Nursing Lyfe 101

Nursing Superstitions: Fact, Fiction, or Full Moon?

• Nursing Lyfe 101 • Season 2 • Episode 1

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Welcome back to Nursing Lyfe 101 — Season 2 is officially in session! 🎉 In this hilarious and relatable premiere, Christopher and Colby dive into the weird, wild, and downright spooky world of nursing superstitions — from the infamous Q-word that jinxes your shift to the full moon frenzy every nurse swears is real.


They swap stories about sports rituals, haunted hospital halls, “black cloud” coworkers, and why you should never order Chinese food on shift. Plus, in this episode’s Medical News Minute, they discuss a cutting-edge non-opioid pain management approach making waves in emergency medicine.


Whether you’re superstitious, skeptical, or somewhere in between, this episode brings laughs, insight, and a dose of nursing culture you’ll instantly recognize. Knock on wood — it’s a good one!


If this spoke to you, follow and share with a teammate. Subscribe and leave a quick review so more nurses can find us and join the conversation.

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Christopher:

Hello, and welcome back to Nursing Lyfe 101. We're so excited to kick off season two with all of you. I'm Christopher.

Colby:

And I'm Colby. Together we're diving back into the world of nursing, sharing real stories, practical tips, and plenty of laughs along the way. Whether you're tuning in from your commute, your night shift, or your post-charting recovery nap, we're thrilled to have you here.

Christopher:

Last season, we covered everything from teamwork to interviews--but for our season 2 premeire, we're taking a fun turn.

Colby:

That's right. Today we're talking about superstitions. Those little beliefs and rituals nurses swear by.

Christopher:

You know, like the moment someone says the Q-word.

Colby:

Don't say it.

Christopher:

And chaos unfolds.

Colby:

What is a superstition?

Christopher:

Superstition is a belief or practice that stems from the idea that certain actions, objects, or events can bring good or bad luck, often without any scientific or logical basis. It usually connects cause and effect in ways that aren't supported by evidence, but are passed down through culture, tradition, or personal experience.

Colby:

It's kind of like old wives' tales.

Christopher:

Yeah.

Colby:

Also, I think it's funny because in the context of like what we're going to talk about today, I think a lot of superstitions in healthcare are usually around negative things, like the Q-word. But I was trying to nope. It's like Voldemort. Um You did.

Christopher:

Wow. It's like gosh.

Colby:

I laugh in the face of danger.

Christopher:

Yeah, you do.

Colby:

Um, but I was thinking of like, I don't know, I was trying, I was like talking about the recording earlier and what we were gonna what our topic was. And I was like, yeah, and I was like, you know, it's usually a negative. I was doing like defining superstitions by my own definition. And I was like, yeah, it's usually like a negative thing where you believe something's gonna happen if you do something or you say something. And then I was like, it like hit me as soon as I was done explaining my definition, and I was like, oh wait, but there's positive superstitions too. I was like, you know, like and the only thing.

Christopher:

Is there what like which one?

Colby:

The all and I can't think of healthcare related again. Okay, but positive ones I always think of sports. So if I'm like, oh, I always have to wear this shirt and like and my team wins, but like that the one time I didn't wear that shirt, they lost. Or like when you're like in the ninth inning, it's all tied up, the bases are loaded, and people put their caps on in reverse.

Christopher:

Yeah, in like a weird way. Yeah.

Colby:

Yeah, yeah. So those are positive uh superstitions.

Christopher:

I mean, I had a lot for baseball. One. I always did not step on the foul line. That's a normal one.

Colby:

I think a lot of people have that one.

Christopher:

A lot of people have that one. But I also had my my pre-ritual poop.

Colby:

Gotta clean it out before we get out there.

Christopher:

I needed to make sure I was, you know.

Colby:

We couldn't have any emergencies in the outfield.

Christopher:

And this stemmed it uh so the experience that it stemmed from was my mom was being a great mom, and she fed me spaghetti, which was wonderful.

Colby:

Carbo loaded, ready to go.

Christopher:

Yep. And then for dessert, you want to know what she had for dessert? I'm scared. Ice cream, strawberries with whipped cream.

Colby:

The whipped cream got you messed up.

Christopher:

And as many of you know, baseball is in the summer where it's not cold.

Colby:

And that that dairy curdled up in there. Oh my gosh. Gross.

Christopher:

And I was a catcher at the time.

Colby:

Oh no. Not in squat formation already. You're begging for it. Dang.

Christopher:

I was like, well, and I did. I went to the bathroom in mid-game.

Colby:

Like, I gotta get up.

Christopher:

I gotta go. I'm not gonna make it.

Colby:

Did you guys have a backup catcher?

Christopher:

They did, yeah. Thank God. And you know, the the rule is once you're subbed out, you're not supposed to be able to come back in.

Colby:

Oh, how early in the game was this?

Christopher:

I can't remember. It's it's been a while. Um it was like pressure. I'm sure my dad is over here telling the story a different way, I'm sure. Because, anyways, I I got back and they let me back in.

Colby:

Oh they were like, it was a medical emergency.

Christopher:

It was. It was not only a medical emergency, you just didn't want to have the cleaning up of bodily fluids. Oh, yeah. This is probably this is way to you by, but it was not Forbed at all.

Colby:

That's okay. We're all in healthcare here, so we know about the Bristol stool chart. Definitely kicking it off with a bang for the first episode back. Welcome back, season two. Hello.

Christopher:

Christopher is honest.

Colby:

Full open book over here.

Christopher:

But but because of that, I had my pre-ritual poop because I was like, I'm not having this happen again.

Colby:

Uh yeah, you yeah, you gotta make sure it's never gonna happen to you one time. That's it.

Christopher:

Now I would love to say that because I did that, we won every game, but that's not true.

Colby:

But you never almost pooped your pants in the field again.

Christopher:

100% never did that again.

Colby:

I think like overall, I'm not a very superstitious person.

Christopher:

Really?

Colby:

Yeah, I'm not.

Christopher:

Man, I'm all about it.

Colby:

Like, I'm like, you fully lean in. I agree. I think like I mean, there's something to it, right? Like, it's inevitable, but I'm not the kind of person that like if somebody accidentally says the keyword that's like screaming in the nurse's station, like, oh my god, I can't believe you said that now.

Christopher:

I come out of the office.

Colby:

Christopher's in the office doing manager work, and someone he heard he hears the keyword. He's like, You're you're kidding me. You're he drops everything, he slams the fire. You're fired, slams the laptop, flips the desk. He's yelling at everybody.

Christopher:

It's true.

Colby:

Okay, question.

Christopher:

Okay.

Colby:

Do you think that those reactions to those words contribute to creating the chaos that then ensues?

Christopher:

Oh, 100% of those.

Colby:

Okay, I was gonna say, and I've never thought about it until just now, but I'm like, aren't you kind of creating the chaos?

Christopher:

Yeah.

