Language Barriers in Nursing
Academic Level at Time of Presentation
Junior
Major
Spanish and Nursing
Minor
N/A
List all Project Mentors & Advisor(s)
Benjamin Post, PhD
Presentation Format
Oral Presentation
Abstract/Description
The United States has traditionally been called the melting pot, but this melting pot can present problems when a country have a multitude of races, people, cultures, and languages living in the same community. The people who see this problem most are their public servants: social workers, police officers, firefighters, nurses, doctors, and accountants. This review of literature discusses what is known about the language and cultural barriers inside the medical field. This project focuses on what sources the medical community uses to communicate with lower English proficiency patients, including the use of gestures and isolated words, simultaneous remote translators, family members, and professional on-site translators. Patients with lower English proficiency deserve the same care as the patient whose first language is English; however, research shows they have less access to care, longer stays, more stress, and less information retention. My research seeks to find if there was a better way to solve the problem of language barriers than is already in use. Furthermore, if teaching Spanish to nurses at the university level could greatly improve the health care of not only Hispanics but also all lower English proficiency patients.
Affiliations
Modern Languages Senior Colloquium
Language Barriers in Nursing
The United States has traditionally been called the melting pot, but this melting pot can present problems when a country have a multitude of races, people, cultures, and languages living in the same community. The people who see this problem most are their public servants: social workers, police officers, firefighters, nurses, doctors, and accountants. This review of literature discusses what is known about the language and cultural barriers inside the medical field. This project focuses on what sources the medical community uses to communicate with lower English proficiency patients, including the use of gestures and isolated words, simultaneous remote translators, family members, and professional on-site translators. Patients with lower English proficiency deserve the same care as the patient whose first language is English; however, research shows they have less access to care, longer stays, more stress, and less information retention. My research seeks to find if there was a better way to solve the problem of language barriers than is already in use. Furthermore, if teaching Spanish to nurses at the university level could greatly improve the health care of not only Hispanics but also all lower English proficiency patients.