Knowledge and skill levels of nurses on delivering bad news to patients: A cross-sectional study from Turkey

Abstract

Background: Inadequate communication skills can worsen the emotional well-being of patients and their families and reduce trust in nursing care. In this descriptive and correlational study, we examined nurses' self-reported knowledge and perceived ability to deliver bad news to patients. Methods: The study was conducted with 375 nurses in a hospital in southern Turkey. Research data were collected using the Bad News Delivering Scale. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics version 25.0. The STROBE checklist was used to report this study. Results: The mean scale score of the nurses was 54.62 +/- 8.28 (possible range: 21-63). Weak but statistically significant positive correlations were found between scale scores and age (r = 0.178, p < 0.01) and years of professional experience (r = 0.186, p < 0.01). Nurses who perceived their skills as good or moderate had significantly higher scores compared to those who perceived them as very poor (p < 0.001). Discussion: The findings of this study highlight the importance of effective and empathetic communication skills in nursing practice. Involving patients in the care process, seeking their input, and collaborating with them enable patient-centered care and communication. The results of this study show that nurses' age, as well as their years of professional experience and education level, are related to their perception of their ability at delivering bad news to patients. Conclusions: In this study, nurses' age, education level, and length of professional experience were found to be associated with a higher perceived ability to deliver bad news. This study found that most nurses believe breaking bad news is not a nurse's responsibility. This is significant because it may lead to communication gaps, delays in emotional support, and disruptions in continuity of care.