Bridging the language barrier: the use of interpreters in primary care nursing

Abstract

Language barriers present a major obstacle to minority ethnic communities accessing primary healthcare. Whereas it is recognised that interpreting services are generally inadequate and inappropriate reliance is placed on family members to interpret, little is known about how nurses working in primary care utilise interpreters to overcome language barriers. The present paper reports on a study examining the utilisation of interpreting services by a range of primary care nurses from the perspectives of the nurses, interpreters and minority ethnic communities. Focus groups were undertaken with five separate groups of district nurses, health visitors, practice nurses, community midwives and specialist nurses, three groups of interpreters from different interpreting services, and five groups of participants from the main community languages in the locality where the study was undertaken (i.e. Arabic, Bengali, Cantonese, Somali and Urdu). Focus group discussions were tape-recorded and subsequently transcribed. Data analysis drew upon the principles of 'framework' analysis. The use of interpreters by primary care nurses varied considerably. Nurses who had received training in using interpreters and who had most control over the timing of patient visits were more likely to use interpreting services. Inadequate training of both nurses and interpreters adversely affected the quality of interaction where interpreters were used. Primary care nurses acted as gatekeepers to interpreting services. Whereas interpreting services were generally perceived to be inadequate, many nurses were accepting of the status quo and prepared to rely on family members to interpret rather than champion the need to improve services.

Experiences of health and care when growing old in Norway - From the perspective of elderly immigrants with minority ethnic backgrounds

“…This is in accordance with what Gerrish and co-workers [43] reported, and they also found that professionals in health-care were reluctant to use interpreters in the encounter with minority ethnic groups. Even if the presence of family members is important for supporting older immigrants in their contact with the health care system [44] , the utilization of professional interpreters is also of outmost importance [37] .…”

“…Even if the presence of family members is important for supporting older immigrants in their contact with the health care system [44] , the utilization of professional interpreters is also of outmost importance [37] . However, Gerrish et al [43] have highlighted that both nursing personnel and doctors need training in how to collaborate with interpreters, so the communication can run smoothly between the triad of patient, professional and interpreter. Other ways to aid communication with minority ethnic groups in health care has been described such as including family members who can translate and write down usable words and phrases [44] , or using multilingual staff in nursing homes [45] .…”

Nigerian Clergy and healthcare professionals’ perceptions of health-seeking behaviours among Nigerian immigrants in the UK

“…Apart from the religious and cultural determinants reported in this study, other factors such as poverty and ignorance have been identified in a similar study in Nigeria (Onyigbuo et al, 2015), which confirms the role of social capital in health seeking among developing countries (Gerrish, Chau, Sobowale & Birks, 2004), with unavailable, inadequate, expensive or unaffordable medical services. However, the importance attached to the pre-migration impact of poverty in healthcare utilisation among immigrant Nigerians was based on its continued role in view of a free medical service (NHS) at the point of entry.…”

General practitioners’ views on consultations with interpreters: A triad situation with complex issues

“…An individual's ability to communicate may decrease during illness and the weakness is accentuated by cultural and language differences in the encounter [6]. The competence of the interpreter is thus crucial [7]. GPs, especially those working in immigrant areas, must try to obtain familiarity in working effectively with an interpreter and be aware of the interpreterÁpatient interaction [8,9].…”