article · Nigerian Journal of Oncology
Breaking bad news to cancer patients is a vital part of oncology, yet many healthcare providers lack formal training in communication. A multi-centre study across six federal hospitals representing all geopolitical zones in Nigeria evaluated the impact of a three-day training workshop for 632 doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals. The curriculum incorporated lectures, role play, group discussions, and interactive sessions focused on the SPIKES model and related communication strategies. Prior to the programme, over sixty percent of participants reported having received no formal instruction on delivering difficult diagnoses, despite more than two thirds routinely doing so. Following the workshop, assessments showed statistically significant gains in professional confidence, comprehension of communication models, and capacity to address emotional responses from patients. These improvements occurred consistently across all professional cadres and geographical regions.
Delivering difficult medical diagnoses requires sensitivity and structured communication skills, yet clinicians often carry out these tasks without formal preparation. By demonstrating that a practical, short-term training programme measurably enhances provider attitudes and confidence across multiple professions, this work supports embedding structured communication training into clinical education to improve the emotional support offered to cancer patients.
The workshop represents an applied and tested educational intervention that can be packaged into continuing professional development programmes or university medical curricula. The direct users would be healthcare institutions, medical educators, and professional bodies seeking standardised training for clinical staff. Having already been delivered and assessed across six federal hospitals, the curriculum is near to operational adoption within continuing professional education systems.
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Background: Breaking bad news (BBN) is a critical aspect of oncology care. Unfortunately, many healthcare providers (HCPs) in Nigeria lack formal training in this skill. Objective: This study evaluated the effectiveness of a training workshop on HCPs’ attitudes towards BBN to cancer patients across multiple institutions in Nigeria. Methods: A quasi-experimental study was conducted across six federal hospitals in Nigeria, representing the country’s six geopolitical zones. A total of 632 HCPs (doctors, nurses, and other professionals) were trained over 3 days on BBN, using didactic lectures, role play, group discussions, and interactive sessions. The SPIKES model and other communication strategies were emphasized. Attitudes towards BBN were assessed before and after training via an 8-item Likert scale. The data were analysed via SPSS v25, with statistical significance set at p<0.05. Results: A total of 590 participants completed the pre-test, and 528 completed the post-test. Before training, 60.8% of the participants had never received formal BBN training, although 68.5% frequently engaged in BBN. Post training, there was a statistically significant improvement in confidence, understanding of communication models, and ability to handle patients’ emotional reactions (p<0.0001). The attitude scores improved across all geopolitical zones and professional categories. Conclusion: A structured BBN training workshop significantly improved healthcare providers’ attitudes toward delivering bad news to cancer patients. The incorporation of such training into medical curricula and continuing professional education can enhance patient-provider communication and emotional support in oncology settings.
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DOI: 10.67579/njo.2025.qe8i4g5m
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