Honesty / BONDED CLIENT
A 4-step process for delivering bad news
When the News Is Bad:
Many crisis situations may require you to deliver bad news (e.g., an animal’s death or terminal condition). Many veterinary professionals feel anxious about doing this because delivering bad news can be both stressful and difficult. However, using a standard communication protocol will help you say what you need to say in the kindest and most direct way possible. It is best to think of delivering bad news as a series of four steps: 1. Prepare yourself emotionally for clients’ potential responses, keeping in mind that they may be in an emotional crisis (e.g., shock, sadness, crying, anger, denial).
2. Tell clients there is bad news that will be difficult for them to hear. 3. Deliver the bad news as clearly and concisely as possible. For example, “I’m sorry to tell you that despite all of our best efforts to save Gus, he has died. We tried to revive him with cardiopulmonary resuscitation for 10 minutes, but his injuries were just too extensive.”
4. Give clients permission to express themselves by normalizing their feelings and using appropriate self-disclosure. For example, “It’s okay to cry [be angry, upset, shocked, etc.]. I would cry too if my dog had died.”
After the initial response to the news, explain it in more detail and discuss all the necessary information.
If the pet has died, refer to the protocol described in Situation 10 of this book, “Dealing with Grieving Clients.”
If you have just given a difficult diagnosis such as cancer or another life-threaten- ing condition, ask the client if she would like to discuss treatment options now or if she needs some time before proceeding.
If the medical situation requires that the client make an immediate decision, vali- date this difficulty. For example, “This must be so hard for you, and it’s unfair that you have to make this decision so quickly. I’m sorry that you can’t have more time.”
Trends magazine, November/December 2010 Education
WWW.ALLEYCAT.ORG Advocacy
Action
Not All Kittens are Born Cuddly. Feral kitten socialization information availible at
alleycat.org/Kittens.
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