Colby:

I also would say, like, I I try, I'm not like, and that does, and when I say I'm not superstitious, I'm not out here like testing my luck either. Like I'm not at work on a very chilled day. Oh, yeah, just saying, wow, guys, it's so quiet in here today. Like, I am not testing the luck by any means, but I'm not, I'm not like screaming and carrying on. Um, and I do work with people that do, not just you. Like I work with people who literally are like, Jesus, like I'm backing away from the mic because literally, like when I say they're like screaming about it. Like even when someone like completely innocent, like a fan, like patient's family member says, Oh, it seems quiet up here. Like the person I'm that comes to mind is like creating a scene. Like it is, I'm like, I'm embarrassed for them. But they they they do it.

Christopher:

Well, but the thing is, I'm okay if a patient says it.

Colby:

Yeah. Oh, and then you can do like a little lighthearted, like, oh, don't say that.

Christopher:

Yeah, whoopsie, you shouldn't have said that.

Colby:

You're not gonna say You're gonna be okay. Yeah, I hope you're gonna be okay because you won't see me for the next four hours.

Christopher:

I mean, but it's true.

Colby:

Yeah, no, and it definitely it definitely could be like that for sure.

Christopher:

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I mean, so outside of nursing, is there anything that you like lean into in terms of superstitions?

Colby:

I know. Again, I'm like try I've been trying to think all day of like what's what's something that like I always do. And I think this is funny because when I was talking to the person about it earlier, like giving them a little like sneak peek, um, we started talking about like like checking, make sure the door is locked before you go to bed, like three times. And we were like we were saying different things along those lines, and I was like, you know what? I don't think that's superstition, I think that's obsessive compulsive disorder. I was like, that's OCD, which I do have. You know, I was like, but that's not a superstition, and I just want to make sure that you that that I was like talking to the person I was like, I just want to realize that that's not superstition.

Christopher:

Yeah, it is.

Colby:

I was like, that's a clinical diagnosis. But I think a lot of people get them confused.

Christopher:

Well, I mean they're very close because they're experiences that are similar.

Colby:

I mean, because you have you you have to do something. I mean, you create your own superstition when you have really bad OCD. Like you tell yourself you have to do this thing, otherwise this bad thing is gonna happen. And like, is that not what we just described as superstition as but it's like take like a OCD is like one step further.

Christopher:

You cannot sleep if you have this problem.

Colby:

Yeah, exactly. Do you out outside of the Q word, what are some like every single like time you hear it or it happens?

Christopher:

Like normal day things?

Colby:

Yeah. I think an not to like sideline you, you keep thinking, but I think another thing that I thought of as a superstition can also be confused as like your ritual, or like your ritual can be your super like a superstition. Like if you didn't do your ritual, then like ah, like now it's n like things aren't going my day's my way because I didn't do what I normally do. So I guess like whatever your ritual is could be a superstition.

Christopher:

Yeah. I mean, I guess technically.

Colby:

Yeah.

Christopher:

Yeah.

Colby:

Like for me, like if I uh I always set like three alarms in the morning, but I'm not the kind of person that like snoozes through them. Though I'm like up on the first alarm, but the uh the next two alarms kind of just like keep me in line for my timeline in the morning.

Christopher:

Oh, okay, yeah.

Colby:

And um, but like I have I have a ritual, I have a routine. And like whenever I deviate from that routine, forget to set the alarms. Like then I'm like, I have like just a terrible day. Like it starts off as that, and then like it's just a kaleidoscope or like a domino effect, or just like bad day. But I guess that's not really a superstition. I think most of the superstitions outside of work for me would like revolve around sports. It's the easiest like connection I can make.

Christopher:

Yeah, I I would I definitely correlate the two sports and superstitions.

Colby:

Mm-hmm. They go hand in hand. Like in the beginning of playoffs for the World Series, I was watching games with different like groups of friends, and there's one person I was watching some of the games with, and he was like an absolute nut. Like he they were playing well while he was like standing in one corner of his apartment watching the TV, and then he moved to go do something, and then they started playing like shit, and he was like, Oh my god, where was I standing before? And like went back to the spot and was like, Okay, I think I was like in this position with like my hand on this hip. Yeah. And I was like, oh lord, this is nuts.

Christopher:

Well, I mean, I just remember I had literally one pair of white pants, baseball pants, and one pair of gray baseball pants. Because my high school's colors was um blue and white with the gray as like the undercoat, undertone. And I wouldn't let we were supposed to like leave our pants for our coach to watch them, wash them.

Colby:

Oh, okay.

Christopher:

Nope.

Colby:

You're like, no, my mom will do that. Thank you. She knows how to get all the stains out.

Christopher:

Well that and I was like, I don't I just I want my pants to be just right so that it'll be just fine that they're off.

Colby:

Or and not mixed up with somebody else. Someone else is wearing your pants, and then you're wearing the wrong size.

Christopher:

This is bad. This is bad.

Colby:

Like it's gonna throw the whole flow off.

Christopher:

Yeah, you can't do that. Like, what what is that? What do you think? Think I'm an amateur? Another thing uh sports related is um I'm a Yankee fan, and it's okay. Y'all can stop booing. Um Lord, I just could hear it. It's just um but anyways. I remember when my dad and I were it was the last World Series, the Yankees won. And we were watching TV. We would watch TV outside because we wanted to get the full experience to make sure they knew we were watching. Like like they really cared.

Colby:

They didn't know.

Christopher:

And it wasn't that cold because I'm not from New York.

Colby:

Yeah. Several states away.

Christopher:

Several. And I was like, well, you know, and I I remember we had a blanket, we had a whole thing.

Colby:

Oh, I love October baseball. Okay, to get us back on track, what do you think, what do you think these beliefs, like, how do you think they affect us? Do they think that they're helping us cope, or do you think they make people more paranoid?

Christopher:

I think it helps our paranoia by making us more paranoid.

Colby:

Yeah, like it's like a positive effect on paranoia. Like it's definitely increased paranoia, but like it kind of gives you like a energy focus.

Christopher:

Right. It gives you something stupid to focus on.

Colby:

Yeah.

Christopher:

When we're sitting here trying to keep people alive. And quite literally, people could die. And it's just it's those Q-words, those little things that it's like, okay, this is why we do it. Yeah. So really just give us a little out and focus on something else.

Colby:

Yeah, it's a little bit of um uh it's a little bit of like lightheartedness in a serious environment when you need it. I think for sure it's helpful. Um, and it's also like just part of your cult uh part of the healthcare culture. Like it's just part of our culture. Um, yeah. So outs we so we mentioned the Q-word or quiet quite a few times. And actually, I will Christopher and I just went on a trip before we started um recording the podcast again. We took one quick trip um and we were visiting New York City actually, and we were walking around in the morning, and I was like, wow, it's actually kind of quiet out here. And he was like, I can't believe you just said that.

Christopher:

I did just say that, yeah.

Colby:

And I was like, We're not even at the hospital, it's fine. I got a wear. And that's where that's a perfect example of Christopher being super superstitious and me being like, I'm not that superstitious.

