AIBU to think I don’t singularly have the power to fuck up the ward?

[PeachPRC]

disclaimer: I KNOW it’s ‘unreasonable’ to say the q word as a HCP. My question is whether or not it’s actually literally stupid of me to say that word, ignoring the superstitious element of it.

A relative has taken a place on a nursing course starting soon and it got me thinking about my own nursing degree many years ago.

as a student I made the hideous mistake of saying ‘it’s quiet this afternoon isn’t it?’ and had my head bitten off by multiple registered nurses (for non HCP; mentioning that ‘it’s quiet’ is a mortal sin because that apparently ensures that the ward will suddenly become unmanageably busy). I hadn’t realised until then that mentioning the Q word was an absolute no no and I laughed along and apologised.

this happened maybe 3 times (in different departments in 2 hospitals so no overlap of staff). Honestly, by the 3rd time, I said the Q word on purpose just to see the reaction of everyone else. Each time, I was scolded by the staff because they insisted that me saying that word would ruin the rest of the shift by somehow making it become very busy. I said it once at approx 9am and by afternoon still had a (until then very pleasant) nurse giving me filthy looks across the treatment room. The first time I said it as an ignorant student I was properly told off, almost shouted at, by experienced nurses.

I have nursed for approx 20 years and know now that no one should ever say ‘quiet’ but that’s only because you’ll have your face snapped off by other nurses/ doctors, not because I genuinely think the myth of invoking a bad shift is true. This post isn’t about the jokey ‘haha don’t say that word!’ colleagues, it’s about the staff that TRULY believe that saying a word out loud can ruin a shift. I’d love to hear the reasoning behind that!

To this day, I’m still so surprised that HCP GENUINELY believe that a colleague saying the word ‘quiet’ out loud can wreck the shift and I’d love to know if another HCP can explain why they think that?! I nearly didn’t bother posting this because I assumed I’d get lots of ‘OP don’t you dare ever say that again 😉’ posts, but I’m interested in responses from HCP who truly believe the Q word can destroy a good day. Because as far as I’m aware, that’s a ridiculous thing to think.

I can't imagine saying something to deliberately piss people off tbh when they hadn't done anything to me, so I wouldn't say it.

Do you like annoying people?

its not only nursing, its in every single place. Just don't say that feckin word and you'll be fine.

Oh come on, it's a huge superstition in medical fields, the emergency services and prisons etc.

Either assimilate or accept you will be roundly accused of being a dick.

This is a BIG DEAL in lots of places as well you know. It's in your power to not piss everyone off.

It's like repeatedly saying to a practicing Christian that there is no God. You'd have a point (if you don't believe) but you'd still be the dick.

That's bizarre. There's nothing wrong with what you said. Either people are ridiculously superstitious or getting huffy for no good reason.

And I can’t imagine being so ridiculous as to be offended by a word like quiet in the first place.

thanks for your reply. im interested to know why you believe a word has the power to change the course of a shift?

i knows it’s common. And I know it doesn’t go down well with people but my point is that I don’t get WHY otherwise intelligent people freak out at heating a word

You are spectacularly missing the point OP.

Took me a while to figure out what the Q word was. I did initially think you were being coy about the word cunt (qunt perhaps) and agreed that maybe you're better off avoiding that word, it isn't for everyone. I've never understood that stupid superstition either, one staff member tried getting narky about that word where I work but she calmed down quickly.

what’s the point then? As far as I can see, it’s superstition that doesn’t actually translate into real life events. What am I missing please?

thank you for that because I can’t stop laughing at ‘qunt’ 😂

Must be like actors and "the Scottish play". Makes no sense but there it is.

It’s like the myth (or is it?!) that on a full moon it goes crazy too (it totally does).

The moon does actually affect hospitals apparently!

As does the q word!

apparently so but I’ve yet to get a response as to why it does! just a few ‘oh come on you know you can’t say that’ with no logical explanation

It's ridiculous and nasty for people to be genuinely mean about it. But it's just sort of a "thing" isn't it? If someone accidentally says it you just have to jokingly feign horror and give them a good natured ribbing. It's part of the ward schtick!

It is tempting fate. Like booking a three week fly-drive holiday for the day after your driving test.

Shouting “wow it’s really quiet” on a ward is basically begging fate to send you a catastrophic variceal bleed or some other horror.

yes that’s fine! The relaxed ribbing I see is normal to me. The explicit anger is not, that’s what my OP is about

you know it’s not though: ‘Oh you’ve just caused an aortic dissection by saying that word haha’ is a joke, ‘do NOT say that word ever again in front of me’ is not

It just does. I worked a bank holiday after pay day that was a full moon once and someone said the Q word
That was a memorable shift

Probably should add I was also the shit magnet so maybe a little more sensitive
The kind that when you're on a shift with, you relax because you know they'll get all the shit

As a radiographer it was seen as a jokey thing “ooh no don’t say the q word” but I don’t think anyone actually believed a horrible shift would definitely ensue should someone say it. Because that would be moronic

In fact I said it a few times in all seriousness, because it was actually quiet. And it didn’t get busier.

Someone said the q word to me once and my next job was a triple fatal RTC. Another person said it to me and my next job was a paediatric arrest. Another person said it to me then the rest of my shift was full of big sick people. Another person said it to me and I was 3.5 hours late off my shift. You develop superstitions don’t you. It’s like when you say to your crewmate, I haven’t been to many chest pains for a while….you then become the chest pain bus for the next few shifts. It’s a weird karma, tempting fate thing. Just don’t do it! Maybe the angry ones have had bad experiences.