The Use of Humour.
"A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones." Proverbs 17:22.
I was working as charge nurse on a surgical ward at a
country public hospital and a certain patient was particularly distressed. He
was due to have surgery for prolapsed haemorrhoids and the patient in the
neighbouring bed had told him fictional horror tales of pain and trauma. I
tried to reassure the patient that anaesthetics would minimise pain and we had
excellent surgeons and skilled nursing staff, but it did not abate his anxiety.
In the mid morning I was escorting his assigned surgeon
around the ward as he met with each patient. I had taken the time to advise the
surgeon in advance of this particular patient's concerns. When he met the
patient, he introduced himself like this: "Hi. I'm Dr Blake. I'm the
resident dental surgeon. I'll be doing your haemorrhoidectomy this
afternoon." The blank stare from the patient was quickly replaced with
laughter when he saw that the surgeon was only joking.
As they laughed together the surgeon explained that he was in fact a very experienced and skilled proctologist and the patient had nothing to be concerned about. Result: Anxiety relieved.
-- Lionel Hartley