{"id":3170,"date":"2016-06-14T09:45:27","date_gmt":"2016-06-14T13:45:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.travelnursesource.com\/notes\/?p=3170"},"modified":"2018-04-20T10:11:27","modified_gmt":"2018-04-20T14:11:27","slug":"breaking-bad-news-in-nursing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.travelnursesource.com\/notes\/breaking-bad-news-in-nursing","title":{"rendered":"Breaking Bad News in Nursing"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n
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Although nursing can have its joys and sense of accomplishment, it\u2019s not unlikely that you’ll be\u00a0breaking bad news to patients and their families. Not everything always goes according to plan, and for many people receiving information about a poor diagnosis or prognosis this process can be particularly difficult.<\/p>\n

\"Breaking

Breaking bad news is much more of a process than a one-time meeting.<\/p><\/div>\n

The traditional view of this situation involved a nurse and doctor sitting down with the patient and their families to discuss the current state of their loved one\u2019s health. Although this is still common, the breaking of bad news has been widened to encompass the multidisciplinary nature of healthcare that we find today.<\/p>\n

What is Bad News?<\/h2>\n

Generally, bad news<\/a> is considered to be information that refers to any bad, sad, or difficult communications that alter a patient\u2019s perceptions of their present and future health. Nurses have a particularly important role in this process, working closely with doctors to organize the approach to providing this information.<\/p>\n

By understanding the challenges and difficulties that nurses can face when they are involved with patients who have been given bad news, we can learn to approach difficult subjects with the right methods and sensibilities.<\/p>\n

Given that there is a range of bad news, the traditional model of a formal sit-down may not be appropriate for every situation. Moving beyond the narrow perspective of diagnosis and treatment, bad news can be characterized as more than just the breaking down of a diagnosis or prognosis, and considered to be a process of providing negative information.<\/p>\n

Addressing the Subjective<\/h2>\n

This becomes more complicated considering that reactions to bad news are likely to vary between patients and their conditions. Just because someone is receiving news about the necessity of a future procedure doesn\u2019t mean that they will react negatively. However it is unlikely that news of a terminal illness will be received with open arms.<\/p>\n

Knowing how to deal with the subjective factors<\/a> that play into a patient\u2019s reaction is important in evaluating the approach to presenting the bad news. Based on individual expectations, values, life experiences, and their social situation in general, each case is bound to be different however there are techniques that can help the process be effective.<\/p>\n

Asking open questions can allow the patients to express their own concerns and fears about their present or future health conditions.<\/p>\n

\"Asking

Asking the right questions can help the process along positively.<\/p><\/div>\n

Examples:<\/p>\n