Healthcare & Nursing Blog | Favorite Healthcare Staffing

Superstitions in Healthcare: Myths That Haunt the Industry

Written by Katie Kenison | Oct 31, 2024 12:00:00 PM

Happy Halloween from Favorite Healthcare Staffing! In honor of this spooky holiday, we want to share some common superstitions that are prevalent in the healthcare industry. If you work in healthcare, you know that superstitions aren’t only prevalent among sports fans. We hope you enjoy this list of healthcare superstitions!

The dreaded “Q” word

Unless you want to have a crazy hectic shift, do NOT use the word “quiet” at any time during a shift. Commenting on how quiet or calm your shift has been will surely ensue chaos.

The crash cart of protection

Rumor has it, if you leave a crash cart outside of your patient’s room, it will protect them and yourself from any evil that could be present. By having the cart readily available, this supposedly decreases the chance that you’ll actually need it.

The frequent flyer phenomenon

A patient who you often see in your healthcare facility, also known as a frequent flyer, should never be mentioned unless you want them to come back. Odds are, if you mention something about not seeing so and so in a while, they could quickly return as your patient.

Beware the full moon

Full moons don’t only bring out werewolves… they bring out inexplicable craziness as well. Healthcare professionals often claim that their most hectic and strange shifts occur when the moon is full.

Bring your lucky charm with you

Many healthcare workers have shared that they have items they think bring them luck. Whether that be a lucky pen or necklace, many of them make it a point to always have it with them during a shift. The same goes for bad luck. If you think you have something that brings bad luck, don’t bring it!

Keep those books out of your bag!

Similar to using the “Q” word, you’ll want to avoid bringing a book with you to your shift. By bringing a book with you, you’re insinuating that you won’t be very busy. Rest assured, as soon as you bring a book, you can count on having one of the most hectic shifts of your life. Coincidence? Maybe, but why take the risk?

Utter the words “good shift” if you want it to be a bad shift

Don’t get ahead of yourself by talking about how good your shift has been, because right as you do, something unfavorable will probably happen. To be safe, it’s best to not comment on how nice and easy your shift has been until you clock out. To be extra safe, wait to say anything positive until you’re fully out of the parking lot.

No noodles!

To all the noodle lovers of the world – you’re not going to like this superstition. While this is not a common superstition in America, some countries believe that eating noodles during a shift is bad luck.

 

As a healthcare professional, do you believe in any of the superstitions listed above? We hope you enjoyed our spooky list of common superstitions in the healthcare industry. Again, have a Happy Halloween and don’t forget to search our open jobs if you’re looking to start your career with Favorite!