What is Medical Improv?

While definitions vary a bit among practitioners, I describe Medical Improv as a practice of adapting the “Yes and . . .” philosophy and activities from theater improvisation for improving communication-related skills & critical outcomes in healthcare.

It is an inclusive definition that embraces a wide variety of learning opportunities for nurses and all healthcare professionals at all levels. This includes, students, faculty, paraprofessionals, support staff, senior and mid-level leaders and consumers.

Medical Improv is a specialized form of Applied Improv and has become a mainstream term and many businesses and healthcare organizations are turning to specialized practitioners for help with team development, staff morale, culture change and skill-building. The more you experience facilitated sessions, the more you come to understand how complex and rewarding social and emotional development can be.

Yes And

As you may know, Yes And is considered the “Golden Rule” of improv. While activities range from simple, like radical acceptance to complex, like emotional meeting, they all operate with this principle.

Even simple the simplest of activities can lead to profound personal growth!

For example, if I say, “Hey, there is a purple cow behind you,” a “Yes” response would acknowledge the cow; the “And” would provide some additional information.

There are many possibilities:

Yes (acknowledges) and I wanted to introduce you to my new pet, Betsy (building on what they said).
Yes And I am so worried about her complexion.
Yes And she’s part of the experimental dairy plan I need to talk with you about.
Yes And she has an IQ that matches that of Einstein.

Consider how a Yes And response feels different from a Yes But or No:

Yes, but we don’t have time to talk about cows.

No, there is no purple cow.

What Does Yes And Teach?

The Yes teaches us to listen attentively and develop related skills such as; perspective-taking, validating, empathy, reading social cues, and learning from feedback. By participating in activities we learn to postpone judgement, consider new ideas, and give others the courtesy of really listening to what they have to say and ensure they feel heard and cared for.

The And helps us become confident, assertive, and able to speak up and share ideas and concerns, delegate tasks, ask for help, offer feedback and even say “No.” Through practice, we develop self-awareness, courage, and accountability. We learn to trust and value ourselves.

How We Interact Impacts Everything!

On the surface communication may seem simple. Just listen and speak up. However, the need for underlying emotional intelligence, presence of many stressors that healthcare professionals must navigate, and a host of other variables make communication more challenging. As you can see, Yes And helps to uncover this idea. Further, more communication-related learning potential with Yes And will become clearer with practice.

In my book, Medical Improv: The New Way to Improve Communication, I explain how the roots of problems in patient safety, patient experience, workforce health and wellbeing, and wasted resources are ALL linked to issues involving emotional intelligence, communication, and behavior. Links that are pervasive and persistent.

Designing engaging, effective and fun workshops that improve healthcare interactions is fundamental to improving these outcomes and essentially describes the purpose of our work at Boynton Improv Education: Because Healthcare Interactions Matter.

Sample activities, research, and testimonials on this website will provide more information.