Fundamentals of Nursing Q 495
An American nurse tries to speak with a Korean client who cannot understand the English language. To effectively communicate to a client with a different language, which of the following should the nurse implement?
A. Have an interpreter to translate.
B. Speak slowly.
C. Speak loudly and closely to the client.
D. Speak to the client and family together.
Correct Answer: A. Have an interpreter to translate.
Having an interpreter would be the best practice when communicating with a client who speaks a different language. When nurses and their patients don’t speak the same language, providing quality medical care and making the patient feel comfortable and cared for can be exponentially more challenging. It can be difficult to inform a patient or be confident about consent given when the patient primarily communicates in their mother tongue.
Option B: Language barriers exacerbate all other challenges nurses face when providing care for culturally diverse patients. To effectively communicate with a patient to ask them about their health history or to educate them about a procedure, the language barrier must be broken in some way.
Option C: Ask the facility if a translator is available. Most hospitals do have translators on staff, but a smaller doctor’s office may not. Explore translation technology — while it may not be 100% accurate, it can help the nurse better understand patients and the patients better understand their nurse.
Option D: Use pictures or hand gestures to communicate when necessary, and remember to be patient. Language barriers are frustrating for both the nurse and the patient, but the patient is at a distinct disadvantage. If there’s a language barrier, a translator can help. Essentially, this will help the nurse determine how much of what she is saying has been understood and how she might be able to change the way she communicates to improve the patient’s understanding.