Practice for the conversations nobody wants to have — hard news, declining health, goals of care. A realistic voice AI carries the grief and the anger; every attempt is scored on clarity and compassion.
Why it matters
Knowing it
The hardest conversations in healthcare are also the rarest — which means the person delivering the news is usually out of practice at the exact moment practice matters most. Reading about SPIKES or warning shots doesn't help at a bedside; those frameworks live or die in the delivery.
Doing it
Here, the delivery gets rehearsed. A daughter who left her father 'fine' yesterday, a family that isn't ready for the word hospice, a member whose numbers didn't move — each persona brings real grief, denial, or anger, and the rubric rewards directness without coldness and staying present for the reaction instead of fleeing it.
The nurse said you needed to talk to us. Is Dad okay?
Thank you for coming so quickly. I'm afraid I have hard news about your father's condition — I'll walk you through it and answer every question.
Worse how? He was fine when I left yesterday—
I know this is a shock. His breathing declined overnight, and the team believes he's entering his final days. We're keeping him comfortable — and we'll help you make the most of the time.
Why it worked: A warning, plain words, room for the reaction, and a next step — clarity is kindness in these conversations, and it's what the rubric scores.
Every preview is live — real voice, real feedback.
Susan Brennan
Resident's daughter
A family member who must hear their loved one declined or had an incident. The AI reacts with worry, guilt, or anger. Learner must deliver it clearly and compassionately and answer honestly.
Skills you'll train
James Porter
Patient's son
A family who must hear their loved one is declining or near death. Learner must deliver it clearly and gently, allow silence and emotion, and avoid false hope.
Skills you'll train
Denise Foster
Patient, denied claim
A patient learning their claim was denied or there's nothing available for weeks. Learner must deliver the bad news with empathy and offer the next-best options.
Skills you'll train
Carol Whitman
Patient's wife
A family facing decisions as a loved one declines, unsure and conflicted. Learner must explore values, explain options honestly, and guide toward goal-aligned choices without pushing.
Skills you'll train
Robert Ellison
Patient's brother
A family equating hospice with 'giving up' and refusing to discuss it. Learner must reframe hospice as comfort and support, address fears, and meet resistance with patience.
Skills you'll train
Carla Jimenez
Member, follow-up results
A member whose follow-up numbers barely moved after months of effort, feeling frustrated and ready to quit. Learner must deliver the results honestly, reframe the setback, and recommit them to an adjusted plan.
Skills you'll train
Eleanor Griggs
Patient, receiving a diagnosis
A patient coming in for results that are serious. Learner must walk the SPIKES arc — set up the conversation, check what she already suspects, deliver the news plainly, hold the emotion, and agree on next steps — without hiding behind jargon.
Skills you'll train
Keisha Daniels
Care aide, after a complaint
An aide who feels blindsided and defensive after a family complaint. Learner plays the charge nurse delivering the feedback — specific, fair, and forward-looking — without crushing morale or letting the issue slide.
Skills you'll train
Personas interrupt with denial, go silent, or get angry at the messenger — the reactions that derail real conversations. You learn to pause, absorb, and continue rather than talk over the feeling.
Everyone fumbles the first phrasing of 'he's entering his final days.' Better to fumble it here, five times, than once at a bedside with a family who will remember every word.
Rubrics fail euphemism and fail bluntness equally: pass criteria require a warning, plain words, space for the reaction, and a concrete next step for the family.
A simulated high-stakes conversation — breaking bad news, discussing goals of care, introducing hospice — with a voice AI persona playing the patient or family member. The learner practices delivering hard truths clearly and compassionately, and the session is scored against defined criteria for both.
Assign them by role or location, set your own rubric, and see who's ready — or describe your own situation and get a custom scenario built around your protocols.