Laughter in the ICU is a necessity – without it, nurses wouldn’t stand a chance against the stressors we face on a daily basis. Bad things happen in an ICU…. people are sick and sometimes people die.
Often, we laugh at inappropriate things & if you’re not a nurse, chances are that you can’t fully understand how our inappropriateness is actually appropriate for our daily lives. In the most extreme example, you’ll see nurses making jokes during a life or death situation; a patient is crashing and as the nurses do everything within their power to “save the day”, they laugh & make jokes about the situation.
Get peed or pooped on at work during your workday? Talk about it during dinner… and laugh when innocent bystanders get grossed out.
One afternoon at work, we had a ScareFest set up in an empty patient room to highlight the importance of patient safety. It was a “find what is wrong here” game, with a mannequin and the whole 9 yards. We had a “used” bedpan (made with apple juice and a few small pieces of Snickers bars) and the silliness ensued. We ended with a photo shoot, including the picture on this page, which became my Facebook profile photo. I received a ton of comments, mostly in the realm of “ewwww” and “that’s disgusting” from my non-nurse friends, and comments such as “that’s hilarious” and “looks like you were having a good time at work today” from my nurse friends. I think that perfectly shows our humor as a profession as a whole.
“The ability to laugh at life is right at the top with love and communication, in the hierarchy of our needs. Humor has much to do with pain; it exaggerates the anxieties and absurdities we feel, so that we gain distance and through laughter, relief. “ –Sara Davidson
I don’t know if I’ll be able to eat a Snickers bar again! :-) I admire nurses – it’s a tough tough job.
Very funny! The best critical care RNs I know all have the ability to see humor in the craziness that often goes with their busy but short-staffed shifts. Being able to cut loose behind the scenes and remain professional in the trenches is a gift! I’m new to your blog and find your comments relevant and interesting.