Death/Dying, Giving Bad News

Giving bad news is one thing that a lot of people find uncomfortable to do. Along my journey to

becoming a PA, I realize that healthcare is one place that I cannot escape giving bad news. This

module taught me how to appropriately deliver bad news. One thing that caught my eye was

the SPIKES protocol for delivering bad news. When giving bad news, it is important to be aware

of the setting that it is taking place in. It is important to be in a private environment. Sometimes

before delivering bad news, a patient probably knows and can sense that something is wrong. It

is wise to ask what the patient already knows about their current condition. Giving a warning

shot before delivering bad news is appropriate especially if the patient hasn’t yet understood

that the news is not good. As future providers, its important to realize that patients don’t

understand medical jargon and the information needs to be passed on as clear as possible. One

other important thing I learned is that you need to give patients time to process the

information that was delivered to them. They need time to react to the news and understand

the seriousness of the situation or the action that needs to be taken regarding their condition.

Learning all these tactics to deliver bad news is something that will make me a better provider

in the future. Being raised in a conservative environment, things are done differently. Bad news

is shared right away, as plain as it is, nothing sugar coated. The patients are not given time to

process or to understand their diagnosis. At the end of the day, giving bad news is never an

easy task but it is important to allow one to process the information and to have time to react

to the news that they receive. My beliefs do not change how I would give bad news. However, I

believe in compassion, love and care. When giving bad news, I want to create a safe

environment for my patients to understand that I want the best for them.