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 Effective methods of communicating information and helping students to learn is essential to the goal of education; however, the way that information is presented to the student can impact their learning (Berk, 1998). Strategies can be used to help students better assimilate and retain information. One of these strategies is the effective use of humor.  Humor is a communicative behavior that helps improve physical and psychological closeness and produces a positive effect on learning outcomes

 Humor has been defined as “ the mental faculty of discovering, expressing or appreciating something that is comical, amusing, or absurdly incongruous ” (Parrot,1994)  “Humor is that which lends itself to laughing, smiling, or amusement. It is considered a positive emotion and may be used synonymously with a sense of joy” (Buxman, 2008).  Better comprehension, increased retention of material, and a more comfortable learning environment have all been attributed to the effective use of humor in teaching. Humor is valued by teachers and students and has been shown to enhance learning and reduce anxiety(Parrot,1994).

 Using Lev Vygotsky ’ s learning theory, learning is established through social interactions.  This is demonstrated by assisting learners to learn new things with support to reach the outcomes they cannot reach on their own(Bryant,1980).  Humor helps learners associate new material with something amusing to aid in recall and long term retention

 Humor as a tool that has been shown to reduce classroom anxiety, create a more positive atmosphere, as well as facilitate the learning process.  Humor may physiologically help to connect left-brain activities with the right-brained creative side and better assimilate the information presented.  Humor can help relieve stress, and increase mental sharpness.  Humor has shown to increase retention, as well as higher overall ratings of the course and better instructor evaluations. (Glenn, 2002).

Humor can be applied to most teaching situations/settings such as:  All levels of traditional education (i.e. high school, college, etc)  Patient education (inpatient or outpatient)  Discharge Instructions  Disease Processes  Medication Information  Pre-op and Post-op Instructions  Staff meetings  Professional education (i.e. inservices) Humor can be applied to any teaching situation using:  Jokes, Riddles, Rhymes  Skits, Dramatization  Ad-libs  Sarcasm  Post humorous cartoons or photographs of teachers/staff members  Have humorous props available (i.e. magic wands, sponge noses, humorous buttons) (Buxman, 2008)

 “ Life does not cease to be funny when someone dies, anymore than it ceases to be serious when someone laughs ” George Bernard Shaw  Humor is used everywhere!  Humor is a broad topic in the sense that the use of humor applies to almost any situation

 Personal Jokes: Hi, my name is John, and I’m not your nurse, but I play one on TV.  Physician Jokes: What’s the difference between a surgeon and a puppy? Eventually the puppy grows up and quits whining.  Humorous Phrases: We have a name at our facility for cyclists who don’t wear their helmets. We called them donor-cycles  Asking post-op patients for three forceful “Ha’s” instead of coughs and laughing with them to encourage deep breathing  Providing jokes or comical movies for patients experiencing pain due to the “pain-killing effect of laughter” (Buxman, 2008) How do YOU use humor in Nursing?

Physiological Benefits:  Muscle relaxation  Stimulated circulation  Improved respiration  Exercise lungs and chest muscles  Increase production of endorphins Psychological Benefits:  Reduced anxiety and stress  Increased self-esteem and self motivation  Releases anger in socially acceptable way  Establishes relationships  Improves mood  Builds Rapport  Facilitates Creativity

 Helps break down barriers to communication between the professor and students producing a more positive learning environment  Helps gain students attention and keep their interest in the material being taught  Provides students with a reason to attend class and improve their attitudes towards the subject and instructor  Produces increased comprehension and cognitive retention  The teacher finds teaching more fun and enjoyable  Reduces the authoritarian position of the teacher and improves teacher evaluations (Dieter, 2000)

Incorrect use of humor:  Creates tension or barriers in the classroom  Creates defensiveness  Closes off creative thoughts  Causes students to perceive the teacher as a clown or unprofessional  Stimulate laughter AT someone

 On the spot recovery strategies should be available when a joke or other form of humor is not received as the teacher intended  There are many different ways to use humor within a single teaching session:  Jokes  Rhymes  Skits  Ad-libs  Teachers need to be aware of which audiences are receptive to each type of humor and adapt accordingly

Qualitative studies involving undergraduate nursing students  “When humor was used in classes, my test scores were higher because I felt at ease with the material and was relaxed and confident while taking the exam” (Ulloth, 2002)  According to Hayden-Miles(2002) Students repeatedly stated that the use of humor by their clinical instructor fostered their relationships, decreased their fears and anxieties and enhanced their learning  Evaluation techniques include interviews, observation and surveys

 “Dullness in the classroom can kill student intellectual interest in any subject and destroy all student desire to pursue additional study in the subject manner are” (Deiter, 2000)  Humor is a teaching strategy proven to produce positive psychological and physiological benefits for the students as well as increase student-teacher relationships and teacher evaluations

Berk, R. (1996) Student ratings of ten strategies for using humor in college teaching. Journal on Excellence in College Teaching, Vol. 7 (3), p71-92 Bryant, J. Comisky, P., Crane, J. & Zillman, D. (1980). Relationship of their teachers, Journal of Educational Psychology Vol 72(4), Buxman, K. (2008). Humor in the OR: A Stitch in Time? AORN Journal. 88(1). p Deiter, R. (2000). The Use of Humor as a Teaching Tool in the College Classroom. NACTA Journal. p Glen, A.L., Lewis, D.J. (2002) Humor : a teaching strategy to promote learning. Journal Nursing Staff Development Vol 6(2) p60-4. Hayden-Miles, M. (2002). Humor in clinical nursing education. Journal of Nursing Education, 41, Parrott, T.E. (1994). Humor as a teaching strategy, Nurse Educator Vol 19(3),p 36-8.