Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 18, 2026

Involving Individuals with Developmental Language Disorder and Their Parents/Carers in Research Priority Setting
Published on: June 6, 2020
Nurses' Experiences of Working With Healthcare Interpreters When Caring for Patients With Limited Proficiency in the
Marika Seremetkoska1, Theresa Nielsen2, Kathryn Farrell3
1Western Sydney University, Liverpool, New South Wales, Australia.
Background:
Patients with limited proficiency in the primary language who do not receive a healthcare interpreter have poorer health outcomes. Clinician preference is an important factor in determining whether a healthcare interpreter will be used; yet little is known about their experiences and preferences for working with healthcare interpreters.
Aims And Objectives:
To review and synthesise the evidence examining nurses' experiences of working with healthcare interpreters when caring for patients with limited proficiency in the primary language.
Methods:
This review follows the reporting items contained within the ENTREQ statement. A systematic search of the literature was undertaken from inception to August 2024 in the databases CINAHL, Embase, Medline, PsychInfo, PubMed, Scopus, and ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global. Included studies were assessed using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme tool for qualitative studies. Thematic synthesis was undertaken on studies meeting the inclusion criteria, including studies undertaken in acute settings. Articles were limited to English-language papers and peer-reviewed.
Findings:
Eighteen studies representing the experiences of 416 nurses from eight countries were included in the review. Four themes were identified: (1) working with Interpreters, (2) tensions and challenges, (3) making connections, and (4) workarounds.
Discussion:
Nurses' experiences of working with healthcare interpreters were overwhelmingly positive; however, concerns about interpretation accuracy, unreliable technology, additional time required when working with a healthcare interpreter, and being sidelined were evident. Nurses commonly resorted to using bilingual nurse colleagues and family members when healthcare interpreters were unavailable.
Conclusion:
This review highlights the need for nurses to be allocated additional time in their patient loads when caring for patients with limited proficiency in the primary language. Healthcare policy that accommodates the use of bilingual healthcare professionals as well as the need for nurses to receive formal training on working collaboratively with healthcare interpreters is needed.
Patient Or Public Contribution:
Not applicable due to systematic review.
Related Concept Videos
Interdisciplinary Care: The Health Care Team-I
Physicians
The physician's primary responsibility is to diagnose illness and direct the medical or surgical treatment of the condition. The authority to admit patients to a healthcare agency or institution and practice care within that setting is granted to physicians by the healthcare agency or institution...
Patient-centered Care
Nurses' Legal Responsibilities II
Communication between nurses and...
Ethical Issues
Ethical Concerns in Healthcare:
Barriers to Effective Communication II
Cultural barriers:
Differences in values, beliefs, religion, knowledge, and tradition can significantly impact communication. Awareness of nonverbal cues is critical, especially when conversing with a patient from a different culture. What appears appropriate in one culture may be inappropriate in another.
Semantic barriers:
As a result of their tendency to use...
Levels of Communication I: Intrapersonal, Interpersonal, and Small Group
We can participate in these relationships through verbal, nonverbal, and mediated communication. We engage in verbal communication when we use words during our interaction to convey specific meanings. On the other hand, nonverbal communication refers to various factors that can impact how we understand each other—for example, facial expressions.
We interact with others using mediated technologies like the...

