I wanted to share a quick communication teaching pearl pulled from Vital Talk, a platform created by palliative medicine physicians to help all clinicians improve how we talk with patients and families—especially in moments of high emotion.
Their guide offers a simple, effective framework we can bring into the ED every shift by incorporating NURSE Statements:
Some things to consider:
- Emotions aren’t distractions—they can be important data points.
- Acknowledging emotion first can actually clear space for medical discussion.
- You don’t need the perfect words— sometimes a pause, calling out an emotion, or a “that sounds hard” can go a long way.
In the ED, this might look like:
- When giving bad news or navigating uncertainty, try naming the emotion before diving into clinical next steps.
- With families and patients overwhelmed by fear/anxiety, a moment of validation (even one sentence) can reduce reactivity and build trust.
- Using phrases like “I can see how upsetting this is” or “You’re not alone in this” can center the human experience in our high-speed environment.
It’s brief, it’s doable, and it helps patients feel seen—which is often what they remember most. The next time you are faced with an emotionally charged patient/family encounter, try a few NURSE statements!
