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Discussion

When you don't know the answer.. what do you say?

Another question.. There's a lot that I'm simply NOT going to know when I start nursing. I was wondering----what is a good 'scapegoat' for getting out of nurse-client interaction when you don't know the answer? Right now--I just sound like an idiot basically, because I ponder it for a few seconds hoping the answer will come to me. But then it doesn't, and I say something like "I'll find out for you". So basically the patient knows I don't know what I'm doing..

So the question is.. what is a good thing to say or do when you don't know the answer? Do you just reassure them with a non-answer answer and come back later with the correct info? I'm not sure how to approach this. Thanks!:up:

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  • Experts

I've been nursing for a really long time and I'm not afraid to admit that I don't know something. I find it's quite fine to say, "Hmm, I don't know. Why don't I find out?" and then go and do it. There is NO chance that you're ever going to know the answer to every question a patient or another nurse poses and that's okay.

I usually say. Well... I'm not exactly sure.. I don't want to tell you the wrong thing.. Let me go double check.. Or I say.. I'm not exactly sure what that means.. it may be best if you discuss that with your doctor when he comes around.

I usually do the same. "I'm not sure, but I will find out and follow up with you." And then make sure I do find the answer (or not, if I can't), and report back to the patient/family with my answer (or lack thereof -- if I can't find the answer, I tell them who would be the appropriate person to contact). I find that patients and families seem to be more impressed with my willingness to GET the answer than whether or not I KNOW the answer when initially asked.

i tell them to ask the janitor (kidding:bugeyes:)

i'm honest about what i don't know - patients, for the most part, are trusting in our care and that the information we give them is correct...so when i'm not sure what the answer is, i tell them that, and then i make sure i get the correct info to follow up with. patient gets the answer and i learn something new.

All excellent answers!

Don't ever be afraid to tell a patient or family member that you don't have the answer to their question. Better to be honest with them than try to fake it and give them incorrect information. I think most people will appreciate your honesty.

Todd

  • Experts

Patients and family members will often ask me questions that are way beyond my scope of practice such as, "What was the cause of death?" or, "What is causing Mom's leg pain?" Even if the doctor made rounds an hour ago, some people are hoping the nurse can provide all the answers.

Let's face it: I'm not a medical examiner or coroner, so I cannot determine the cause of death. I am not a doctor, so I cannot come up with a medical diagnosis for the patient.

I'll simply tell them that it is not within my scope of practice to diagnose medical conditions, and that the physician would be the most appropriate person to answer their questions.

  • Experts

Another factor in this is when people didn't like the answer they got the first (ten) time(s) they asked their question and are looking for something, anything they can use in an argument over care. We've seen this a lot lately, particularly with one family; it was the main topic at our last morbidity and mortality meeting. All it does is split the team and make some members look very bad. If the reason for the question isn't immediately obvious, maybe we should be asking what's behind it. Just my :twocents:

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