What do you do when you don't know the answer

Nurses General Nursing

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If a patient asks you a question, what if you don't know, or don't know how to explain it simply

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Specializes in Peds, School Nurse, clinical instructor.

I just say, I am not really sure about that and don't want to give you the wrong information. Let me double check and I will get back to you as soon as I can.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, DSU, Ortho, Onc, Psych.

As above.

Go ask a senior nurse or CN.

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Specializes in LTC, Med-Surg, IMCU/Tele, HH/CM.

I put on a winning smile, don't hesitate or look lost, and tell the patient I'll bring them a packet of information to look over. While I'm gathering the info from the hospital's patient ed database I read over it myself in preparation to answer the patient's questions and highlight the major points when I bring it to the patient. If it's something that's hard to understand or a confusing question I will usually ask someone with a lot of experience or my charge nurse.

Then of course when I have time, if it's something I'm really not familiar with like a brand new procedure or just something my unit hardly sees, I soak up all the info I can. Usually when I get home.

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Of course it all depends on the urgency or importance of the question.

The older I get and the longer I am in nursing the more comfortable I get with saying, "I don't know." You can follow it with, "but I will find out," or "ask your doctor."

No one person is expected to know everything. The most brilliant doctor, surgeon, pharmacist, nurse, cannot know everything, every answer. We all get specialized in our areas and cannot know it all.

Repeat after me, "I DON'T KNOW," is perfectly acceptable. Much better than kind of making it up, guessing at what you kind of sort of remember.

I doesn't bother me a bit to ask my patients to tell me about their disease, or ask them, "what is that pill for, I don't know that one." (This is when they bring in their list of meds they are taking at home.) They may know their disease/illness better than you and be happy to educate you about it.

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Specializes in PACU, OR.

Depends on the question.

If they want to know the name of the best movie at the 1999 Oscars, I look it up on the internet and tell them. If they ask me what numbers are going to win the next lottery, I reel off a string of numbers, laugh and wish them luck :D

If they ask me for info regarding a med they're on, I get the latest medicines formulary and look it up for them.

HOWEVER, if it's something related to their condition, I refer them to their MD. Even if I do know the answer. When it comes to those kind of questions, the only answer you can give has to be couched in the most general terms anyway.

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Specializes in Hospital Education Coordinator.

Pretending to know can get you in trouble. I generally say I don't know but will find out and report back to you. Sometimes it is a "doctor" question and I refer to them.

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Specializes in Geriatrics.

Same as above, "I don't know" or "I'm not sure" are followed by "I will find out and get back to you" or "I would suggest you ask your Dr when He/She comes in". If it's a question about thier medications I will get the Drug Book and look it up for them. I never had a problem admitting what I don't know, it always seemed better than faking it and getting caught and losing the trust of the patient.

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Specializes in ER, ICU.

The Google! I say I don't know but will try to find out.

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Thanks lol

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