Laughter and tears: best medicine for stress

Laughter and tears are natural resources that are often neglected in managing personal and professional stress. Facilitating patients' and families' laughter and tears is an important skill in providing emotional support, which is central to the caring role of nursing. Social stigmas, the medical model, and stressful hospital environments can distract nurses from employing these resources and other catharses in managing stress and supporting patients and families. Nurses can learn to integrate laughter and tears practically and appropriately into nursing care, thereby increasing work satisfaction and facilitating emotional healing.