How to Answer: Tell me about a time you had to communicate bad news to a patient. How did you effectively communicate that news and what was the outcome?
Advice and answer examples written specifically for a Nursing job interview.
45. Tell me about a time you had to communicate bad news to a patient. How did you effectively communicate that news and what was the outcome?
How to Answer
As a nurse, the need to communicate effectively to a patient is vital and this is no more evident than when delivering bad news. The interviewer will be looking to see how you handled yourself in a particular instance by showing empathy and composure where most individuals wouldn't be able to. Think of a time when you had to do this and talk about an instance that had a great outcome.
Written by Elisabeth Walter
1st Entry Level Example
"During my time in clinical rotations on a Med/Surg unit, I had been working with a patient throughout the day that was planning to be released back home by 4:00 pm that afternoon. As my day shift was ending, the physician notified us that due to the fact the patient's blood pressure hadn't dropped to an acceptable level, he would have to stay another night for observation. When I was in the room with my preceptor, she gave the news to the patient calmly and explained the reason why it was necessary. While certainly excited to be sent home, he fully understood the reasoning why and took the news well due to her simple delivery of the message."
Written by Ryan Brunner
1st Experienced Example
"As a pediatric nurse early in my career, my physician received lab results from a young patient found to have a brain tumor. When the patient and family were called in for their consult, the physician and I were both in the room when the news was delivered. In that situation, it is hard not to break down with the family in tears but I knew that they were looking at me to be the person with strength and have answers to their questions. The physician and I were able to walk them through their next steps and options moving forward with their child's diagnosis and they truly appreciated that."
Written by Elisabeth Walter
2nd Experienced Example
"As an urgent care nurse, I saw patients with varying degrees of sicknesses and illnesses. One weekend, a young boy came in with a foot injury from playing in a hockey tournament earlier that day. After the doctor examined him, he was sent to the lab for X-rays. In talking with the boy and his father, they were in town for a hockey tournament and his team had just reached the championship game which was to be played the next day. The boy was so excited and hopeful that he would have just a bruised foot and be able to play. Once the tests came back, it was revealed that he had fractured the outer metatarsal on his foot. I delivered the news to the boy that he had fractured his foot and that he would need to leave our clinic in a walking boot and not play the next day. He was devastated. I explained to him that playing further could damage his foot further down the road and by taking the time to explain why he had to take the course of action he did, but the boy and his father were grateful."
Written by Ryan Brunner
3rd Experienced Example
"A few weeks ago, a patient came into our family practice clinic for a suspected eye infection, and unfortunately, upon examining her eye, the physician I work with found that it was not an infection but rather, it was inflammation of the eye, which could have been caused by an autoimmune disease. The patient was very upset by this, but the doctor told her not to worry until initial blood panels came back and we knew if the patient needed to see a rheumatologist for further testing. However, when the test results came back, it showed that the patient likely had Rheumatoid Arthritis, and she needed further testing by a rheumatologist to confirm. I had to call the patient to break this news to her, and she became very upset when I did so. Since the patient was scared and upset, I stayed on the phone with her, comforted her, and answered any questions that I could, and before the end of the phone call, she was calm and collected and told me she felt much better."
Written by Kelly Burlison on March 17th, 2019
4th Experienced Example
"I once had a patient in the clinic to have their implantable cardio-defibrillator checked. When completing the testing, I could tell that something was wrong when interpreting the data. I notified the physician immediately who ordered a stat chest x-ray to check the placement of the lead within the heart. I then sat with the patient and explained clearly the results I found when testing her cardiac device and that there was a concern with one of the leads. I informed her to ensure the placement of the lead and determine if any other more invasive intervention needed to be done we would need to have her complete a chest x-ray. I then walked with her to the x-ray and then brought her back to the office to review with the provider. Unfortunately, the lead had moved and required surgery to reposition it. The patient later told me she was very grateful for me sitting with her initially upon interpreting the data and explaining it in a manner she could understand. She appreciated knowing clearly what was going on and why a chest x-ray was needed as well as what the potential outcomes from the x-ray could be. She said she felt she had a better understanding going into the additional imaging which provided her with comfort because she already knew what could potentially be the outcome and long-term plan."
Written by Tabitha Cumpian on January 31st, 2023
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About the Author
I began my healthcare career when I was a sophomore in high school and became an STNA (state-tested nursing assistant) at a local long-term care facility. I then went on to work as a nursing assistant at a local hospital and home healthcare agency. During that time, I pursued my Bachelor's in Business Administration: Human Resource Management and transitioned to working for one of the largest long-term care and post-acute rehab companies in the country. I supported the talent acquisition function, and in the span of 8 years, I screened and interviewed over 1,500 nurse aides, LPNs, and RNs.
I hold a very special place in my heart for nurses, as it's often a thankless and tiresome job. Not everyone is cut out to be a nurse, and I have great respect and admiration for those that choose this career path. As a content writer and interview coach for MockQuestions, my goal is to help you prepare and succeed in your upcoming interview. This article offers interview tips and advice along with 50 practice interview questions and answer examples to help you better understand what to expect and prepare for interview day! Wishing you the best of luck!
Learn more about Jaymie Payne