title: Breaking bad news: a guide for effective and empathetic communication.
abstract: Breaking negative news to patients is a common occurrence for nurse practitioners. This difficult task requires patience and refined communication skills, and must be approached with empathy for all parties involved. There are several ways to deliver bad news to patients successfully using patient-centered communication techniques and methods.
authors.affiliation: University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
authors.forename: Margaret Quinn
authors.initials: MQ
authors.lastname: Rosenzweig
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003142:Communication; D004645:Empathy; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D009722:Nurse Practitioners / Q000523:psychology; D009723:Nurse-Patient Relations; D015403:Nursing Evaluation Research; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D018802:Patient-Centered Care / Q000379:methods*; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D014342:Truth Disclosure