Breaking Bad News
E - Expect, permit and respond to emotion
Anticipate a
wide range of emotions and respond to the emotion with empathy. Patients may respond with stoic silence or
there may be crying or anger. Patients
should be permitted to show their emotion and the emotion should be supported
and validated. This is often done by
letting the patient express his/her emotion without interruption. You can offer a tissue or personal contact
(touching their arm or holding their hand) when appropriate.