Date of Award

Spring 2019

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

School

Leadership and Advanced Nursing Practice

Committee Chair

Kathleen Masters

Committee Chair School

Leadership and Advanced Nursing Practice

Committee Member 2

Mary Butts

Committee Member 2 School

Leadership and Advanced Nursing Practice

Committee Member 3

Bonnie Harbaugh

Committee Member 3 School

Leadership and Advanced Nursing Practice

Committee Member 4

Lachel Story

Committee Member 4 School

Leadership and Advanced Nursing Practice

Committee Member 5

Elizabeth Tinnon

Committee Member 5 School

Leadership and Advanced Nursing Practice

Committee Member 6

Elizabeth Aquino

Committee Member 6 School

Leadership and Advanced Nursing Practice

Abstract

Communication serves as the foundation for safe and effective healthcare practice. Effective nurse-patient communication is the cornerstone of the nurse-patient relationship and is vital for the delivery of safe and effective healthcare. Research has shown patients who are communication impaired are at a greater risk of medical error and poorer health outcomes. A review of the literature revealed various nurse perceptions of barriers when providing care for limited-English-speaking patients and non-English-speaking patients. LEP and NEP patients also identified similar perceived barriers when receiving care. Both nurses and patients revealed a distrust for interpreters and interpreter services. The literature review revealed the need for further study into the perspective of registered nurses when caring for LEP and NEP patients.

Communication is an important part of the nurse-patient relationship and is vital for the delivery of safe and effective health care. Increasing diversity among patient populations means healthcare professionals will find themselves caring for LEP or NEP more frequently and highlights the need to identify strategies for positively impacting healthcare encounters for LEP or NEP and healthcare providers. The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experience of Mississippi registered nurses communicating with LEP and NEP. A phenomenological approach was used to conduct the study. Participants were recruited until data saturation occurred, resulting in a total of six participants.

Participants described experiencing anxiety when communicating with LEP and NEP due to feelings of helplessness and fear, limited cultural competence education/training, limited availability of interpreter services. Participants also described feelings of detachment from LEP and NEP due to the role language plays in forming a connection, especially in Mississippi. The study also found that participants feel that healthcare facilities have not prioritized improving communication with LEP or NEP which furthers the feelings of anxiety and detachment. The results of the study could serve as the foundation for further research into improving communication between nurses and LEP/NEP in the State of Mississippi.

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