1. "Wait for a while. We’re still busy."
Patients and families feel a real urgency about their health, and brushing them off reads as neglect. Instead of telling them you are busy, give an estimated time for when they will be seen. A short apology and explanation eases the frustration far better than a dismissal.
2. "This won’t hurt at all."
False assurance destroys trust, especially with children. Tell a child an injection will not hurt and the next one becomes a battle. The same goes for adults, since plenty of procedures do hurt. Be honest. Tell the child to expect some pain but not too much, offer a distraction, and work quickly and safely. For adults, walking them through the steps helps them anticipate and handle the pain.
3. "Oh, no."
Patients watch you closely. An out of nowhere reaction during assessment, medication prep, or a procedure makes them doubt your competence. If an error happens, hold your reaction until the procedure is done, then explain what occurred, how you fixed it, and what to expect. Pair that with an incident report. Ineffective communication is among the most frequently cited root causes of serious patient-safety events, which is why calm, honest disclosure matters as much as the fix itself (The Joint Commission). You address the mistake without shredding their confidence in you.
4. "I completely understand, I went through the same thing."
You know a broken leg hurts and that a panic attack steals someone's breath. For the patient living it, your story is not what they need. Steer away from relating your own experience unless it is clearly warranted. They want your focus on treating them, not on you, and with patients you barely know, oversharing can read as crossing a line.
5. "I’m not sure."
First procedure or routine medication, walk in ready with an answer. Patients and families are curious and have every right to ask why you are doing what you are doing. Know the information before you enter the room. If the plan of care changed and you are not fully briefed, apologize and tell them you will be back once you have the right answer. Saying you are not sure signals incompetence and puts both your credibility and their safety at risk.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does word choice matter so much in nursing? Trust is built or broken in small exchanges, and communication breakdowns are a leading root cause of serious patient-safety events (The Joint Commission). What you say, and when, shapes whether a patient follows the plan and tells you what you need to know.
Should I ever tell a child a shot will not hurt? No. False reassurance destroys trust, and the next procedure becomes a battle. Tell the child to expect some discomfort but not too much, offer a distraction, and work quickly and safely.
What do I say when I make a mistake in front of a patient? Hold your reaction until the task is safely finished, then explain what happened, how you corrected it, and what to expect, and file an incident report. The ANA Code of Ethics frames honesty and patient advocacy as core duties, so calm disclosure is the professional standard, not an optional courtesy (ANA).
Is it unprofessional to share my own similar experience? Usually, yes. The focus belongs on the patient, and with people you barely know, oversharing can read as crossing a boundary. Relate your own story only when it is clearly useful to them.
What should I say instead of "I'm not sure"? Tell them you will get the correct answer and come back, then do it. Admitting uncertainty is fine; leaving them with an unverified guess is not, because it puts both credibility and safety at risk.
Is keeping patients waiting really a communication problem? Yes. Brushing someone off reads as neglect. A short apology plus a realistic time estimate eases frustration far better than telling them you are busy.