Humor and Nursing I:
Impact of Humor and Laughter on Physical Health
(9.6 Contact Hours)
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To successfully complete this course and receive your certificate, you must read the content online, pass the post test with a 70% or better, and complete the online evaluation form.

The price of this course is $49.00. You will only be asked to pay for the course if you decide to grade the post examination to earn a certificate with contact hours.

This activity was developed by Corexcel without support from any commercial interest.

It is Corexcel's policy to ensure fair balance, independence, objectivity, and scientific rigor in all programming. In compliance with the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) we require that faculty disclose all financial relationships with commercial interests over the past 12 months.

No planning committee member has indicated a relevant financial relationship with a commercial interest involved with the content contained in this course.

Corexcel's provider status through ANCC is limited to educational activities. Neither Corexcel nor the ANCC endorse commercial products.

 

 

Learning Objectives

After completion of Humor and Nursing I the participant will be able to:

1. Identify specific general mechanisms through which humor contributes to physical health and wellness.
2. Identify specific disease conditions for which humor and laughter have been found to support improved health.
3. Identify specific components of the immune system known to be strengthened as a result of humor/laughter.
4. List possible causes for the reduction of pain resulting from humor/laughter.
5. Discuss the impact of negative emotion upon heart health.
6. Discuss the ways in which humor/laughter contribute to heart health.

 

 

Course Outline

Part I. General Influence of Humor on Physical Health

I. Muscle relaxation
II. Reduction of stress hormones
III. Strengthening of the immune system
  A. Immunoglobulin A
  B. Natural killer cells
  C. Other immunoenhancement effects
  D. Increased free radical scavenging capacity
  E. Duration of humor-induced immunoenhancement
  F. Sense of humor and immunity
  G. The role of mood
  H. Which is more important, laughter or the experience of humor?
  I. Immunotherapy
IV. Pain reduction
  A. Humor and experimentally-induced pain
  B. Humor and chronic pain
  C. Using humor to ease painful medical procedures with children
  D. What causes the pain reduction associated with humor and laughter?
   1. Mental distraction
   2. Release of endorphins?
   3. Muscle relaxation
   4. Activation of pleasure centers in the brain
   5. Lower blood pressure

Part II. Impact of Humor and Laughter on Specific Disease Conditions

I. Heart disease
  A. Impact of negative emotion
   1. Damage to the inner lining of arteries resulting from negative emotion starts you down the path to CHD
  B. Impact of positive emotion (excluding humor)
   1. Preventing heart disease
   2. Facilitating recovery from heart disease
  C. Impact of humor
   1. Preventing heart disease
   2. Facilitating recovery from heart disease
  D. How does humor promote cardiac health?
   1. By reducing stress-linked cardiovascular reactivity
   2. By supporting a healthy inner lining of arteries
   3. By pulling you out of a negative mood and substituting a positive mood in its place
II. Cancer
III. Pulmonary health
IV. COPD
V. Asthma
VI. Allergies
VII. Diabetes
  A. Impact of humor and laughter upon gene expression
VIII. Why it feels so good: Humor activates pleasure centers in the brain
IX. Does humor increase longevity?