Christopher:

Monday was terrible.

Colby:

This past Monday?

Christopher:

Yes.

Colby:

Do you think it's because I said something about being quiet?

Christopher:

Monday wasn't really that bad. I just wanted to say something about it.

Colby:

Did it have anything to do with any superstitions? No, no, no, no, no.

Christopher:

No, it really wasn't that bad. It wasn't bad at all. I just wanted to make you feel bad for saying that.

Colby:

And I was that one, I was worked Monday as well. Okay, but there's other there's other workplace superstitions that people experience. Um, and one uh one that I have experienced and I do believe true blue is the full moon effect. I fully believe that the full moon 100% is gonna make you have a nuts-oh shift. And I've only experienced it before. It killed me.

Christopher:

Well, I mean, not literally, but it was close.

Colby:

Um spiritually and emotionally, I was I was brought down.

Christopher:

Not the spiritually.

Colby:

Spiritually and emotionally, had um one of the roughest shifts I've ever had in my entire life.

Christopher:

I mean, okay, can you can you explain?

Colby:

It was like it was like, and it was, I mean, because in your career, if you work night shift, you're gonna work many full moon shifts. I worked night shift for like eight years. You can imagine how many full moons I worked. They're always crazy. But like the one specifically that I'm thinking of was it was um it was a cataclysmic oh my goodness, big word um cataclysmic sorry throw it off there cacophony of shit going down at the same time that like just like it it was one of it was like I was traveling, okay. Let me set the scene. It was my first travel contract um that I was floated off of the COVID unit. So I'm like already doing COVID contracts, which is like that was a nightmare in itself. But then we were um somehow overstaffed that night and they floated me to the step down of the stick you, so like the acute trauma unit. Okay, okay. Not only that, but it was Halloween weekend. Okay, okay, full moon weekend and and it was the mothercluckin time change. So I was working a 13 plus hour shift because oh okay because we had to work an extra hour.

Christopher:

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Colby:

That killed me. Wait, did I have to work one extra hour or one less? Because it was fall. Spring or fall back. I had to work an hour. No, no, fall back. You fall back, you you redo the hour.

Christopher:

No, yeah. Yeah, yeah, you redo the hour. Because you spring forward. Yeah, you're right.

Colby:

Yeah, so I worked a whole extra hour. I was on the trauma step down unit, which was like all people with like brain injuries. So I had this one girl who was so confused. She was like in her early 30s, she had gotten into a terrible car accident.

Christopher:

Uh-huh.

Colby:

She ripped her C collar off. Oh, Lord. She needed an in-person sitter, but they didn't have any, so they gave her a telly sitter. And she had Of course that didn't work. She had the floor mats on, like she had three out of four bedrails up, like the two bottom ones and one of the top ones. So she only had one of the small, skinny ones down. This this person flipped herself over the rails, pulled, like pulled her seat collar off, flipped herself over the rails onto the floor, onto the floor mats, and ripped her foley out in the process. And I'm I had bent she had like two second memory. So like I had not, I had five patients, and they were all super high acuity. Five patients. Five patients with this one with this girl who was like every five seconds she was screaming her head off.

Christopher:

That's wild. This is wild.

Colby:

It was like the most negligent assignment, right? So I like finally, I was like, I hadn't seen the other four people and they still had to pass meds. It was like 9 45 and I'm like because I could not get out of this person's room. So I was like, okay. Like I I like was like I put her, I made her as safe as I possibly could. I told the charge nurse, I was like, hey, like I need to move on because I haven't seen anybody else. It's 9 45. No one's helping me. Right, right. Because I'm, you know, I'm the traveler nurse. No one gives a crap about me.

Christopher:

No, because you're making all the money.

Colby:

Yeah. So no money was enough that night. And I was in the next room with this poor kid, also probably mid-20s. He had gotten to a terrible car accident, broke both of his um orbital bones. So his face was like swollen like a pumpkin. He couldn't even open his eyes, and he was so sweet. He was like terrible accidents. Level one trauma center outside of DC. So he's like, he's sitting there and he's like crying, telling me how thankful he is for all the care that he's been getting from the nursing staff. And all of a sudden I hear the freaking tele sitter alarm going off. Like and I can't leave this poor man who's crying. He's thinking he's telling me how thankful he is. And I'm like, oh my God. I'm thinking I'm like trying to listen to him and be present, and I know what's going on out there. And I'm like praying somebody goes and gets this girl. I come out. There's like I mean, and mind you, like the alarms have been going off for a solid probably three minutes. Okay. And I no one's in the room. She's laying on the ground. Nobody went.

Christopher:

Are you kidding me?

Colby:

It was a mess. The poor, the poor. I mean, I mean, I felt terrible for the patient, like both of them, obviously, and my other ones who had been consistently ignored since the moment I got there. Um, but I was just like so overwhelmed with everything that was going on, and I needed to get my med passed done, and I just started crying. And I don't cry. It was like the first time I'd cried since my first um shift as like as a new grad, like not my first shift that I ever cried as a new grad. And I hadn't cried since. This is like eight years later. And I'm like, I'm sitting there like in the med room, just sobbing, and the charge nurses didn't know what to do with me. And I was like, I'm fine. I'm more crying out of frustration. Like it was terrible. That day will go down in infamy. I literally told them, I was like, if you ever float me to this floor again, I swear to God. Um, I did go back to that floor many times, many times. And that's really I left, so I left that hospital, took contracts elsewhere, came back to that hospital. Everyone was so, oh my God, we're so happy to have you back. This is awesome in the float pool. Um, did my did like a bunch of like retraining stuff. And then I get my assignment for my first night as I'm pulling into the garage, and it's Oh no.

Christopher:

Did you call out?

Colby:

No, I went, I worked the shift. I said, Y'all must really fucking hate me because my first shift back and you're putting me on tax, which is like trauma acute care uh center, whatever. I was like, y'all are killing me. But it yeah, and then I I told everybody when I got to that floor, I was like, I've had the worst shifts of my life I've ever worked in my like nine years in nursing, eight years in nursing at the time. I was like, in my life I've ever worked on this unit. I was like, and you guys always give me the worst assignments. I like went off and then the charge nurse just kept checking on me all night. He was like, You good? Like, he was a different charge nurse. Yeah. He was like, You all right? You can't do anything. And I was like, I'm actually okay. But yeah, talk about like full moon effect, Halloween, time change, like in the trauma unit where everybody has a TBI and they're like 10 seconds Sam memory and like trying to kill themselves. Worst ship of my life. And I definitely like I will never say that the full moon doesn't have any effect because baby, it sure does.

Christopher:

That was a that was a full moon for sure. Yeah, no. Yeah, you just had the like trifecta.

Colby:

Yeah.

Christopher:

Full moon, extra hour, Halloween.

Colby:

I'm like shell-shocked right now, even just like having to like I'm reliving it. I'm like sitting here, I'm like, oh my god, it was so bad.

