1. Using Humor in Diabetes Education
Theresa Garnero, APRN,BC-ADM, MSN, CDE, cartoonist, author
Clinical Nurse Manager of Center for Diabetes Services at
California Pacific Medical Center, San Francisco, CA
Using Humor in Diabetes Education, by Theresa Garnero

2. Program Goal
To inspire the integration of humor as a technique to promote diabetes education efforts.
Get out alive
Using Humor in Diabetes Education, by Theresa Garnero

3. Objectives
Describe at least 3 effective strategies on how to incorporate humor as a diabetes education tool.
Use a personalized approach when integrating humor in your practice.
Compare patient assessment findings that show readiness for and evaluation of therapeutic humor within the AADE 7 Self Care Behaviors.
Using Humor in Diabetes Education, by Theresa Garnero

4. Overview Background (history, theory, benefits)
Healthcare specifics (when, how)
Diabetes specifics (pt. populations)
Cartoons and case studies of patient- generated humor
Using Humor in Diabetes Education, by Theresa Garnero

5. Humor and Diabetes What is funny about diabetes? Research proves…
What about humor and the self-care behaviors?
Using Humor in Diabetes Education, by Theresa Garnero

6. Mulcahy K, Marynuik M, Peeples M, Peyrot M, Tomky D, Weaver T, Yarborough. Technical review of the diabetes self-management education core outcomes. Diabetes Educator. 2003;Vol29:No5.
Using Humor in Diabetes Education, by Theresa Garnero

7. KEYS to Self-Management
Using Humor in Diabetes Education, by Theresa Garnero

8. History, theory, and benefits, oh my!
Part 1: Humor Foundation
History, theory, and benefits, oh my!
Using Humor in Diabetes Education, by Theresa Garnero

9. History of Humor Greek philosophers Presidential in-house humorists
Norman Cousins
More research on humor in the past 25 years than all centuries combined.
Using Humor in Diabetes Education, by Theresa Garnero

10. Definitions Humor = Normal + Incongruity
Humor makes you think differently
Language vs. humor
Humor is criticism, cloaked as entertainment
Sense of humor – a readiness to find something to laugh about.
Using Humor in Diabetes Education, by Theresa Garnero

11. Laughter Theories
SURPRISE – catches you off guard and causes you to laugh.
SUPERIORITY – laughter is a socially acceptable outlet for aggression.
INCONGRUITY – triggers laughter by connecting 2 or 3 concepts that seem absurd
RELEASE/RELIEF –laughter relieves tension and anxiety (e.g. nervous laughter). Freud said laughter is a physical manifestation of repressed thoughts …
Conspiracy theory
Using Humor in Diabetes Education, by Theresa Garnero

12. Humor-related Quotes
“You don’t have to be funny to have a sense of humor.” – Jeanne Robertson
“We see what we seek. We choose what to focus on.” – Yakov Smirnoff
“A smile is the shortest distance between two people.” – Victor Borge
“Humor is about something normal that is violated in someway that we can tolerate.”
– Bob Mankoff
“Humor is the good-natured side of truth.” – Mark Twain
Using Humor in Diabetes Education, by Theresa Garnero

13. Common Humor Topics Sex makes up 50% of all jokes
Ethnic humor is 2nd (family conflict is 3rd)
More than 50% of all humor is based on a play-on-words (a twist on familiar cliches, metaphors, book/movie/song title, famous quotes, national ad slogans, or any expression known widely by the public)
Using Humor in Diabetes Education, by Theresa Garnero