How do you show empathy in breaking bad news? (2023)

How do you show empathy in breaking bad news?

Be Clear and Direct

At the same time, one of the best tips for delivering bad news with empathy is to communicate your point clearly. Don't dance around the issue or overwhelm your patient with technical terms or medical jargon. Make sure you discuss the situation in a way that your patient can easily understand.

Summary: You do not want the recipient to feel like a burden, and so, it is very important to show empathy when delivering bad news, to make sure the patient/relatives feel supported and respected.

You are good at really listening to what others have to say. People often tell you about their problems. You are good at picking up on how other people are feeling. You often think about how other people feel.

My dad was a very tolerant man and had great empathy with people. It is impossible not to feel intense empathy with these athletes. His empathy is one of his advantages. He had a great empathy with horses and was a people person as well.

Top Empathy Statements to Paste into an Email or Live Chat

These can be pasted into emails or live chat conversations to help your agents show empathy: I would be upset too. I realise how complicated it is to… I can imagine how frustrating that would be.

How do you express empathy without saying sorry?

So, what is empathy? It's the ability to understand another person's thoughts and feelings in a situation from their point of view, rather than your own. It differs from sympathy, where one is moved by the thoughts and feelings of another but maintains an emotional distance.

Storytelling Shows and Builds Empathy

By identifying others' emotions and relating them to their own self, they draw upon these feelings and lessons within the story when they're faced with a similar situation.

Mediators or facilitators can empathize through finding something within their own character or experience that resonates with the parties. This enables them to forge stronger connections, build trust and increase understanding. Empathizing helps mediators to identify a party's key concerns and sacred values.

Give information in small amounts, pausing allowing the patient time to digest what you are telling them and to ask questions. Don't rush through complex details. Try to be empathetic while providing support. Establish what they understand after you have shared the news so you can correct inaccurate information.

You can use phrases such as: "I have some sad news to tell you", "I've just received a call from the hospital: there has been an accident and..."; or "I've been talking to your specialist and...", "There is no easy way to say this but..." or "There's some really bad news you need to know..." etc.

How do you show empathy and warmth?

Emotional empathy is good because it means that we can readily understand and feel other people's emotions. This is vital for those in caring professions, such as doctors and nurses, to be able to respond to their patients appropriately. It also means that we can respond to friends and others when they are distressed.

Come up with specific words that describe exactly how you feel. Instead of saying you feel 'bad' – find more specific words like afraid, frustrated, upset or anxious. Remember feelings are often described in one word (happy, excited, sad, angry).

Give information in small amounts, pausing allowing the patient time to digest what you are telling them and to ask questions. Don't rush through complex details. Try to be empathetic while providing support. Establish what they understand after you have shared the news so you can correct inaccurate information.

Sharing the information.

Deliver the information in a sensitive and straight forward way. Avoid talking in a monologue instead promote dialogue. Avoid jargon and euphemisms. Say the bad news and stop.

Empathy. Don't make assumptions about what the patient might be feeling. Encourage them to express their concerns, and respect their wishes about how much information they are prepared to hear. Observe and validate the patient's emotions and give them enough time and space to express their reactions.

An explanation of the bad news is the most important part of a negative message because it prepares the reader for the refusal or denial – but it does NOT explicitly state the bad news yet.

What are the 5 primary steps for delivering bad news?

There are several accepted ways to break bad news. These methods include using common formats of structured listening to what the patient knows and wants to know, giving information in understandable amounts, reacting to the news, and checking for understanding.