Communicating and Coaching in Spanish for Chronic Care

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Health Communication
• Linguistics in Healthcare

Background:

• Language barriers significantly impact healthcare access and quality for millions in the U.S.
• Approximately 20% of U.S. residents over age 5 speak a language other than English, creating communication challenges in clinical settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a graduate nursing elective focused on enhancing Spanish language proficiency for clinical communication.
• To equip nursing students with culturally sensitive communication skills for managing type 2 diabetes and employing motivational interviewing.

Main Methods:

• A multidisciplinary team of applied linguists and nurse educators designed the course.
• The curriculum included discourse analysis, simulated conversations, and standardized patient interactions.
• Targeted nursing students with demonstrated minimum Spanish proficiency.

Main Results:

• A team-teaching approach facilitated the development of culturally sensitive clinical language skills.
• Students gained practical experience in strategic communication for diverse patient populations.

Conclusions:

• Language concordance is essential for delivering equitable and high-quality care to non-English-speaking patients.
• Healthcare providers require empathy, cultural understanding, and effective communication strategies to serve diverse patient groups.
• Specialized training can improve nurses' ability to provide culturally competent care.