Christopher:

You know, one one superstition that tr kind of like translates into healthcare, which would have probably made your you would have died from that shit, is if it was a Friday, if it was a Friday the 13th.

Colby:

Oh yeah, like that's the last thing I would have made. Thank God Halloween and Friday the 13th can't be on the same day.

Christopher:

Oh yeah. I did not think that through. You're right.

Colby:

Um But I mean yeah. I mean Friday the 13th in October. Come on.

Christopher:

Yeah. So I mean, yeah, that would have that would have just put icing on the cake.

Colby:

Yeah. Okay. You you share some and then I'll see if any of mine have overlapped.

Christopher:

Oh, uh, I mean, in terms of like actual uh I'm just I'm at the present moment trying to stay away from nursing. Um in terms of superstitions. And I mean I don't I can't really think of any, so I guess if I translate into or transfer transition, there we go. Into nursing, I think that's fine. Oh no, I think that the this one also translates into nursing as well. Death comes in threes.

Colby:

Death comes in threes, yeah.

Christopher:

Like Malcolm Jamal Warner died.

Colby:

Actor, for anyone who doesn't know.

Christopher:

If you don't know, yeah.

Colby:

They're like, did you just give a patient name?

Christopher:

No. Yeah. Oh yeah. That was not a patient name. Um who else? It was two others. Who who followed? It was a wrestler.

Colby:

Hulk Hogan.

Christopher:

Okay. And then there was one other person.

Colby:

I feel bad for not remembering. I'm so sorry.

Christopher:

Yeah. Anyways, that was the most recent trio.

Colby:

Yeah. And then we'll then we just had Diane Keaton pass away recently. So now like we've got two more coming.

Christopher:

Yeah, we we anticipate two more.

Colby:

We anticipate two more. Yeah, like major, major losses. But that could also happen with your patients, like, especially in well, in in your patient population as well. Like you see the same transplant patients frequently. Um, and you know, some we see the same heart failure patients frequently. And you know, eventually, unfortunately, like what we can do for them, it comes to an end of a road. Um, and then all of a sudden I feel and I feel like it always happens this way. It's like, oh, someone you've been taking care of for years passes away. And then you're like, oh my God, then this one passed away. And oh my god, then this one passed away. Like it happens in threes, it happens in waves, it's very freaky. Definitely a superstition that I feel I will fully back up.

Christopher:

Oh, 100%.

Colby:

How about don't speak about that patient because then they're gonna then they're gonna get admitted. Yeah.

Christopher:

All the time.

Colby:

You're like, someone's like, you know who I haven't seen in a while? Mrs. So-and-so. And I'm like, Why? Why did you just say that?

Christopher:

Why did you just do that?

Colby:

Why did you do that?

Christopher:

Why? Like, you're getting the admission. Yeah. It's your fifth patient. I don't care.

Colby:

Like, you spoke it. As soon as I see their name on the ED board, it just guess what? You getting them get the prize. You're getting them. I'm all dad. I can't even tell you how many times that's happened. That has happened recently. Whereas the last weekend I worked, so we work like every three weekends on my unit. And like three weekends ago, I was working with one of our PAs with the heart failure team. And I was talking, we were looking at, we have like a list of LVAD patients in Epic that just like has them all there.

Christopher:

Yeah.

Colby:

Um, and I was just scrolling the list. I didn't click on any charts, but I was like, wow, some of these names I've never seen before. And you can see the date that they were implanted with their pump. Okay. And I'm like, oh my God, they've had a pump since 2017, and I don't even know this person. That's crazy. Yeah. So like I'm like, wow, that's that's wild. Because, you know, if you if you know anything about L VADS or like heart failure, like these patients come in all the time. So when you you get to know them very well. And that was just, we were remarking about how, like, oh wow, this this person's so healthy. We never see them. That's awesome. And then we got to a patient that I was like, you know what? And she's she is a frequent, has been a frequent flyer in the past. And we hadn't seen her in months. And I was like, oh no. And I was like, oh, look at that. And my PA was like, oh yeah, you know, oh no, I think she was the one that brought it up. She was like, you know who we haven't seen in a while? And I was like, don't say it. And she said it. And I was like, okay, why did you say that?

Christopher:

Why would you do that?

Colby:

And I kid you not.

Christopher:

It's because you're a PA, you're not a nurse.

Colby:

No. No.

Christopher:

You don't truly believe in these superstitions.

Colby:

No, no. So then, like, I was like, well, now she's gonna be here. And I sure as shit. Like, I'm not even kidding you. I was off maybe for like two days. I come back on Wednesday and I was like.

Christopher:

There she is.

Colby:

Dang it, you did this to us. I was like, I knew this was gonna happen. And we've been seeing her quite frequently again, this patient. She's she's been around the block a few times since we brought her up after not seeing her for a while. So it happens. You you talk about these patients you haven't seen in a while and you speak them into existence and like they they catch the vibe, and they're like, you know what? We're gonna follow that scent all the way to the ED and get admitted.

Christopher:

It's like the um the the rabbit of the rabbit, Bugs Bunny. Yeah, Bugs Bunny just, you know, drifts away. Or it wasn't Bugs Bunny, it's Tom and Jerry. Jerry drifts to the and Tom tries to get some. Um yeah. Exactly. I just can't. I can't I can't do that. And so it's funny because there is our one of our mutual friends, the tall one, um, and then you know who I thought. You know, him. Yeah.

Colby:

Him.

Christopher:

Not with the pointing out. Um he's charge, and he is not one to do superstitions. So I, you know, tried to tow the line.

Colby:

See like, let me see if I can make him believe today. Has anything ever worked?

Christopher:

Um I think he he just he's okay with not saying the Q-word. But you know, if he does, he's like, whatever.

Colby:

Not only the keyword, the S word.

Christopher:

Oh, oh, oh yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Colby:

Slow. That's a quick way to make things go fast.

Christopher:

You you need to speed up. Okay, we got you.

Colby:

Just say it's low.

Christopher:

Yeah, that's a an interesting one that we have to do ourselves about. Anything that is not a chaotic word. Because even like calm, I don't usually like to say. Um quiet, obviously. Um I did say it. I guess I was the first one to say it. Uh slow.

Colby:

And then um The only thing I say that doesn't like I don't know why I feel like it's safe to say, but I just say the vibes are chill.

Christopher:

Oh, that's fine.

Colby:

Yeah, why is that okay?

Christopher:

Yeah, that's fine.

Colby:

Everyone agrees, but it's so funny. I like you can't say quiet, you can't say calm, you can't say slow, but the vibes are chill.

Christopher:

And you can't say it's chill.

Colby:

No, the vibes. But the vibes. You have to comment on the vibes. Yeah, it's the vibes, not the it can't be like this like blanket statement of it's chill. No, you have to specifically comment on the vibes.

Christopher:

Yeah, I'm okay with that. 100%.

Colby:

That's so funny.

Christopher:

Anyway, so let's hop into our segment break.

Colby:

Segment break. Okay, it's time for our medical news minute, the part where we pretend we read more journals than TikTok comments.

