'I'm not picking up a heart-beat': Experiences of sonographers giving bad news to women during ultrasound scans

This study explores the experiences of obstetric sonographers imparting dia gnostic information which may be considered 'bad news' to expectant mothers . Semi-structured interviews were conducted with nine sonographers at two L ondon Hospitals to elicit their experiences of giving bad news. Themes whic h emerged then formed the basis for a quantitative survey of 180 practising obstetric sonographers in England. Their perception of what constitutes 'b ad news' was examined. It was found that sonographers were predominantly co ncerned with lack of time and the unpredictability of the patient's reactio n when giving bad news. Staff working in settings where there was a clear p rotocol specifying how to proceed following disclosure of bad news experien ced less stress than those working without such a protocol. These findings have implications for psychologists working with patients who suffer pregna ncy loss who may consider provision of support and counselling skills train ing for sonographers.