Poster Presentation
Wednesday, 19 July 2006
9:30 AM - 10:00 AM
Wednesday, 19 July 2006
2:30 PM - 3:00 PM
Enhancing Communication for Non-English-Speaking Patients
Joanna Ryan, RNC, BSN, Orthopedics, Virginia Mason Medical Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| Learning Objective #1: Describe the process for development of an on-line “care needs” communication tool for hospitalized non-English speaking patients, |
| Learning Objective #2: Name three elements of such a program:
Survey of caregivers to assess need,
Determine most needed languages,
Put completed tool on line.
|
Purpose: To enhance timely and effective communication with non-English speaking in-hospital patients. Background/Significance: Interpretive services for non-English speaking patients typically include contacting an interpreter to come into a facility to translate for patients. Although this is a necessary requirement for patients about to undergo surgery or requiring other in-depth understanding of consents or procedures, not every interaction with the nurse requires the services of an interpreter. Additionally, at times, notably the evening and night shift, it may take a long time to obtain the services of an interpreter. Methods: This project was chosen to fulfill the requirements of a VMMC RN professional recognition program. Permission was obtained from nursing administration and assistance was obtained from the facility’s interpretive services. Patient care assistance tools were developed in Korean, Japanese, Vietnamese, Chinese, and Spanish. Printed questions included care needs related to toileting (e.g., I need to urinate), nutrition (e.g., I am hungry), comfort (e.g., I need pain medication), breathing (e.g. is your breathing uncomfortable?), and nausea (e.g., are you nauseated?). Introduction statements (e.g., my name is) and miscellaneous words/phrases were included (e.g. nurse, physical therapist, doctor). The tools are easily accessible via the facility intranet. They are easily printed and may be left with patients, used and discarded after discharge. Results. A follow up survey nearly four months after the tool was placed on the VMMC intranet indicated that 88% of the nurses responding were familiar with the tool, and 47% of the respondents said they or their co-workers had actually used the tool in patient care. Conclusion: This project has demonstrated that providing printed handouts related to simple patient care needs via facility intranet provides timely and readily accessible care information for nurses and their non-English speaking patients.
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See more of The 17th International Nursing Research Congress Focusing on Evidence-Based Practice (19-22 July 2006)