What I love the most of being a doctor is that it still has the hability to surprise me…and I think this will last forever! Everyday duties, shifts, sleeping recovering days, ventilation conferences and unaffordable congresses to attend…
But three days ago, still enjoying a couple of days in Paris, I received the weirdest text ever: SENSE OF HUMOR AND CLOWN WORKSHOP FOR HEALTH PROFESSIONALS. Gabi, my chief resident, always involved in a thousand projects, was now organising the mos hilarious workshop ever!
No doubt I couldn’t miss that chance! So there I showed up in the Hospital of Torrejón, surrounded by complete strangers from the most different fields of health system, with José I. Ricarte, a Family practice doctor ready to let us wear a new pair of glasses to watch the world, our health world, from a different side.
We ‘ve learned that sense of humor doesn’t really mean to laugh out loud, that a nice word or just to remember the birthday of a patient could be the greatest gift, and that a smile between needles and plasters heals more tan amoxiciline!
How??? We’ve been back to our chidhood playing catch, we ve walked down the catwalk like stars, we ve given a thousand hugs and danced with strangers!!! My face muscles still hurt for laughing so much!
Theory and practices. Laughs. Good vibes…what else!? I can’t wait for the next event with José and the great family I’ve discovered and with whom I’ve won my big red nose. Now I am ready to make my patients a Little less hard their stay with us!
See you in the next! (because this, is addictive!)
Wonderful! It is nice to read that healthcare professionals are updating their skills, but in a fun way. The effect is to be transferred to the patients-to make them smile, to laugh, to make them feel better, to help ease their pain or discomfort, to improve the interaction between staff and patient……
It was awesome! Jose taugh us the way to make people happy around. That´s a treasure!
Laughter and joy in the midst of struggle (when appropriate and attuned to where the person is), can be a balm for the soul. The day sounded magical
An oasis in the desert! Thanks for sharing your thoughts Mary
When humour is delivered in a gentle way that communicates care., it can provide immediate pain relief for the kind of suffering that is not always visible
You did it Kathy!!!. Of course I agree: sometimes painkillers are not required. Emotional pain can be treated in a better way if we have a good humour and try to transmit it in our team, our families and our patients