Black Humour

Nurses Humor

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That sort of humour that seems completely funny when shared with your colleagues, you know though if an outsider was to hear it they would be completely scandalised/offended

Its happened before when I've worked with palliative patients, this queen song keeps running through my head.

We've had two palliative patients who passed today and I've had to keep giving myself some mental slaps every time I start humming it.

Anyone else find they have a black sense of humour?

Specializes in CVOR, CVICU/CTICU, CCRN.
I don't know a nurse WITHOUT a terribly twisted sense of humor, or doctors either for that matter.

Haha - we do now! Two in fact!

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HOW on earth did I miss this thread?!? I'm TOTALLY dark and twisty! :D

When I am at work, I tend to be perky, chipper, whatever you want to call it. I smile, I'm outwardly friendly (ok, those of you who know me through AN for years, LOL, don't laugh, this IS my Work Face speaking!).

I have been asked directly "how do you keep so happy? I swear I'd want to kill some of these people!" (and THAT was from a patient). I answered "if I don't laugh, I'll cry--or have to do some prison time". He laughed.

Here's a Black Humor Moment for you: years ago I had a patient who passed away during my shift. Expected, so a granddaughter was staying in the room. When it came time to do postmortem care (cleaning, removing IVs, etc) I asked the young woman to step out of the room. She said no, she was there for her grandmother, and that meant helping with that, too. I wasn't so sure about that, told her that we certainly wouldn't forbid her from participating, but it wasn't a good idea. She insisted. Ok.

She was holding up pretty well, actually, and then we got to where we needed to turn Grandma on her side; she helped, no problem. And then it happened: Grandma farted. Not a quick expulsion of air, either, but a long, whiny, drawn out fffFFFFAAArrrrttt escaping the body. That was it. I quickly shot her a look, she was directly across from me. I thought she'd freak, jump, like that. Nope. She cracked up, totally let it go laughing. I did, too (how the heck could I NOT?) and that was that. We were both laughing so hard that there were actual tears, and we managed to pull it together enough to finish.

Was she cold or unfeeling? Hardly. She was just processing this as best she could, and then when something so incongruous happened (her dead grandma FARTED, for heaven's sake!) she just let it all go. Coping mechanism in its most exquisite form!

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Specializes in Emergency.
But if I'm wrapping a body and it farts at me, I'm gonna laugh.

This is great! You just get me.

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But, even some 'civilians' get the giggles in church or at a funeral or wedding.

Oh, you ain't kidding! Can't say how many times I've glared at/poked/smacked my dh when in a quiet, reserved setting, somber even, and he starts the giggles! And once HE starts, my eldest SON starts....and it all goes to pot from there.

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Specializes in Neuro ICU and Med Surg.
My friend and I were once walking back from lunch to the hospital and some woman in HR wearing heels WIPED OUT right in front of us. I ran to help her and my friend almost peed herself laughing...at the fall, at me helping her, and at herself, appalled that she could not stop laughing.

It happens sometimes.

In 2009 right before Christmas my dad came home from work and sat in the recliner in the living room. We had just told him it was broke but he sat in it anyway. Next thing my mom and I see him fall over and his feet are in the air. We started laughing, but we felt bad. We couldn't help it. She started laughing and then I started. It was worse when my dad started asking us to shut up and help him up. I was laughing so hard I had to put my son in the pack and play so I could help. It took us awhile to quit laughing to help him up. After we got him up we were laughing again and my dad was so upset with us.

I am the type to fall and laugh at myself unless I am really hurt. By the way no dads were hurt during this story, well not physically, but his pride took a hit.

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I think black humor (and the ability to appreciate) is as much a family trait as snorting when laughing or wiggling one's ears.

My cousin, bless her, has been known to laugh unabashedly when watching someone fall down the stairs. Kid you not: we were at a mall, big center staircase alongside an escalator, and this woman tumbled down the last few steps. My heart skipped a beat, my cousin was doubled over laughing.

Thankfully the woman wasn't hurt, and my cousin was VERY embarrassed, but she couldn't help herself. She said "but it was so RIDICULOUS how she fell, like in some stupid 1930's movie, and BAM! I couldn't help it!" And there I was, laughing as well, once we knew there was no injury involved :)

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Speaking of laughing at people falling. I am guilty of that, too. This one nearly put me into respiratory failure from laughing until I could no longer breathe:

Hope the link works. Another thing that gets me going is listening to other people laugh uncontrollably. That's what makes this video so special :-)

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Speaking of laughing at people falling. I am guilty of that, too. This one nearly put me into respiratory failure from laughing until I could no longer breathe:

Hope the link works. Another thing that gets me going is listening to other people laugh uncontrollably. That's what makes this video so special :-)

If you loved that, wait until THIS one:

It includes the one above, but I swear if you aren't roaring there is something NOT black about your humor, LOL!!!

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All I kept thinking was this is what happens when you don't eat. You don't even have enough energy to stay on your feet.

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Specializes in Med nurse in med-surg., float, HH, and PDN.

Watching those models made MY ankles hurt!!!!

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Thanks RNsRWe! I've seen a lot of those, too, but not all. New hilarity ensued :-)

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Specializes in Transitional Nursing.
My friend and I were once walking back from lunch to the hospital and some woman in HR wearing heels WIPED OUT right in front of us. I ran to help her and my friend almost peed herself laughing...at the fall, at me helping her, and at herself, appalled that she could not stop laughing.

It happens sometimes.

My Nana fell in my kitchen when I was around 19, and I laughed! I still don't know why, but I totally did. She was soooo mad, too.

She was OK, btw.

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