[Humour in the nurse-patient relation: a review of the literature]

(L'humour dans la relation infirmière-patient: une revue de la littérature.)

Full Abstract

Humour holds an important and almost omni-present place in human communication. Research and reflection on humour have tried to define the scope of its causes, its effects, its mechanisms of action and production, its purposes and its uses. This article aims at drawing up a general description of scientific studies dealing with humour carried out in the context of the nurse-patient communication and at making an analysis of it from the fixed theory of Strauss and Corbin (2001) to derive the characteristics, conditions of use and consequences as much in the patient's as in the nurse's. The results obtained prove that humour in care is contextual, situational and spontaneous. There are conditions of use of humour which are connected with the nurse, with the patient, with their relation and with the situation. For the patient and in the nurse-patient relation, humour has psychological consequences. It can be or become a coping mechanism to face stress and improve the quality of communication.

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Author information

Author/s: Patenaude, Hélène (H); Brabant, Louise Hamelin (LH);

Affiliation: Faculté des sciences infirmi6ères de l'Université Laval, Québec, Canada.

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: English Abstract; Journal Article; Review

Journal: Recherche en soins infirmiers (Rech Soins Infirm), published in France. (Language: fre)

Reference: 2006-Jun; vol (issue 85) : pp 36-45

Dates: Created 2006/08/10; Completed 2006/09/08; Revised 2007/11/15;

PMID: 16898048, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 12/26/2008)

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Nurse-Patient Relations
Nursing Methodology Research
Nursing Staff - psychology
Psychological Theory
Questionnaires
Research Design
Stress, Psychological - prevention & control; psychology
Wit and Humor as Topic - psychology

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