Survey: Do you use humor to help put your patients at ease?

ray2512 · Nov 18, 2005

Yes. When I started as a Hospice nurse 12 years ago I thought that maybe I should leave my humor on the shelf and be more serious. Well, that just wasn't me. I started being myself and found that humor at the bedside was a very useful tool in lifting the spirits of my clients. They just love it!

bethin · Nov 18, 2005

I use humor whenever it's appropriate. When we get an admit I'll go back to their room and apologize that we could not upgrade their room to an oceanview. This gets alot of laughs as our rooms face trees or where deliverys are dropped off. Also, at the end of a 12hr shift, I tend to get a little slap happy. They usually end up laughing harder than me.

fluffwad · Nov 27, 2005

Humor helps a lot. When my patients are embarassed about having been incontinent , or needing to be helped to the toilet, I just tell 'em that I don't mind just as long as they don't pee in my sneakers. It seems to make them see that it's not the end of the world.

frenchfroggyAPRN, MSN, LPN, RN, APRN · Jan 28, 2006

I had a CHF'er the other day, she couldn't walk to the bathroon without getting SOB, when I gave her IV Demadex, I told her "ready, set, pee", I thought she was going to pass out ,she was laughing so hard she was crying. I had to give it to her again the next day, she saw me coming and said "oh no its the pee lady",,, her son thought she had lost her mind, of course we explained what had happened earlier, then he started laughing

pannie · Feb 6, 2006

Humor is very important to me. I had a medical crisis while my pcp and surgeon were both on vacation. Their partners were so dead serious. I wasn't in denial; I knew it was very, very serious but I couldn't wait till the docs who knew me well got back. I laughed all the way to the OR when my internist said "Remember, after surgery you're going upstairs. THAT'S JUST ONE FLIGHT to 3rd floor! OK?"

openheartmom3 · Feb 6, 2006

I use humor with both my patients, patients families, AND my co workers. So much so that my AD won't consider sending me to conferences that are titled "Humor in the Workplace". Sometimes it is the only way to get through my day.. is to see a pt or stressed co-worker smile.

I personally think that when you take the time to use humor with someone they realize that you are taking time "just for them" and it is another way of showing that you care about them

Lorie P. · Feb 6, 2006

i love to use humor when the timing is right, most of my pts are elderly, chf, renal, iddm and usually have a telemetry monitor when arriving to the floor. so i walk in the room with a big smile, and begin( unless the situation doesn't warrant it) " well hello young man /young lady welcome to the hilton hotel, bet you didn't know that big blue h on the front of the building outside stod for hotel intead of hospital uh? usually the men say, it has been a long time since a pretty youg girl called me young man.

or if i have to go replace a telemetry lead , i always ask them if i can hook the jumper cables back up and they will smile and laugh and reply you're right they do look like jumper-cables. come to think of it.

or i tell them i have to wake them up to give them a sleeping pill and never did understand that one.

yes there are times i do not use humor due to the seriousness (sp) of the situation.

for the most part, most my pts tell me how good it is to see someone smile as they walk in there rooms. them telling me this helps with the stress and reminds me of one of the reasons i became a nurse. :nurse: :lol2:

lpnstudentin2010, LPN · Mar 1, 2006

as a patient i like it when my nurses make jokes.

super_star · Mar 16, 2006

yeah,we have to use humor with the patients.I always does that with patients as well as withh friends.It help to ease the pain. sometimes I sing and sometimes i joke with them.

patients sometimes refer me as nurse that always laugh.

NephroBSN, BSN, RN · Mar 16, 2006

i love to use humor when the timing is right, most of my pts are elderly, chf, renal, iddm and usually have a telemetry monitor when arriving to the floor. so i walk in the room with a big smile, and begin( unless the situation doesn't warrant it) " well hello young man /young lady welcome to the hilton hotel, bet you didn't know that big blue h on the front of the building outside stod for hotel intead of hospital uh? usually the men say, it has been a long time since a pretty youg girl called me young man.
or if i have to go replace a telemetry lead , i always ask them if i can hook the jumper cables back up and they will smile and laugh and reply you're right they do look like jumper-cables. come to think of it.
or i tell them i have to wake them up to give them a sleeping pill and never did understand that one.
yes there are times i do not use humor due to the seriousness (sp) of the situation.
for the most part, most my pts tell me how good it is to see someone smile as they walk in there rooms. them telling me this helps with the stress and reminds me of one of the reasons i became a nurse.

i always call my patients young lady or young man. many do a double take.. then they look at me and realize they are young..lolll

i also tell them "now you know how i should be addressed".. it's all self-fulfilling...heheheheh.

TRAUMARN96 · Aug 4, 2006

Yes. I use humor all the time. You just need to know who your audience is first, or you could be found offensive.

emllpn2006 · Aug 4, 2006

I try to use humor any time I feel it is appropriate. One time as a student I had this wonderfull patient that was relatively young and had cancer that had been passed around to all the students as we rotated off and on the floor. While me and a partner were bathing him he was unclothed and getting washed we rolled him on his side to wash his back. One of us would hold his arms and keep him on his side while the other one washed. He pretended to dance with us the whole bath. After getting him dressed he said to bad he had to wait until he was on his dath bed to get to dance naked with two beautiful women.