Communication scenario: Discussion between A medical student who had witnessed a consultation with parents of a child involved in a road traffic accident and plan to be withdrawn care plus request for organ donation.

It is a common and difficult scenario. The learning points were:

• Communication scenarios have to be a dialogue and not a monologue

• Involve the rule player and respond to the verbal and non-verbal cues

• Give ‘role player’ time to respond

• Active listening and acknowledging

• Respond to the role players questions

• Remember it is their agenda and not yours.

• You DONOT have to tell everything you know!

• Acknowledge what you do not know and know how to escalate

• This will help Your anxiety also about NOT knowing all details of task

• Summarise on the warning knock or as appropriate

• Be sympathetic and saying what you also find difficult can build rapport

“Hardest part of our job is accepting when we have reached our limit and can do NO MORE’.

“KEEP IT SIMPLE”.