Superstitions among perioperative nurses.

A descriptive study was conducted using a mailed questionnaire to determine the prevalence of work-related superstitions among perioperative nurses. Data analysis included the two-sample t test for continuous data and the two-sided Fisher's exact test for binary data. Study results indicate that although only 23% of respondents view themselves as "generally superstitious," specific work-related superstitions are widespread. Belief in specific superstitions was not statistically related to age or number of years as a perioperative nurse. An analysis of the literature on medical workplace superstitions helps to elucidate possible underlying explanations for the phenomenon of nursing superstitions.