Sykepleiers erfaringer og oppfatninger om samarbeid med tolk i sykehushverdag : En kvalitativ studie om sykepleieres erfaringer og oppfatninger om bruk av tolk til fremmedspråklige pasienter som er innlagt på sykehus

Abstract

Background: When foreign language patients are hospitalized and unable to communicate, the nurses are dependent on working with interpreters. There is little knowledge about the experiences nurses have had when working with an interpreter.

Aim and objectives: The purpose of this thesis is to gain insight into the experiences and perceptions nurses have about working with an interpreter. The study focuses on cooperation with the use of interpreters from a nursing perspective and answers the following question: What experiences do nurses have with the use of interpreters for foreign language patients who are hospitalized?

Method: Six qualitative semi-structured interviews of nurses were carried out in two different wards: Three nurses from the gynaecological ward and three from the infection ward. Data was analyzed by systematic text condensation. Results: The results are presented in four main categories: • Factors that affect the communication between the nurse and the interpreter • Perceptions of competence • Perceptions about possible improvements • Different methods to get the message across Conclusion: These findings show that nurses are finding that interpreters are different, some are very professional and others are less professional. Employing specific hospital interpreters should be taken into consideration.

Keywords: nurse, interpreter, qualitative research, communication, trust