Christopher:

Facts. I do read more journals than TikTok comments because I don't have some. Let's see what's new in medicine this week and how it might actually show up in our practice. So it's funny. Colby loves to send me crazy TikToks and Instagram reels.

Colby:

Instagram reels. Yeah.

Christopher:

Does Twitter have reels?

Colby:

They have something. I don't know what they call it.

Christopher:

Stories? They have stories, yeah.

Colby:

I have an idea. I don't know. I don't spend that much time on Twitter. But if I found a good yeah, if I found a good clip.

Christopher:

Yeah, you're sending it over.

Colby:

Yeah.

Christopher:

And Colby actually sent me this um was it was it Instagram? I don't know.

Colby:

It was an Instagram reel by uh Sanjay Gupta, who used to be Surgeon General, right?

Christopher:

Yeah, I know that.

Colby:

Okay, I'm gonna have to check myself real quick because that would be embarrassing. But anyways, he does um like uh stories for CNN now. He did one on hold on, let me just check Sanjay Gupta.

Christopher:

Because it would be really bad if this is not it.

Colby:

Sanjay Gupta is an American neurosurgeon, medical reporter, and writer. He serves as the associate chief of neurosurgery service, hold on, uh, at Greedy Memorial in Atlanta, which makes sense because that's where CNN is. He is an associate professor of Emory University School of Medicine and another.

Christopher:

He's also in South Carolina.

Colby:

In Atlanta.

Christopher:

Yeah, that's what I meant.

Colby:

He is a member of the National Academy of Medicine, a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the chief medical correspondent for CNN. Um, was he ever the Surgeon General? Am I losing my mind? I think I just associate him as that because he is the face of broadcast journalism and medicine in my eyes. Okay, so maybe he was oh, yeah, he was a surgeon general candidate. Oh, he was a candidate. Uh he had been considered for the position of Surgeon General by um President-elect Barack Obama back in 2009.

Christopher:

Okay.

Colby:

Um okay, so I wasn't that far off. Um he's a he's a brilliant guy. I've I've seen a lot of his um stories, and um I I'm always am interested in what he has to find and what he has to share with CNN. Um, but yeah, the specific story that we uh that that I came across was about um the rise of non-opioid analgesic approaches. And there was a ED physician in a New York City emergency department who had created a program using non-anal non-opioid, excuse me, analgesic um medicine um approach to treating patients. Um it it in basically he helped create a team of like anesthesiologists that were coming and doing like spinal tab or not spinal tabs, but spinal blocks, excuse me. Spinal tabs spinal tabs. Like I didn't get that spinal problem. Yeah, but coming in and doing like if someone like broke their hip, like an elderly person broke their hip instead of giving them like a bunch of morphine and dilaudid and you know, PO, yeah, fentanyl, PO Oxy, all this stuff, they're coming in and they're giving them a nerve block. And you know, the pain relief is almost instantaneous. And they interviewed patients like that were in the ED that had just had it done, and they were like, we feel great, like this was amazing. Why would why wouldn't we do it this way?

Christopher:

Right, right, right.

Colby:

Um, and not not only um nerve blocks, but they were also using other modalities, um, like uh Tylenol combinations, um, lidocaine infusions, that sort of thing. Um and I just thought that I was like, this is brilliant and so simple. Why isn't everybody doing this? Why isn't every emergency department in America utilizing this line, this class of drugs, this line of of providers?

Christopher:

Yeah.

Colby:

I mean when we have such an epidemic.

Christopher:

Well, and that's you know, that's why they should do it, right? It's because this whole opioid um epidemic is a real thing. And it has significantly devastated multiple families uh like around the around the world and not not only including the United States. But I don't think we have the manpower.

Colby:

I and I think, yeah, I think like when we talked about it, that's what it came down to. Like we don't have um the people to do it, or maybe we don't have the financial backing to create a team to do that, which is so sad because like if that's really what it came down to, like it's a money thing.

Christopher:

I mean, pharmaceuticals talk.

Colby:

Yeah.

Christopher:

I mean, you know, they have the money, they I mean they do. They're not gonna be.

Colby:

Yeah, if you can see the face I just made out, I was like, ah, yeah. It sucks. Big pharma rules us.

Christopher:

It does. It does. And I mean, there's there's reasons why there's certain treatment plans that are being used is because it's the biggest bang for the pharmacy's buck. Like it just isn't gonna work. And yes, we have this whole epidemic that we're having to deal with now, but money corrupts absolutely. Like it just does. Yeah. And so I don't know. I I would love to say that I would love to say that it could gain traction. I think it would it would literally be honestly, I think it would have to take nurses. Like nurses are gonna have to like step up and say we need to find a way to to help our patients because this is we are nurses, nurses are advocators for not only ourselves, but also our patients. And if you start to realize the impact that opioids create on maybe not your patient right now, but could be a patient later on, or you know, your co-worker's patient that happened to get strung out on it. Like it's a real thing.

Colby:

Yeah, it's it's um a harsh reality of of our world that we live in. And I just it's just it was just like when I came across it, and I think we should try and post a link to that reel when we post this podcast. That way, if people are interested, that they can look into it. And I I myself want to do more research um and see what that doctor and I w uh I wish I had it in front of me right now so that I could share the dot that doctor's name. So we'll we'll put the link in the bio of the podcast so you guys can check it out.

Christopher:

But of course we will, because I have it readily available.

Colby:

It's in our shared links somewhere. I will find it again if I need to, but um sarcastic impossible. But yeah, I think if I I would love to know, I would love to see what research is out there that that doctor has put has put out there because he did say that it was part of his research that he's doing. I just can't I just can't imagine a world where like we don't offer that as like a first line analgesic for for like the perfect example of like someone of an elderly person who fell fell and broke their hip. Because like when we give when we give that population opioids, they it can make them go nuts. Like we've all seen it. We've all seen grandpa get a little bit of morphine and then all of a sudden he's swinging his arms and trying to knock knock out his nurses because he doesn't know what the heck's going on. Like it's way too much for him. But if we hadn't given it to him, the poor guy would be screaming in pain. And you're like, there's we don't want to leave him in pain either. But like, okay, why is it so often that like a nerve block is like our last, our last, like I mean, there has to be pain control.

Christopher:

There has to be something we don't see, right? Like there has to be.

Colby:

There's an uh again, probably comes down to money and time and the right person to do that procedure. Like, I feel like the only time I've ever really seen nerve blocks on patients, it's like they've been in pain, nothing's working. We've tried all kinds of like PO, IV, staggering, you know, everything from Tylenol to Delaudid to, you know, everything in between. I think then then eventually, like, we're like, can we consult acute pain service? Like, what are we doing here? And then like then they give a recommendation for a certain like multimodality of of PO and IV medications. And like even a nerve block isn't even the first thing that I see in notes from them. Like it's usually like we've tried for days, even once they've been consulted and given the recommendations before they say, okay, I guess we'll do a nerve block now.

