Humor and Health
(7.2 Contact Hours)

Written by: Paul McGhee, PhD

Portions of this course have been adapted from the book, Health, Healing and the Amuse System (Kendall/Hunt, 1999), by Paul McGhee. The copyright to both this book and the present course is held by Paul McGhee, PhD.  The pages included in this course may be printed for the purpose of studying the course content.  However, it is unlawful to otherwise copy, redistribute, reprint or republish the material presented here without the expressed prior consent of the copyright holder, Paul McGhee.

About Paul McGhee

Paul McGhee is President of The Laughter Remedy in Wilmington, Delaware. He shows healthcare professionals the benefits of keeping their sense of humor in their work. With a PhD in developmental psychology, he is internationally known for his own research on humor and laughter, having spent 20 years as a researcher while teaching at the university level before becoming a full-time professional speaker.

Paul has given talks on humor in 10 countries, and has published 11 books on humor, including his latest, Health, Healing, and the Amuse System; Humor as Survival Training. For additional information on the benefits of humor, see www.LaughterRemedy.com. There are two monthly columns on humor at this site, "Humor in the Workplace" and "Humor Your Tumor."   If you are interested in a humor program for your hospital for Nurses Week or another event, send an email to HaHaRemedy@del.net.

Program Objectives

Upon completing this course, the participant will be able to:

1) Identify specific ways in which humor contributes to physical health and wellness.

2) List possible causes for the reduction of pain resulting from humor/laughter.

3) Identify ways in which humor helps cope with stress and supports good mental health.

4) Discuss the ways in which research on humor and health relates to the broader field of research in psychoneuroimmunology.

5) Discuss the unique impact of ability to manage emotion upon mental and physical health.

6) Describe current trends in the "Humor in hospital" movement.

7) Describe the types of humor-in-hospital programs currently being adopted, and assess their impact upon patient outcomes.

8) Understand the ways in which keeping your sense of humor on the job helps provide quality care to patients--even in the midst of stress.

9) Discuss numerous cautions and concerns about the use of humor in healthcare settings.

10)  Identify the steps required to begin improving your own humor skills in order to learn to use humor to cope with job stress and provide quality care.