There is no way to turn bad news into bad news; so that, Reporting a fatal event will always be difficult Although there is no single ideal form or pattern, the emotional impact can be less if we apply the best strategies when proceeding.
What events are we talking about? We refer to cases in which it is necessary to communicate:
All of them share the possibility of a fatal outcome that has already occurred or is yet to occur.
The person in charge will introduce himself first if he is not from the immediate environment. In professional environments it must be the person who holds the highest job category, because gives greater credibility to the news In addition, experience, training and individual history can facilitate the task.
Keys to proceed with giving bad news
The most appropriate thing, given the importance of communication, is to do it in person (not by other means such as the telephone). It is recommended maintain eye contact, as well as an ideal voice tone and rhythm (slow). Simple language is better than using technicalities that can lead to confusion because we will try to give a clear message from the beginning.
First of all (always after having prepared the environment), we find out what it knows. For example: Have you heard about the event that took place this afternoon at the shopping center? Has he contacted you. Any authority?
In the health media they try to give the news in phases, so that the person assumes and even discovers the outcome for himself. Using short sentences. Let’s take as an example: “Had her son gone to shopping center X this afternoon?
We are sorry to inform you that there has been a terrible accident. There have been victims and injuries. We regret to have to give you this news (most likely by now the recipient has already discovered the information; if she has discovered it, there is no need to tell you). If she hasn’t figured it out, we can try to soften the news with some kind information about it.
For example: the rescue teams have acted urgently but despite their efforts, the name of your son is among the deceased. Or: your son did not suffer when it occurred…. (Even so, the location must be given, etc.) He is in hospital If you ask about what happened, you must give true information ; which we will have verified and assured before proceeding. Common questions are about whether he was alone, whether he suffered, where he is now, etc.
Reactions
We must be prepared for the reactions that can be triggered, mainly in case they require attention. For example: fainting, anxiety crisis, aggression
The recommendation is not to make judgments regardless of the reaction, these are the person’s feelings and only for that reason are they legitimized. Nor is it intended to have the right words to console emotional pain. If we don’t know what to say, it is advisable to accompany in silence, not interrupt. Nod or gesture empathetically and don’t be impatient. Offer help to make a call or…
Of course, the environment in which to carry out this feat must ensure privacy If you can count on the closeness of a family member to support you, it will go as smoothly as possible.
Common task for some professionals
After having experienced this traumatic event personally or professionally, it is normal and adaptive to feel discomfort. The reaction is very different if the environment is personal, where we can even be involved through friendship or kinship; or if it is a professional environment.
In the second case, depending on our professional role, it is likely that the circumstance will be repeated (healthcare environments, civil protection, state security forces and bodies…). When this happens we learn to react “badly” to death ; As a safeguard, we learn to “professionalize” the facts to be able to separate feelings that are painful to us and interfere with our personal life. We also learn to “objectify” the deceased and turn them into case X, case Y, etc.
This reaction occurs naturally to be able to face and overcome such a level of trauma in our lives and does not represent any problem. The problem arises when we suffer a loss in our personal environment; The reaction we present in this case usually imitates the professional reaction making difficult or delaying the elaboration of non-pathological grief.
If the reader finds himself represented in this last case, I recommend that he take some time to reflect on the loss and awakening of the dullness of emotions, which appears so frequently on such an occasion. That is, take enough time to accept reality instead of immediately continuing with your daily routine.
