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.

Well. Obviously. I’m not a complete moron, though I don’t work in a hospital. I work pre-hospital.

It’s just a thing. We have lots of silly things to help us get through the day. It’s decompression, camaraderie, team bonding. Like no one wants to work on a truck with the 666 call sign, or you don’t say the q word, or if you pass each other out and about you always give a little wave and if you do/don’t you’ll be ribbed for it, gently, no malice or bullying involved. The people commenting about intelligence etc don’t really understand. No one actually believes it to be true, though it can seem like it sometimes and I don’t cruelly believe the OP saying people have gotten that angry about it. I think there’s something else going on there.

*cruelly = really

I think there is some interesting human psychology in this thread. But it's not the irrational hatred of the Q word (of course it's irrational, we all know it is). The truly bizarre thing is why OP continued to say it, deliberately, knowing it would piss people off. In most normal human interactions the idea is NOT to piss people off. But OP strangely has the opposite motivation, and that is what is truly strange and actually quite pathological I think.

what an odd view of the human mind! I didn't realise most people try not to piss others off. you're probably thinking of a subset .. mainly young women

This. Is it purely superstition. Held firmly onto like it is real and important by people who have very little control over their day.

just ignore them. Or say your religion forbids superstitious nonsense.

@ArcticSkewer I just think that most of us would not try to deliberately antagonise people we're about to work a shift with , unless there was a specific and important reason. And I don't think wanting to wind them up and have a laugh is a good enough reason.
I had no idea I was unusual in this, but maybe I am.

Someone said that word this morning at work, a lovely but naive hca, not what you want to hear when understaffed. Yup it's been chaos this afternoon (think the patients heard her say it though and decided to have some fun, not good on a mental health ward).
Happens everytime we are quiet, swear they literally sense it and decide we are being far too laid back and instead provide some work.

Full moons are far far worse though.

I work in a contact centre and the q word is banned there too.

It’s a way of giving people the illusion of control over a situation they have no control over.

Like all superstition. It’s a psychological tool.