The Lived Experiences of OB Nurses Communicating with Non-English Speaking OB Clients with and without An Interpreter
- List at least 2 laws supporting the non-English patient
- Describe Peplau’s interpersonal theoretical framework used for the study and how it relates to the caring of the laboring client.
- Identify 2 major themes and four sub themes unearthed from the findings
To explore the lived experiences of obstetric (OB) nurses caring for non-English speaking (NES) laboring clients with and without the use of a bedside interpreter.
The 2000 census reported 47million residents do not speak English at home. It is estimated by the year 2056, 50% of the population will be minorities. As these numbers rise, one can expect language barriers to also increase. Despite the various international, national, and state laws, and Joint Commission regulations, the problems with language barriers continue to exist. Language barriers have a negative impact on patient care.
Peplau’s (1991) mid-range interpersonal nursing theory was used as the theoretical framework and is based on the interpersonal relationship that develops between the nurse and the client.
Design:
A qualitative, phenomenological study guided by van Manen was conducted by interviewing a convenience sample of 12 OB nurses.
Setting:
At a location convenient for the participant.
Patients/Participants:
12 OB nurses
Methods:
A face-to-face interview was digitally recorded. Prompting questions from an interview guide were used and a follow-up telephone interview was conducted to clarify themes and meanings as they emerged. The researcher downloaded and transcribed the digitally recorded interviews verbatim. Transcriptions were read, re-read, and reviewed several times. Themes emerged while the researcher read and re-read the data.
Results:
The study revealed two major themes: communication and providing care. Four sub-themes surfaced from the communication theme: triangular communication, filtering information, retroactive communication, and language line. The providing care theme revealed four sub-themes: inequality of care, unrealistic expectations, no bonding, and “Bag of Tricks.”
Conclusion/Implications for nursing practice:
The experiences of OB nurses caring for non-English speaking (NES) laboring clients were described as challenging, frustrating, and even dangerous. Additional problems discovered included the inability to form a nurse-patient relationship, not offering emotional support and the 100% whole package of care. Further, when communication was limited, especially in emergency situations, the NES client often became frightened. Most of the nurses in this study spoke limited Spanish or limited in other languages. However, when communication of technical, medical, and legal terms was required, there was no guarantee the NES patient completely understood the information. A trained bedside interpreter available at all times was the number one solution discovered. Employing bilingual nurses with medical translation training would benefit both the NES patients and hospitals. More research is required in fast paced areas of hospitals such as ERs and ICUs to identify if communication issues are similar.
Keywords: Communication, obstetrics, non-English speaking
