Breaking bad news to critically-ill patients can be a challenging task but for the doctor, it’s an occupational hazard that comes with the territory. For an inexperienced physician, it can be particularly stressful, especially when the patient is young and there are limited prospects for recovery. The patients’ reactions may swing wildly from silence to disbelief, crying, denial, shock, grief or plain anger. She may use you as a punching bag, so be prepared to act as an outlet for outbursts.
An empathic response calls for four kinds of interventions : Carefully observe and remain alert to any exaggerated display of an emotional reaction, such as stunned silence. If the patient appears extremely miserable, use gentle probing questions to nudge them into producing a reaction, even if it entails triggering a rush of tears. Bottled up emotions can harm a patient, and they should feel…
