Laughter Is the Best Medicine: Teaching to Teach Using Standardized Patients

This article describes an innovative approach to patient teaching using standardized patients, humor, and therapeutic communication. The strategy was designed for baccalaureate students enrolled in a fundamentals nursing course. Students, divided into small groups, were assigned a patient education topic to provide to the standardized patient. Student and faculty feedback indicated positive responses to this instructional strategy. Utilization of this learner-centered teaching environment to promote therapeutic communication during a complex patient-teaching scenario was found to be beneficial for novice nursing students.