communicating bad news/bereavement, death, dying, and loss Flashcards
What is “bad news” to a patient?
- Likely to alter drastically a patient’s view of his or her future
- results in a cognitive, behavioral, or emotional deficit in the person receiving the news that persists for some time after the news is received
-That results in decreased hope for the patient and his or her family’s future quality of life
what is the MUM Effect
reluctance to give bad news to patients/families
How can provider talk too much?
- Assuming all patients want to be cured
- Assuming what the patient does and doesn’t know about the condition
- Not allowing patients time to process or speak during the conversation
- Ignoring our own feelings
- Talking in a public place
- Delivering news via phone, e-mail, text, letter, etc.
what are additional stressors in giving bad news?
- being honest with the patient and not destroying hope (MC)
- dealing with patient emotions
- finding the right amount of time to discuss
- other (training, feeling unprepared, etc)
SPIKES 6-step protocal
S - Setup
P - Perception
I - Invitation
K - Knowledge
E - Empathize
S - Summarize and Strategize
What is part of the setup for SPIKES
- Comfortable Environment
- Minimize distractions
- Private setting
- Tissues handy - Who else would the pt want to be there?
- Family members
- Significant others
- Support staff - Time Management
- Allot an appropriate amount of time
- Notify staff in advance to reduce interruptions
what is part of the perception for SPIKES
- What does the patient/family already know?
- opportunity to correct misunderstandings
- gauging pt’s lvl of readiness to discuss diagnosis
what is part of the invitation for SPIKES
- how much does the pt know
- is there anyone the pt would like to know, or to use as a liaison
- if he/she feels that “ignorance is bliss”
what is part of the knowledge for SPIKES
- impart knowledge about condition
- do not minimize severity of situation
- share positive news if present
- avoid saying “i’m sorry”
what is part of the empathize for SPIKES
- acknowledge pt/family emotions
- sample remarks to show empathy
what is part of the summarize/strategize part for SPIKES
- summarize info
- strategize next steps
what are the emotions that pt might experience?
- fear - “anxiety” - of death, of further tests/treatments, of leaving loved ones, of what the future will hold
- anger - “frustration” - at self, at family, at health care providers, at God/nature/the world
- sadness - “disappointment” - sense of loss for themselves or others, changes in relationships, loss of future plans
- shame - “guilt” - for not caring for themselves better, for not seeking treatment sooner
- relief - if already suffering, if diagnosis already suspected
how to deal with emotions when communicating bad news
- active listening
- allow pts to talk about their emotions
- offer culturally sensitive care
cessation of vital functions
death
- Irreversible cessation of circulatory and respiratory functions, OR
- Irreversible cessation of all functions of the entire brain, including the brainstem
process of losing vital functions
dying
Occurs over a span of minutes, to hours, to days depending on the underlying pathology
dying
signs of impending death
- Decreased bodily functions
- Hearing, vision, oral intake, urine output, consciousness - Bedbound and/or profound weakness
- Emotional distance, decreased conversation
- Cool/mottled extremities, “death rattle”
reaction to the loss of a close relationship
“The state of being deprived of someone by death”
bereavement
the emotional response caused by the loss of a close relationship
Includes pain, distress and physical and emotional suffering
grief
Psychological process by which the bereaved person undoes his or her bonds to the deceased and settles his or her personal grief
mourning
variables of reactions to loss of a loved one
- Context of death
- Timely or untimely?
- Intentional or unintentional? - Psychological meaning
- “Blame” for the death
- Relationship to the deceased
- Age (both of deceased and the bereaved)
- Religious or spiritual beliefs
what are common responses to a loss of a loved one
- Shock
- Anger
- Guilt
- Denial
- Frustration
- Sadness
- Relief