The Power of Humor and Play as Nursing Interventions for a Child With Cancer: A Case Report

Abstract

Many benefits of humor and play have been documented in the literature. The purpose of this Case Report was to assess the benefits of humor and play with a 5-year-old retinoblastoma patient in an ambulatory care setting. The use of humor in the forms of tickling, joke-telling, play on words, funny movies, silly stickers, and medical play was found to be helpful in decreasing the anxiety of a pediatric oncology patient during insertion of his Infusaport needle. This article reviews the benefits of humor and play and provides a brief discussion of the developmental aspects of humor and play theory. Implications for further nursing research in the area of humor interventions are also discussed. The promotion of appropriate humor and play use by all health care professionals is encouraged.