8 Things You Should Never Say to a Patient

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You don’t get to choose your patients. So your relationship with them can range anywhere from “match made in heaven” to “your worst nightmare.”

Any appointment can be a potentially difficult situation, mainly because when patients come to see you, they’re probably already anxious. They may be concerned about what’s ailing them, be uncomfortable with the sterile atmosphere, or have a general distrust of medical practitioners.

Regardless, proper patient care requires utmost clinical professionalism and good communication.

But “good communication” doesn’t necessarily mean “tell all.” While transparency is important, there are certainly things nurses should never say to their patients. Ever.

To help you keep your patients at ease, NursingLink came up with 8 things you should never say to them. We’ll also offer suggestions for what to say instead.

Next Page: #1 “This won’t hurt at all.” >>

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susanthomas1954
about 1 month ago
6 comments
The ER doc told me three hours into my ER stay (I had gone in for excruciating post op pain.) "Oh, I wrote your pain med orders on the wrong chart." My response was, "I hope they're happy." He responded, "Oh, he didn't get it either." (I am a "she.") mmmhm, and that's with them knowing I'm a nurse. This happened last week.
laursaurus
4 months ago
4 comments
LOL This is stuff you learn in school from the beginning. When I cross-trained to work in Surgery, it was quickly drilled into our heads to never say "Whoops!" in the OR. The surgeons even know this rule. But they don't always give you something to say instead. State the word, "there" instead of blurting out an expletive.
Knowing what not to say is just half of the picture. Knowing what to say instead is just as important to maintaining a professional re pore with patients and co-workers.
SaraCWhiteaker
6 months ago
8 comments
when I have been told "its probably nothing serious" I took it as "Don't worry unless there is something to worry about & when it comes to that we will deal with it accordingly" so I guess it just depends on the person & how they generally take things they are told. It does sound like a good 'rule of thumb' not to use that phrase just in case someone comes back with something bad and decides to hold you accountable for saying that lol.
gemini52981
7 months ago
8 comments
I had went to the ER at my local "band-aid station" with what was diagonosed as pneaumonia. I asked the doc what was wrong and he said. "I dunno, what do you think?" WTF!!!!
beth8115
7 months ago
2 comments
Yeah, it could always be worse. I had the worst when I had AF back in January in Vanderbilt University Hospital with a pulse of 250. I had to be defibrillated 3X and was unconscious for 2 weeks, but I never heard this comment.
kd_aman
8 months ago
72 comments
"I doubt it's anything serious." I've heard that one before at work lots of times....I think even from Dr's!!!
umapathy
9 months ago
180 comments
the instinct can raise anything but professionalism should work at there
crash_n_bang99
9 months ago
2 comments
You always have a better perspective if you have unfortunately been a patient yourself..... When you are told in school to put yourself in the patients position, I think it is impossible for some people unless if they have experienced it
cxg174
9 months ago
44 comments
Unfortunately I think sometimes patients need to know thay you are not ignoring them but are actually very busy. I think it should be said in a nicer way though, such as "I am sorry it is taking so long, we have not forgotten you, we are just very busy at the moment and we will be there as soon as possible" or something like that.
harleyone
11 months ago
10 comments
And may I add one that drives me crazy. When Nurses are speaking to a pt why do they say "I need you to...."? Isn't the treatment about the pt? It's not about what I want/need/think etc. Just for perspective I'm an old ER RN. What I ask pt when giving an injection for example, "I have your pain medication, it goes in your butt/hip/right there (whatever is appropriate for pt understanding), which side do you want to roll onto or do you want to stand?"
ebradd
11 months ago
18 comments
that would scare me
mjohnson
over 1 year ago
18 comments
I have found that honesty is the best policy. Every one has their own level of pain tolerance so never promise something that you are not 100% sure you can deliver on.
aidah
over 1 year ago
2 comments
you know what you are absoulutely rightb but i here it all the time, no bed side maner.
SLPN Gwen
leng
over 1 year ago
10170 comments
some of them fall on therapeutic communication, still just needing some common sense=)
aspiringnurse
over 1 year ago
10 comments
Great tips. Thanks a lot