"He's going to die" - Breaking bad news

In this episode of Clinical Conversations, James Oswald (Paramedic and Clinical Practice Guidelines Specialist) and Dr. David Anderson (Ambulance Victoria Medical Director) tackle one of the most challenging aspects of paramedicine—delivering bad news. Joined by guest Liz Perry (MICA Paramedic), they explore the difficulties paramedics face when communicating death and critical updates to families in the pre-hospital setting.We talk personal experiences, theoretical models like SPIKES, and practical strategies to navigate these conversations with confidence, clarity, and compassion. They also discuss the impact of breaking bad news on paramedics themselves and strategies to prevent burnout.Get in touch⁠clinicalguidelines@ambulance.vic.gov.au⁠ X / TwitterDavid: ⁠@expensivecare⁠James: ⁠@JamesOz1

Om Podcasten

The podcast for paramedics and anyone involved in out-of-hospital care that is critical, urgent, or unplanned. Hosted by James Oswald (Paramedic and clinical guideline developer) and A/Prof David Anderson (Medical Director). Keyword: Paramedic, paramedicine, Emergency Medical Service, EMS, Emergency Medical Technician, EMT, prehospital, pre-hospital critical care, retrieval medicine, ambulance, Helicopter Emergency Medical Service, HEMS, air ambulance, emergency, first responder, first aid.