There are unwritten rules for every emergency department:
Never use the ‘q’ word
Never order Chinese food on a ‘slow’ shift
Request off on the night of autumn’s Daylight Savings time to avoid working an extra hour
While some may scoff, these rules have been passed down from generation to generation and although they have been called into question at times, like any good decision rule, they have proven their worth.
Another famous old wive’s tale is that of the proverbial ‘black cloud’. This is a title bestowed upon those who are viewed as being bad luck.
From Urban Dictionary: black cloud
A person that ruins another person’s hopes, dreams, ideas, or good moods by being pessimistic and having a negative attitude.
Girl 1: I told Jay I was going to Hawaii
Girl 2: What did he say?
Girl 1: That I was wasting my time and money because I would get sunburned right away and be miserable for the rest of the trip
Girl 2: I will make sure to tell that black cloud you said ‘aloha!’
For the ED, working alongside a provider who is a black cloud means having difficult patients, multiple trauma victims, and an overall crummy shift. But is there really such a thing?
A French study involving 13 ED physicians working night shifts at a single center took those physicians who self-identified as a black cloud. They found that their peers also viewed them as such. But when they looked at specific metrics in terms of patient volume, acuity, and admission rates, the ‘black clouds’ were no worse than the others.
So there you have it. The next time a black cloud plops themselves down next to you for a long shift, hold in that sigh and embrace them. They’re not any different than you and me.
Reference:
Jinx or Not?: There is Nothing Like a ‘Black Cloud’ Syndrome. Pediatr Emerg Care. 2017 Oct;33(10):686-689.