Christopher:

Yeah, I mean, but I think and correct me if I'm wrong. And I very well could be. I mean, it's a nerve block is you you are you're introducing a needle inside of uh of your spinal column, correct?

Colby:

Yeah, I think so. So like at some point on in the nerve root. Right.

Christopher:

And so like that is like maybe that's just too high risk. That is a very high risk in my mind.

Colby:

Like you're but then we're out here giving epidurals to pregnant people, like it's candy, you know? It's like, well, how dangerous is it?

Christopher:

Yeah.

Colby:

It's like it's like not that dangerous if they can get them.

Christopher:

That a person bringing another person into the world could have it.

Colby:

Yeah, right. So it's like I see what they're if that if that's the case, we don't know. Like we this is like very surface level research that we've done. It's oh, I watched a I watched this Instagram reel, check it out. Yeah, let's talk about the podcast. We didn't do any research research, just a topic of conversation to talk to speak about. But like if that is the case, and if anybody has any like light that they could shed on that for us, um would love to hear, write it in.

Christopher:

I can just hear my PA friend. He's like, You idiots. I already know it. And the thing is, he's gonna come into the uh podcast this this semester.

Colby:

The semester, the season. Well, we can call it a semester. Yeah.

Christopher:

Yes.

Colby:

Yeah, I oh I can't wait for that one. That's gonna be great. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Christopher:

I'm so ready.

Colby:

I'm so ready to get schooled. Um, but yeah, it's it's really interesting if anybody can shine any light or if they want to share their opinion or whatever, like totally open-minded. Would love to hear more about it. Um would love to tell you you're wrong. That's okay. If I'm wrong, I'm wrong. You know, I wouldn't have known if you didn't tell me. But um, we'll definitely post the link. Um, let us know what you guys think about it. I think like for face value, sounds pretty cool. Sounds like that's what we should do.

Christopher:

Yeah, for sure. I think I think it's definitely something that could be beneficial. And and you know, we said lidocaine infusions. People use ketamine infusions too.

Colby:

Yeah. Like for lots of things.

Christopher:

For a lot of things.

Colby:

Yeah.

Christopher:

Um, but I mean, we've done it in transplant service.

Colby:

Mm-hmm. Yeah. I mean, we we have we've done it for a lot of different stuff. I mean, it's very useful.

Christopher:

Yeah.

Colby:

Um, but uh still um an opioid. Or is it a benzo? What is ketamine?

Christopher:

Ketamine's not an opioid.

Colby:

No, it's something.

Christopher:

Um And this is why I can probably really emphasize the fact that even though you're learning all these things, all these pharmaceutical names and classes in nursing school, you will forget 80 to 85% of that.

Colby:

Yeah, basically you'll figure out what your specialty is and um just learn what those ones are, and then the rest are just like sidelines. Yep. Okay, let's see. Actually, I looked it up for out of curiosity. Um, it is a controlled substance, but it is a powerful disassociative anesthetic with hallucinogenic effects. Yeah, I was like, I don't think it's uh not an opioid, it's an aesthetic, but be careful. Be careful. All right, that's it for this week's medical news minute. Thanks for staying current with us.

Christopher:

Now let's get back to the stories, the shifts, and the chaos that makes nursing what it is. All right. Time to talk about the ones that always make you side-eye your coworker.

Colby:

Because every nurse knows the second you say it, it's quiet tonight, the universe hears you.

Christopher:

So we'll kind of talk about some different nursing things. And we've we've already hit a couple, like the full moon, frenzy, the Q-word. But have you ever heard, and I don't think I have that in our little notes, tying a knot in a patient's bed helps to ward off a dying patient?

Colby:

No, like to keep like their their circle in the drain. What are you tying a knot on a sheet?

Christopher:

Yeah, in the in on the bottom right sheet.

Colby:

Oh, like tying them in, like, so it's like mimicking, like, I'm tying you down, buddy. You ain't going nowhere today.

Christopher:

Well, you don't tie them to the sheet, but like you just tie them. I mean, I I guess that's where it comes from. I'm I've never I've never seen that before. I've never seen it, but I've I've heard our friend, the tall one, um also has heard of this one. Oh, he has? Yeah.

Colby:

I wonder if it's regional. Like, you know how like But he some might have be like a He was around here.

Christopher:

Oh, okay when he got his nursing license.

Colby:

I wonder also if there's like I'm sure there's superstitions that differ from hospital versus like nursing home.

Christopher:

Ooh, there we go.

Colby:

I could see that being like a a nursing home thing because it feels very old wives' tale to me.

Christopher:

Yeah, but I mean and I'm also going with the old wives tale. Open that window.

Colby:

When someone passes, oh my gosh, open the window. Yeah, but most windows don't open these days.

Christopher:

I know. Let me lead you to the story that makes me believe we need to open windows.

Colby:

Okay.

Christopher:

I was working at night shift in a nursing home where I was taking care of 20 plus patients.

Colby:

I feel like you're holding a flashlight under your chin.

Christopher:

Yeah, I am. It's October and I hate scary, but I'm telling this campfire story. And so I walk into the the unit and it was the 300 wing. And I'm I'm going and getting people to bed, brushing people's teeth, you know, doing the whole thing. And I found out that Mama Joe, I don't remember her actual name. Mama Jo left us.

Colby:

Oh, yeah. And I was like, Yeah.

Christopher:

And I was like, oh, poor Mama Joe. And so, you know, we we did the things, we did the calls, and it starts to rain outside. And I'm like, oh, you know, I I love me a thunderstorm. Yeah. Let me see the lightning, let me hear the thunder. I'm all for it. Well, next thing I know, the exit door at the very end.

Colby:

Does it just bust open? Bust open. Shut up. I was joking.

Christopher:

Bust open. I was like, and I'm the only one. It's like reps. I'm the only one. I know. And they're like, Christopher, you gotta go close the door. I'm saying, no, I wasn't. Somebody else, yeah. Y'all can go close it. And because I don't like scary things, and I do I was like, it's not happening. I'm not doing it. I did not close that door. Somebody else did. But that door was open by something.

Colby:

Yeah, I'd be scared. I'd be pooping my pants. I did.

Christopher:

And so I walk into Mama Joe's old room and realize her window was not open.

Colby:

She said she had to get out.

Christopher:

She was out. She sure enough did.

Colby:

So see ya. Yeah. She threw up the deuces and pushed her way out that she made her way out. Yeah, that's terrifying. The first time I ever um had a patient pass and had to do postmortem care and everything, I was in an older hospital and we did our our windows did open. And um, it was in my second nursing job. So not the first one. The first hospital I worked in was like brand new. The windows did not open. The second nursing job, we were in an older part of the hospital. Um, and the windows did open. We had someone pass, and we were it was my first time doing postmortem care. And um, you know, it's awkward the first time you do it. You don't it's you know, it's very uncomfortable and you you don't know what to do and how to do it. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. It's just it's just weird. But I was with a seasoned um nursing tech, and she was she was just walking me through it. She was like, pull up your britches, girl. Let's get to work. Um and the funny thing is she was younger than me. Um and I was like, okay. Um and then we were almost done. And I was like, all right, cool. Well, like, thanks for helping me. And she's like, wait, like, what? And she's like, we have to open up the window. And I was like, oh, she's like, open the window. I was like, okay, okay. Like I'm like freaking out. I'm like, what? What's that about? Like, what do I open the window for? Like, I don't think we're allowed to open these windows. Like, what? We always yell at the show. She was like, we have to let out the spirit. And I was like, oh, okay. I see what you're doing here. It all makes sense now.

