The Relationship Between Language Barrier in Non-Arabic Nurses and Anxiety in Cardiovascular Patients: A Cross-Sectional Descriptive Study

Abstract

Patients with cardiac conditions may suffer from anxiety related to prognosis and further rehabilitation. Anxiety could be exacerbated by different factors including miscommunication, which could be attributed to the linguistic barrier, that exists among health care providers. At Saud Al-Babtain Cardiac Center (SBCC), nurses who are non-native Arabic speakers could have difficulty communicating disease-related information at different stages of nursing care. Is it possible to identify the language barrier as a source of anxiety for admitted patients with cardiac diseases? In this cross-sectional, descriptive study, 50 patients were included following the diagnosis of cardiac disease and post-cardiac surgery. A questionnaire that measures anxiety level showed that patients who were handled by Arabic-speaking nurses reported less collective mean for the anxiety domain statements of (20.08) versus those who were handled by Non-Arabic-speaking nurses (28.55, P value = .041). Our finding indicates that anxiety levels increased when there was a language barrier between nurses and patients, which could affect the quality of care delivery at SBCC.

The Experience of the Transition from a Student Nurse to a Registered Nurse of Kuwaiti Newly Graduated Registered Nurses: A Qualitative Study

“…As a result, graduates encountered difficulty communicating with non-Arab health care colleagues and patients, and experienced considerable challenges with nursing documentation and report writing, impacting on their new role as registered nurses. These findings concur with a cross-sectional descriptive Saudi study on 40 patients with cardiac conditions, conducted by Almualem et al (2021), which investigated whether the language barrier increased anxiety for patients admitted with cardiac diseases to the coronary care unit [ 40 ]. Most of the staff nurses working in these centres were expatriates who knew little Arabic, the only language used by almost all of the patients.…”

“…This study concurs with a study conducted by compared job satisfaction among nurses in some European countries [ 39 ]. The study found that low salary was reported as a major factor associated with job dissatisfaction for nurses [ 40 ]. To address these concerns, it was recommended that the Ministry of Health should increase nurses’ salaries to enhance NGRN retention and to increase the attractiveness of the nursing profession as a long-term career option.…”

The Relationship between Immigrants' Primary Language Learning, Anxiety Levels and Postpartum Recovery

“…In a study conducted in a cardiovascular surgery center in Saudi Arabia, it was shown that the anxiety levels of patients who underwent cardiovascular surgery increased when there was a language barrier that could affect the quality of care between nurses and patients [17]. It is thought that this situation may be related to the fact that the interpreting service is effective in the hospital where this study was conducted and that the processes in the provision of health services may be regulated differently.…”

Experience and Educational Needs of Arab Parental Caregivers Regarding their Children Newly Diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes in Saudi Arabia: A Qualitative Study

“…6 This language barrier and the difficulty of communicating disease-related information at different stages of nursing care have also been observed to contribute to an increased level of anxiety among patients. 10 The literature has identified several educational needs among parents of children diagnosed with T1DM. Parents in the Netherlands expressed a desire for ongoing assistance in comprehending and learning how to perform complex selfmanagement tasks.…”

“…6 This language barrier and the difficulty of communicating disease-related information at different stages of nursing care have also been observed to contribute to an increased level of anxiety among patients. 10…”