Candidate information:

The on-call team informs you that a 63-year-old man under your team's care died during the night. He was admitted 48 hours earlier with pneumonia and appeared to be stable. Unfortunately, he deteriorated suddenly overnight and had an asystolic arrest. Attempted resuscitation was unsuccessful. The cause of death remains uncertain, although progressive pneumonia or pulmonary embolus is suspected. The son has been in close contact with his father during his admission but was not contactable last night. He has arrived on the ward and has been seated in a private relative's room. He is unaware that his father has died. Please explain to him what has happened and discuss the possibility of a post-mortem examination

https://dai.ly/k5cJwAeebFwRBnzynAU

https://dai.ly/k3aZI2VEErjqLKzynAW

Examiner information:

A good candidate:

• will introduce themselves, confirm the identity of the patient/relative, and establish the purpose of the interview
• will ask if the relative is alone, and whether they would like a family member or friend to be present (a warning shot)
• will establish the relative's current understanding of the situation before imparting additional information
• will be clear in their communication of the bad news, leaving no room for misinterpretation or ambiguity
• will show empathy towards the relative, pausing if needed to ensure they fully understand all information given
• will avoid medical terminology and communicate clearly and in lay person's terms
• will signpost bereavement services and clearly summarise the discussion and next steps.

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