Christopher:

It's important.

Colby:

It's important because you want to know what happens when they close up those windows and they don't let people open them anymore. I mean, all for good reason. I know why they keep the windows closed nowadays, and it's you know, not for the worst things that you're thinking about, but you know, the very baseline is regulate temperature in the hospital.

Christopher:

But oh, I didn't even think about that. I was I was thinking the worst.

Colby:

We don't need to speak on that. That's a supercision, but um is the hospital is haunted.

Christopher:

Oh yeah. And specifically on the Wait, we we're gonna talk about this uh next year.

Colby:

Next year.

Christopher:

The haunting, the hauntings of the hospital is a next year too.

Colby:

We'll save it for another podcast. We'll save it for next October, but it's haunted. That's all I'll say.

Christopher:

Oh gosh. Yeah. I I mean I 100% there's a reason why we sage the place now or ourselves. Oh superstition.

Colby:

Oh, there it is. Oh my god. Okay, okay. Here's one that's not on our list either. But like there's sometimes you work with someone that has a the black the black cloud above them. Like it's just like does not matter. And it's not like the hyperchondriac kind of like where like I'm always having it's always me that has the worst shift. Like, there's that person that legitimately always does have that worst shift.

Christopher:

And you know, you know that person.

Colby:

You know that person. Sometimes that person is you, and um Yeah, if you don't know that person, it's you. If you don't know, you're like, who could that be? Who's that that I work with? It's you if you don't know.

Christopher:

So sorry.

Colby:

Um, it was me at one point.

Christopher:

It was.

Colby:

It was uh it was bad. And I had a manager that was like, girl, you need to go sage yourself or something. And I was like, I'm getting on Amazon right now and I'm ordering a smudge stick. Like we I'm doing it. Like it's been so bad, like lately. Like I was having like weekly codes, just like absolute chaotic shifts, like staff, like last-minute call outs, shitty staffing, like patients like acting a fool, like having to do behavioral emergency response team calls. Like it was so bad. So I elected Christopher um to stage me in nature. We went to nature because we wanted to leave those negative spirits and black clouds behind.

Christopher:

Behind.

Colby:

Um, and so we hiked a mountain and found a quiet spot and I made Christopher sage me. But let me tell you, it worked.

Christopher:

And they had a little gypsy house around too.

Colby:

Yeah, yeah. It was like a little fairy house. A little fairy house. Um, so we felt like it was like a good spot to do it. We were like, there's you know, there's a lot of like magical stuff going on over here. Let's try this spot.

Christopher:

Just keep it away.

Colby:

Um so I think if you were that person with the black cloud or you know that person with the black cloud, like get sage or be the real one. Be the real one, offer to sage that person because it works. And I still have that sage smudge stick. And you know, if I ever need it, actually, I don't know where it is. It's somewhere. I know I have it somewhere. We I moved, so I don't know where exactly where it's at.

Christopher:

You need to find that second.

Colby:

I know. Now that we're talking about it, I'm gonna have a freaking black cloud. I'm gonna order another one right now. But that is like that talk about a superstition, like that sage stick saved my life because I was like, I don't know how long I can go on like this for. I can't do this anymore.

Christopher:

It was rough. I I would hear Colby's stories and I'd be like, are you good? Like, what is going down? It was bad.

Colby:

Like, who did you anger? What spirits did you upset?

Christopher:

It was bad. It was bad.

Colby:

Yeah, I had a very dark cloud.

Christopher:

Very.

Colby:

I feel like I work with someone now who has like the worst days ever, and I'm gonna say I'm gonna offer, I'm gonna ask her if she wants to be saged. Do you wanna mean it's like, do you want to be saved? No, it's do you want to be saged?

Christopher:

Yeah, that that's wild. I I can't. Another um one that calling a skill easy.

Colby:

Oh yeah. Well, oh just being too braggy. Okay, but go ahead and tell yourself.

Christopher:

Yeah, just today. Talking about too b too braggy. I'm gonna be honest. A skill that I'm really good at is putting in IVs. That that is my thing.

Colby:

We've spoken on it before.

Christopher:

Yes. I I I personally have taken a oath to be practiced at taking IVs and putting them in. Like it that's my thing. I have a I was doing a mobile drip today, and as I go to do the mobile drip, I went and got the bag from the drip bar from the actual store. And the nurse there that helped prepare it was like, I didn't get any of the like actual IVs. Do you want to get some? I was like, Yeah. Because I forgot my mobile bag here in the apartment. So I need everything. And I was like, I'm just gonna get one IV because I gotta go. I this is yeah, I've got I gotta go. I've gotten this person before. This is like I got this. I've stuck this person multiple times with no problem. And she was like, Are you sure? And she she kept doubting me, and as soon as she kept doubting me, I was like, The patient or the nurse? The nurse, the nurse. I was like, oh, dang it. I'm like, okay, I'll I'll bring a second one. I get there, talk to the um client, and was like just talking away, and my my work phone started beeping. And I'm like, oh my gosh, why is my work phone? And she was like, Are you okay? I'm like, yeah, I'm just I'm trying to focus and and get this IV to and then I'll I'll I'll worry about the um work phone. And I go to stick her and I missed.

Colby:

Scandal.

Christopher:

Scandal! As soon as I left my client's house, I sent a text message to that nurse and it was like, you jinx to me. How dare you!

Colby:

That's that's a hit to your ego.

Christopher:

Oh, I was humbled very quickly. And I don't like that.

Colby:

So humbled. Dang.

Christopher:

Meanwhile, an hour after I'm talking about how good I okay.

Colby:

I similarly am really good at putting in folies. Oh. Like I can I can get a foley in any lady. Oh, and if you know anything about putting in a foley, men, pff, whatever. Women, let me tell you, their anatomy is not all the same. I mean, and neither is a man's. I've seen some quote, yeah.

Christopher:

Yeah, yeah.

Colby:

But a woman is like always a mystery. Okay.

Christopher:

Like, yeah.

Colby:

Talk about superstitions. The woman's anatomy is one big superstition. I can nail it though. Like, and if anyone needs help with a fully, they're like, get Colby, she can do it.

Christopher:

Yeah.

