Gimme 5 - When a Patient Asks a Question You Don’t Know the Answer To

Not knowing the answer in front of a patient can feel uncomfortable - especially in your first year of practice. But safe nursing isn’t about having every answer memorized. It’s about knowing how to respond with honesty, professionalism, and clinical judgment.

In this 5-minute episode, we walk through a simple four-step framework you can use when a patient asks something you don’t know - plus how to recognize when a question moves from simple clarification to a clinical safety concern.

You’ll learn:

• Why honesty builds trust more than guessing
• A simple bedside response you can use immediately
• How to differentiate between informational questions and clinical concerns
• When and how to escalate safely using structured communication tools like SBAR

Because you don’t need to know everything — you need to know how to respond safely and confidently.

📝The 4-Step Response Framework

1. Acknowledge the question (“That’s a great question. I’m glad you asked.”)
2. Be honest (“I don’t have the exact answer right now.”)
3. Commit to action (“I’m going to check your chart and confirm with the team.”)
4. Close the loop (“I’ll come back in about 10 minutes with an update.”)

⚖️Safety Reminder

Not all questions are equal. Some require clarification and follow-up. Others require assessment and possible escalation.

When clinical interpretation or patient deterioration may be involved, structured tools like SBAR help ensure safe, clear communication with the team.

References & Further Reading

Therapeutic Communication in Nursing Practice

Foundations for Success in Nursing – Communicating with Patients

Communication Strategies in Nursing (including non-therapeutic responses and avoiding false reassurance)

AHRQ TeamSTEPPS – SBAR Communication Tool

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality