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Humor: a coping strategy for pediatric patients
1University of Massachusetts, Lowell, MA, USA.
Pediatric Nursing
|April 19, 2002
Summary
Pediatric nurses can use humor to help children cope with hospitalizations and illness. Understanding children's developmental stages of humor is essential for effective intervention and requires further research.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Nursing
- Child Psychology
- Coping Strategies
Background:
- Nurses increasingly focus on children's stress responses and coping mechanisms.
- Humor is a recognized, though under-researched, strategy for pediatric patients.
- Understanding humor development is crucial for its therapeutic application.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the use of humor as a coping strategy for hospitalized children.
- To link humor development stages to cognitive development in children.
- To provide guidance on implementing humor interventions in pediatric care.
Main Methods:
- Review of theoretical and anecdotal evidence on humor as a coping mechanism.
- Integration of McGhee's developmental stages of humor with Piagetian cognitive development.
- Discussion of diagnoses, assessments, and outcomes related to humor interventions.
Main Results:
- Humor can be a valuable tool for pediatric nurses to aid children's coping.
- McGhee's stages of humor development align with Piaget's cognitive stages.
- Practical activities for using humor in pediatric settings are outlined.
Conclusions:
- Humor interventions require careful consideration of developmental appropriateness.
- Further research is needed to validate humor as an effective coping strategy.
- Pediatric nurses can utilize humor to enhance patient care and well-being.