Virtuous laughter: we should teach medical learners the art of humor.

Simon Oczkowski

doi:10.1186/s13054-015-0927-4

Abstract

There is increasing recognition of the stress and burnout suffered by critical care workers. Physicians have a responsibility to teach learners the skills required not only to treat patients, but to cope with the demands of a stressful profession. Humor has been neglected as a strategy to help learners develop into virtuous and resilient physicians. Humor can be used to reduce stress, address fears, and to create effective health care teams. However, there are forms of humor which can be hurtful or discriminatory. In order to maximize the benefits of humor and to reduce its harms, we need to teach and model the effective and virtuous use of humor in the intensive care unit.

Highlights

There is increasing recognition of the stress and burnout suffered by critical care workers
By finding humor even in the darkest of places, we find a brief respite from what can sometimes be a draining place to work
By finding humor even in the darkest of times, we remind ourselves of the joy in our lives, and find the strength to cope with our fears

Summary

Introduction

There is increasing recognition of the stress and burnout suffered by critical care workers. We teach medical students and residents the knowledge, skills, and attitudes required to treat the critically ill. They learn how to comfort patients and their families during times of great suffering. We need to teach our learners how to care for the sick, and how to care for themselves.

Results

Conclusion