The Importance of Humor in Nursing

Wonder why nurses are known for a dark sense of humor? In nursing, laughter can help the long shifts go by just a little bit faster and can even help staff cope with difficult patients. But did you know there are science-backed reasons why laughter improves care? Let’s explore why a sense of humor is important in nursing.

Humor is an essential part of the human experience — some scientists believe we evolved the ability to laugh before we could sing, dance, or tell stories. Laughter increases bonding amongst social groups, and the sound of laughter is like an invitation to play. It’s also highly contagious.

Nurses may have some of the least-funny jobs out there, witnessing sickness, death, workplace violence, and secondary trauma. Stress and burnout are major problems in the profession, yet nurses are also known for their gallows humor and resilience. These two qualities may be more linked than you know.

The Science of Nursing Humor

• Workplace humor boosts solidarity between employees. Teams cooperate better, have less stress, and experience better job satisfaction when they can laugh together.
• Humor and positive reframing are great coping strategies. In medical staff, these strategies have been shown to be negatively associated with psychological distress, while avoidant coping strategies are linked to PTSD, depression, anxiety, and insomnia.
• Some styles of humor are more beneficial than others. Affiliate humor, or jokes that create camaraderie, has a positive effect in the nursing workplace. Self-defeating humor has a more negative effect and is linked to traumatic stress and burnout.
• Humor is an essential resource for healthcare workers. Staff use humor in many ways — coping with small mistakes, promoting team identity, soothing patients, and more.

The Importance of Nursing Humor

Nursing can be a tough job that demands emotional intelligence, physical stamina, good clinical judgement, and compassion. Amongst these requirements, nurses are continuously being asked to do more with less. All this pressure needs a release, and humor is one way to do just that.

Sharing a light moment with coworkers can lift the mood on a difficult shift, promoting a sense of camaraderie that’s crucial in team-based care. Humor also plays an important role in the nurse-patient relationship. A carefully timed joke or gentle laugh can put patients at ease, humanize clinical interactions, and build trust. Some studies show that humor may even help with pain.

Keep in mind that humor in the nursing profession requires sensitivity. What might be funny to one person may feel inappropriate or dismissive to another, so it’s important to hone your approach depending on the situation. The most effective use of humor in healthcare comes with empathy and awareness of the patient’s emotional state. When applied thoughtfully, humor can lighten the moment while reinforcing relationships.

Nursing Humor: The Dos and Don’ts Based on Research

What are some examples of humor in nursing done well — and not-so-well? Humor can be an asset in nursing practice, but like any communication tool, it needs to be used with care. Poorly timed or insensitive humor can increase distress or damage rapport. Here are some evidence-based recommendations for using humor in clinical settings:

• Lighten the mood in stressful situations. When appropriate, a nurse might use gentle humor to distract a child during a painful procedure, like joking that a blood pressure cuff is a “hug machine.” This type of humor is playful, age-appropriate, and helps reduce anxiety.
• Build team resilience. Among staff, nurses often use humor to cope with the emotional intensity of their work. For example, laughing together over minor daily frustrations — like a typo on a facility sign or a squeaky IV pole — can strengthen bonds and foster a sense of solidarity.
• Create a connection with patients. A bedside nurse might use humor (e.g., joking about how fashionable hospital gowns are) to humanize themselves and reduce power imbalances between patient and provider.
• Know your audience. Humor that strengthens one relationship can erode another.Phrases like “celestial discharge” and “circling the drain” might be appropriate when speaking to other nurses, but these can be insensitive and distressing when used around patients and family.

While humor can enhance care, certain types can backfire and should be avoided in professional nursing practice. Good humor shouldn’t punch down or make people feel bad. Here are some mistakes to avoid when it comes to joking at work:

• Don’t make jokes about a patient’s condition or treatment. Even lighthearted comments about a diagnosis, body image, or medication can erode trust and patient dignity.
• Don’t exclude or target others. Inside jokes among staff or humor at a patient’s expense can feel alienating and unprofessional. They can even be grounds for dismissal.
• Don’t use humor as a substitute for empathy. A laugh should never replace listening, validating, or addressing patient concerns.
• Don’t force humor. If a patient doesn’t respond positively, pushing more jokes can feel insensitive and awkward.

Find a New Role to Practice Your Humor in Nursing Care

Laughter might be good medicine, but it’s not enough to heal every work environment. If you’re ready for a change, we can help you find it. Learn about personalized job notifications that let the great roles come to you.