Other Titles
Rising Star Poster/Presentation
Abstract
Communication is paramount in any provider-patient relationship. In nurse practitioner roles, health teachings are provided to prevent and manage illnesses and promote health. Language discordance between patients and providers is a significant barrier for persons with Non-English Language Preference (NELP). Patients with NELP tend to delay accessing healthcare services, which is a challenge for primary care providers to perform their role as promoters of health. The purpose of our work was to describe best practices for nurse practitioners caring for persons with NELP. A narrative review of the literature was conducted, with librarian consultation. We used keywords, and MeSH terms and searched Scopus, Cumulative Index for Nursing and Allied Health, Ovid Medline, and Google Scholar to extract relevant literature with 11 studies included in the final review. Literature indicated that language barriers reduced provider and patient satisfaction, increased healthcare costs, and increased risks to patient safety for patients with NELP. The benefits of language-concordant care with professional language interpreters included higher adherence to the treatment plan, fewer emergency visits and hospitalizations, and lower morbidity and mortality rates. The absence of a professional language interpreter does not support primary care’s main goals of preventing diseases and promoting health. Professional language interpreters may improve the healthcare experience of patients with NELP when compared to other language assistance techniques, such as ad hoc interpreters. Language barriers affect the healthcare system and, most importantly, our patients' overall health. It is imperative that nurse practitioners offer language interpreter services to these types of patients in every interaction to facilitate preventive and promotive care and to help them navigate the complexities associated with accessing healthcare.
Notes
References:
Giwa O, Salami BO, O’Rourke T. A Scoping Review of Nurse Practitioner Roles in Immigrant Health. J Nurse Pract. 2020;16(6):428-432. doi:10.1016/j.nurpra.2020.03.012
Gonzalez C, Graves JM, Ramos J, Vavilala MS, Moore M. Language access research for community health: provider perspectives on language access techniques and the role of communication technology. J Commun Healthc. 2024;17(1):7-14. doi:10.1080/17538068.2023.2237351
Ortega P, Shin TM, Martínez GA. Rethinking the Term “Limited English Proficiency” to Improve Language-Appropriate Healthcare for All. J Immigr Minor Health. 2022;24(3):799-805. doi:10.1007/s10903-021-01257-w
Twersky SE, Jefferson R, Garcia-Ortiz L, Williams E, Pina C. The Impact of Limited English Proficiency on Healthcare Access and Outcomes in the U.S.: A Scoping Review. Healthcare. 2024;12(3):364. doi:10.3390/healthcare12030364
Wessel L, Valasquez LG. The Role of Nurse Practitioners in Helping Refugees and Asylees Thrive in a New Country. J Nurse Pract. 2024;20(3):104824. doi:10.1016/j.nurpra.2023.104824
Sigma Membership
Non-member
Type
Poster
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
Other
Research Approach
Other
Keywords:
Provider-patient Relationship, Nurse Practitioners, Language Discordance
Recommended Citation
Buhisan, Jaypee Benitez; Martin, Donna; Duff, Elsie; and Hunter, Terilyn, "Best Practices for Nurse Practitioners Caring for Patients with Non-English Language Preference" (2025). International Nursing Research Congress (INRC). 198.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/inrc/2025/posters_2025/198
Conference Name
36th International Nursing Research Congress
Conference Host
Sigma Theta Tau International
Conference Location
Seattle, Washington, USA
Conference Year
2025
Rights Holder
All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record.
Review Type
Invited Presentation
Acquisition
Proxy-submission
Best Practices for Nurse Practitioners Caring for Patients with Non-English Language Preference
Seattle, Washington, USA
Communication is paramount in any provider-patient relationship. In nurse practitioner roles, health teachings are provided to prevent and manage illnesses and promote health. Language discordance between patients and providers is a significant barrier for persons with Non-English Language Preference (NELP). Patients with NELP tend to delay accessing healthcare services, which is a challenge for primary care providers to perform their role as promoters of health. The purpose of our work was to describe best practices for nurse practitioners caring for persons with NELP. A narrative review of the literature was conducted, with librarian consultation. We used keywords, and MeSH terms and searched Scopus, Cumulative Index for Nursing and Allied Health, Ovid Medline, and Google Scholar to extract relevant literature with 11 studies included in the final review. Literature indicated that language barriers reduced provider and patient satisfaction, increased healthcare costs, and increased risks to patient safety for patients with NELP. The benefits of language-concordant care with professional language interpreters included higher adherence to the treatment plan, fewer emergency visits and hospitalizations, and lower morbidity and mortality rates. The absence of a professional language interpreter does not support primary care’s main goals of preventing diseases and promoting health. Professional language interpreters may improve the healthcare experience of patients with NELP when compared to other language assistance techniques, such as ad hoc interpreters. Language barriers affect the healthcare system and, most importantly, our patients' overall health. It is imperative that nurse practitioners offer language interpreter services to these types of patients in every interaction to facilitate preventive and promotive care and to help them navigate the complexities associated with accessing healthcare.
Description
A narrative review was conducted to identify best practices for nurse practitioners caring for NELP. Results of the narrative review indicated that language barriers reduced provider and patient satisfaction, increased healthcare costs, and increased risks to patient safety. Benefits of language-concordant care with professional language interpreters included higher adherence to treatment plans, fewer emergency visits and hospitalizations, and lower morbidity and mortality rates.