CM. Communicating Unexpected News

There is a need to improve the delivery of unexpected news in our clinics and agree guidelines for behaviour and key phrases when delivering such news.

Expectant parents continue to report negative experiences of care at this time, such as delays in news delivery and the use of insensitive language by staff.
Unexpected findings may be uncertain and sonographers may be working under restrictive time constraints.
Parents who receive unexpected news often recall the exact words their ultrasound practitioner used.
Due to the immediate nature of the findings, sonographers have no time to prepare before communicating with expectant parents.

Throughout this module our aim is to:

• Understand how important it is to be able to break bad news sensitively
• Recognise the need for sensitivity when talking about fetal conditions
• Use the right words
• Recognise how you can make a difference to the woman’s experience
• Develop ways to break bad news sensitively