When the News is Bad

Communicating bad news is part of any health care professional's daily work, yet it causes difficulties for those who see their role in terms of cure and care -- towards restored mental health and physical health. If news is given badly, it can cause pain and confusion for the recipient and stress and regret in the messenger. Skills of information-giving need to be combined with the ability to reflect the needs of the recipients are essential, enabling the recipient to take it in and move forward. Case studies illustrate the thinking behind the approach presented in this book. the guidelines make compelling reading as they are the fruit of this well-known author's wide experience in both the clinical and teaching fields of health care.