that.

I owned a black cat for 16 years and she crossed my path many times. I can't say all 5,844 days of that time were all bad and/or required purifying rituals :) Some days definitely were...but I'd blame the Q word for the bad shifts far more than I'd blame my black cat dancing around my feet in the morning.

midlifemom · Jul 18, 2012

I think the issue isn't so much lightheartedly following a silly superstition. They can be fun and a way to bond. I think what people are objecting to is insisting that the superstition holds true because of anecdotal evidence when actual studies show there is absolutely no effect. That's where there is a disconnect since nurses are hopefully trained to understand that anecdotal evidence, even your own and no matter how compelling, doesn't count for much compared to a well conducted experiment. Religious beliefs are different in that you can't design a study to show that a god or gods actually exist.

futureTBA · Jul 18, 2012

Also , has anyone else experienced that working with a certain combination of nurses will ensure a disaster shift each time?

100% agree! I work in a 24/7 call centre while getting ready to start nursing school in September. I should never be made to work the evening or night shift when nurse T is on call. It never fails. I have to page her every time. Last week I was on the 2200-0600 shift. Nurse T is on call and I had to arrange back to back air ambulance transfers two nights in a row (first for necrotizing fasciitis after simple ORIF and the other for fractured jaw). I've done about 5 air ambulances this year so far - always with nurse T on the evening or overnight shift. The normal overnight guy? Has done about 1 in the last 1.5 years. Some combinations just suck. Does that mean I avoid her on call shifts? Nope, I just fortify myself before I head in.

Oh - and my call centre firmly believes in avoiding the dreaded Q word too!

wooh, BSN, RN · Jul 18, 2012

About the fact that nursing, as practiced in most places, is an evidence-based profession, but that there is a seemingly strong proclivity for superstitious thinking among its practitioners, at least among the small, self-selected sample represented in this thread.

You have successfully shown how much smarter and rational you are than the superstitious folks on this thread. Your knowledge of confirmation bias is quite impressive. Congratulations.

Here's my explanation: Nurses lack control in most EVERYTHING at work. So when we find something we can control, like not using the Q word or not saying a frequent flyer's name, we like to take advantage of it.

I've got a room number that I refuse to take. I always end up with a crazy patient mom when I get that room. No matter the floor, THAT room = crazy mom. Do I forget the few sane moms? Probably. But I'd still rather not have that room. Too much bad joojoo in there for me.

I also have a lucky shirt when I take my final exams. You'll have to confirmation bias that out of my cold dead hands.

Do-over, ASN, RN · Jul 19, 2012

When you're running to deal with a code, what if you decide that you must not step on the cracks between the linoleum tiles?

Hey now, I am even MORE worried about breaking my mother's back than I am about jinxing my shift.

In all seriousness, call it what you like, I do believe there is "intuition" or something, especially in more critical areas. I don't ignore my "gut" when it comes to my patients. Is there much EBP regarding that? Just because something hasn't been proven, doesn't mean it isn't real.

I grew up with an extremely superstitious grandmother - iron over the door, a hex on the garage, many many rituals, etc. I will say she did better at the track and with the lottery (just the dailies) than anyone I have ever known of.

kellycinalli · Jul 19, 2012

Every time their is a full moon, my kids say," all the patients are going crazy right now"! I'm like," yes they are and I'm glad I work day shift"!

**canoehead, BSN, RN** · Jul 19, 2012

My only problem with the superstitions is when other people actually get mad at me because I refuse to play along... as though it really makes a hoot of difference.
I'm OK with the little game so long as folks are OK with my refusal to play it.

I had an orientee who felt like that, until he said it repeatedly just to tempt the gods and we got a 3 month old code. A week later he tried to prove he was still a nonbeliever and we got an 8yo drowning. Now he still says it's hogwash, but he respects my desire to NOT hear that word when I'm working.

I actually don't mind so much if a coworker says "quiet," but it ****** me off when a visitor remarks on how quiet it is. 1) They don't have a clue what's going on behind closed doors, 2) They usually say it in triage right before they want to know how long the wait is, 3) They don't realize how completely/utterly insane it can get within 90 seconds, and stay that way- what they see does not reflect our reality, so butt OUT. I know I'm unreasonable, but that's how I feel. If outsiders had to deal with the physical and emotional effects of a bad shift, well they'd have more respect!

anotherone, BSN, RN · Jul 19, 2012

I think the issue isn't so much lightheartedly following a silly superstition. They can be fun and a way to bond. I think what people are objecting to is insisting that the superstition holds true because of anecdotal evidence when actual studies show there is absolutely no effect. That's where there is a disconnect since nurses are hopefully trained to understand that anecdotal evidence, even your own and no matter how compelling, doesn't count for much compared to a well conducted experiment. Religious beliefs are different in that you can't design a study to show that a god or gods actually exist.

No they are not. They are just held to different standards ..............