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Breaking bad news to parents: the children's nurse's role

Jayne Price1, Patricia McNeilly, Mark Surgenor

  • 1School of Nursing and Midwifery, Queen's University Belfast.

International Journal of Palliative Nursing
|April 22, 2006
PubMed

Insights

Breaking bad news is challenging for healthcare professionals. This article examines the literature and introduces a new framework for children

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Nursing
  • Healthcare Communication
  • Child and Family Support

Background:

  • Breaking bad news is a complex and challenging aspect of healthcare delivery.
  • The National Service Framework for Children emphasizes the impact of news delivery on patient and family reception.
  • Effective communication is crucial for children's nurses within the multidisciplinary team.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine existing literature on the process of breaking bad news to children and families.
  • To introduce a novel framework detailing the children's nurse's role in this communication process.
  • To enhance understanding of the multifaceted responsibilities of nurses in delivering difficult information.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of studies and guidelines on breaking bad news in pediatric care.
  • Analysis of the children's nurse's role within the multidisciplinary team context.
  • Development of a conceptual framework based on reviewed evidence.

Main Results:

  • The manner of delivering bad news significantly influences its reception and understanding.
  • Children's nurses play a pivotal role in the communication chain involving sensitive information.
  • A comprehensive framework is needed to guide nurses in this challenging communication.

Conclusions:

  • Effective breaking of bad news requires specific skills and a structured approach.
  • The proposed framework highlights the critical and varied contributions of children's nurses.
  • Further research can refine strategies for supporting nurses in delivering difficult news.

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