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Interpreters in healthcare: Nursing perspectives
Darya Salavati1, Fanny Lindholm, Eva Drevenhorn
1At Skåne University Hospital in Lund, Sweden, Darya Salavati is a nurse in the oncology clinic and Fanny Lindholm is a nurse in the medicine clinic. Eva Drevenhorn is a senior lecturer at Lund University in Lund, Sweden.
Purpose:
This study explored nursing experiences using interpreters in primary healthcare settings.
Methods:
Eight nurses in southern Sweden were subjected to semistructured interviews. The responses were divided into three categories using content analysis: interpreter influence, challenges, and strategies.
Results:
Despite using an interpreter to minimize language barriers, nurses do not achieve the same level of person-centered care as those who speak the same language as their patients, but translation services remain a useful communication tool for patient care.
Conclusion:
Communication through an interpreter is an inevitability for healthcare professionals, and formal education is recommended to improve nurses' utilization of these services.
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