Aim of the study. The aim of this study was to investigate the occurrence o
f humour both between nurses and patients and among nursing staff.
Background. Humour has positive effects on both a person's physiology and t
he psyche. Laughter signifies positive things to people; it may add to feel
ings of togetherness, closeness and friendliness. The use of humour is an i
ndication of mental well-being and it minimizes the effect of negative fact
ors and protects from difficulties.
Methods. The data consisted of diaries written by nurses (n=16), which were
analysed inductively using content analysis.
Findings. The main categories of humour between nurse and patient were nurs
e-based humour, co-operation-orientated humour and patient-orientated humou
r. Humour among staff consisted of the main category of resource-orientated
humour.
Conclusion. The consequences of humour between nurse and patient enabled th
em both to cope with various unpleasant procedures. It helped them to manag
e difficult situations and led to an improvement in the working climate. Hu
mour among staff helped nurses to cope with their work and created a better
atmosphere on the ward.