Colby:

Hell yeah, I can. Uh, there there was one time where I like walked in, I was so confident. I was like, yeah. Okay, okay, whatever. No. Uh-uh. No. Nope. Every time. I was like, what how many are there down? I was like, what is happening? And finally I was like, leave that one in there so I don't go to that place again. And that's a trick, in case you didn't know. Like if you're in a really tricky spot, I don't often have to use it because you know, I'm like, I'm in. Ding, ding, ding. Week wink, weak wink, wink, wink, wink, wink, wink. Okay, so many in you in this. Um yeah, you can leave the you can leave the catheter in the wrong spot so that you know that's not the direction to go.

Christopher:

Right.

Colby:

Not best practice, but like if it's really tricky to go go ahead and do that. Um, but yeah, I have been like overly hyped um once and did not get it. But you want to know what? I was humbled, but you know what? Urology even had a hard time. Because at that point I was like, if I can't do it, then none of y'all jokers can do it. Let's get urology consulted. And urology was like, oh my God, we need a scope.

Christopher:

A scope?

Colby:

And they were like, we don't know what's going on here. I think she ended up having like fistula. So you know, um, I think that was really what the problem was. So it wasn't really on my skills, it was on the patient's anatomy, but whatever. Whatever, you you know, whatever.

Christopher:

Interesting.

Colby:

Just sharing. But I do, I do, I can sympathize. I can sympathize.

Christopher:

Yeah, well, I appreciate it. So we actually asked a couple of our followers about some nursing superstitions and what they believe really are some of their like really top ones. And one that I was very interested to hear was uh a good friend of mine. They had a nursing superstition of never ordering Chinese food.

Colby:

Oh yeah. That's uh I had a lot of questions when we spoke about that.

Christopher:

Yeah, and I never actually like fully dove into why, but um, this particular nurse works in the ED um and does a lot of ED nursing, and she said that every time the ED would order Chinese takeout, things would hit the fan.

Colby:

It was over. It was done. And they never got to eat the food, I'll tell you that.

Christopher:

Right, yeah. It w lunch break was not had.

Colby:

The Chinese food was cold and unedible by the time their shift was over.

Christopher:

Exactly.

Colby:

That is a weird one.

Christopher:

So that that's and she said she tried multiple times and you know, like multiple days. Like it wasn't, it didn't matter what day. As long as you ordered Chinese food, it was going to go down.

Colby:

So no more Chinese food for that emergency department.

Christopher:

Yep. Sorry. And I'm sorry if you're I don't think I've ever had a food-related superstition.

Colby:

I don't think so either.

Christopher:

I do like to eat my fries before I eat my burger or like Yeah, but you're a weirdo who eats like each piece of food different.

Colby:

You eat like all of the sides and then the main course for everything.

Christopher:

Well, I and I've told you the reason why is because the sides get cooler faster. So I want to eat them while they're warm.

Colby:

We digress.

Christopher:

I'm just saying. Um, another one was not printing the assignment until staffing has been completed.

Colby:

Right. And that's not my thing. But I I'm also like a prepare for any kind of situation.

Christopher:

So, like Of course you are.

Colby:

I've got the assignment as if it's perfect. I've got the assignment if I have someone calls out and how to do it with like down a couple of staff. I've got it if I get a couple of staff. I got it like I've got every everything. That's too much. Listen, people love it though, because I'll have the assignment out at 5 45 PM. Like I got my assignment made.

Christopher:

Yeah, why didn't you just say 1745?

Colby:

You're right. Why didn't I say that? I don't know. But I start making the assignment like at 7.01 AM. Like I'm like, alright.

Christopher:

Do you really?

Colby:

Yeah. It's like one of the first things I start doing. I'm working it all day. Um that's how I get it done at 5 45 because I've been working on it. I got a rhythm, okay. I got a rhythm, I got a routine.

Christopher:

Well, that rhythm is going to change. Next episode.

Colby:

Um foreshadowing.

Christopher:

Uh did you happen to ask about any?

Colby:

I didn't have any come up that we didn't already speak about. I didn't get any cool, like unusual. Yeah. Nothing nothing unusual.

Christopher:

What about if you see a fly in a patient's room?

Colby:

What is that? That patient died. Oh. There was a I I've never heard that, but that's another I think nursing home.

Christopher:

That's like a definitely.

Colby:

I was gonna say there was a nursing home that my mom worked at that had a cat.

Christopher:

And the cat would smell death.

Colby:

It would like sit outside the room and then it would go into the room and they'd be like, that one's gonna go next. And sure is not sure enough.

Christopher:

No. It wasn't a black one, was it? Oh, that's another superstition. Black cat. Okay.

Colby:

Yeah, no. It was um, I think it was an orange cat.

Christopher:

I'm over here, I'm popping up new. Breaking a mirror, you have seven years of bad luck. Oh, yeah. Stepping on a crack, you'll break your mama's back.

Colby:

Don't walk under a ladder. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Opening an umbrella inside.

Christopher:

Boom.

Colby:

Oh, wow. How do we forget about all this?

Christopher:

I don't know, but it's just they're just coming left and right now.

Colby:

Oh Lord, don't open an umbrella in my grandmother's house. That was I feel like that was like one thing that was like when was it's like in my as a child remembering being like, don't do that. And maybe I'm making it up, but for some reason that one's like really sticking out right now to me.

Christopher:

That's hilarious.

Colby:

Wow, those really classic ones. How did we just draw blanks on those?

Christopher:

Well, no, I can just hear people like saying, Y'all are idiots.

Colby:

You said the You said Broken Mirror, right? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay, okay. Okay, okay. How about those email chains that used to go out like back in the day? Compared this to 20 people or have like word the worst luck ever, but if you do forward it, like you'll find your love in your life. Yeah, those were so funny.

Christopher:

That was of an AOL as a huge thing. Yes. Yeah.

Colby:

Oh. Okay. I hope everyone that was like sitting there on the edge of their seat, like screaming at us this whole podcast episode, is like, finally. I hope I really made someone stay with the email one though. Like that, that is like a shout out to all every millennial that listens to this.

Christopher:

Oh, geez. Yeah, I remember those all the time.

Colby:

Well, I feel like someone took like the the hood off of my face. Like, like I'm like, oh my god.

Christopher:

I can see.

Colby:

I can see all these now. That was funny.

Christopher:

Wow, that was fun. Well, I guess I'm done.

Colby:

That's it.

Christopher:

All right, class dismissed. That's a wrap for today's session of Nursing Lyfe 101. Welcome to season two.

Colby:

Woo! We hope this episode brought a little humor and reflection to your shift. Whether you believe in the full moon effect or not, just remember, always knock on what. Oh, knocking on what?

Christopher:

That's another one. That's another one. You can find this on Twitter or X at Nurse Lyfe101. Remember, it's L-Y-F-E 101. Facebook at nursing lyfe101 or Instagram at nursing _ lyfe _101.

Colby:

Don't forget to subscribe, share, and leave a review. It helps more nurses find our show.

Christopher:

Thanks for tuning in to our season two premiere. We've got some incredible topics ahead.

Colby:

Until next time, take care of yourself and keep making a difference out there.

Contributor

Christopher Henderson

Co-host
Contributor

Colby Daniel

Co-host