Humor between nurse and patient and among nurses

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Authors
Waters, Candace A.
Advisor
Hodson Carlton, Kay, 1946-
Issue Date
2004
Keyword
Degree
Thesis (M.S.)
Department
School of Nursing
Other Identifiers
Abstract

Humor is a part of daily interactions at all levels. Humor is used to ease stress, distance one from the crisis at hand, improve communication among persons, and ease embarrassment at even the most embarrassing of moments. Humor can be used in almost any setting: classroom, clinical sites, home, or social gatherings. It is one of the universals among persons across all cultural and age stratifications. The purpose of this study is to investigate the occurrence of humor among nurses and between nurses and patients. The Neuman Systems Model will provide the theoretical framework for this study. This study will be a partial replication of the Astedt-Kurki and Isola (2001) research. The data will be collected from diaries of 10 critical care nurses describing either observed humor or humor in which they were participants each shift the nurse works over a specified amount of time (two weeks). It will be requested that the nurses record humorous experiences in the diary immediately after the end of the shift in order to have the most current thought processes about the humor recorded. A descriptive study design will be used. Permission will be obtained through the Ball State University Institutional Review Board (IRB) as well as the IRB from each participating hospital. A letter of explanation will be provided to the clinical and educational institutions and the study participants. Participation will be totally voluntary, no monetary remuneration will be provided, and no risks have been identified for participation. Humor can lead to improved communication between nurse and patient without the risk of undue embarrassment. Humor allows the patient to voice irritation over those things no longer in his control without being offensive. Humor allows nurses to distance themselves emotionally from some of the stresses and traumas that are part of every day life for nurses. Humor also helps to draw nurses as well as nurses and patients closer over shared laughter. Learning how to better use humor as a nursing intervention can make the healthcare setting more palatable for both the nurse and the patient.

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