Define Humor: Laughter as Therapy in a Medical Setting

• How you define humor can help determine when it’s appropriate to use in a medical setting. 
• Consider the four W’s and one H — why, what, when, where, and how. 
• A smile from a patient might be a cue to consider injecting a bit of humor into a stressful situation. 

How do you define humor? Merriam-Webster defines humor as the ability to be funny or amused by things that are funny. It’s designed to be comical or amusing. Humor is also a commodity. And in the nursing setting, humor is thought of as a commodity. We use it in our daily lives. Laughter materializes as the result of a person’s attempt at humor. 

We have all been there, telling a joke or story to someone to get a laugh. Humor has been a fundamental piece of communication in our daily lives. Several studies and presentations in nursing institution classrooms have focused on humor in the clinical environment. I, myself, have taken a few courses on the value and usage of humor in the nursing setting. It was a fun topic to explore, as you might imagine. However, the four W’s — why, what, when, where — and one H — how — do come into play. 

Define Humor: The ‘Why’ and the ‘What’

Humor can be used to relieve stress and anxiety for the nurse and patient. It’s a learning tool, at its best for the patient, to perceive information in a calm and relaxed environment. It can also be used as a social tool for building relationships between the nurse and patient, so long as it’s used correctly. Humor can break down the anxiety barriers that patients may show. There is nothing wrong in making a patient laugh, if done under the right circumstances.

Define Humor: The ‘How’

A smile with a greeting can help alleviate fears. This interaction allows the patient to talk and let you know what is bothering them at that moment. An understanding ear goes a long way. It shows them you’re interested in what they are dealing with. Once they have completed their thoughts, you might see a small smile from the patient, and that was my cue to try a little humor to alleviate some of the stress they may be feeling in an emergent setting. It may not work for every patient. But again, you need to know what the patients are going through and when it would be appropriate to use a little humor to relieve the fears.  

Certainly, humor is not ever to be used in critical settings. However, a hand to hold, a chair and box of tissues for a family member also goes a long way to help release the stress they are experiencing at that moment. 

The Bottom Line

The bottom line is to know when, where, and how to use the powerful amenity of humor in a clinical setting. It is based on the event at hand and how the individual is responding. Humor is not a terrible thing, but it must be used properly. 

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