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Language and Communication Styles
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"It is important to be aware of your own values, beliefs,
expectations and cultural practices, and consider how these impact
the care you give to people from cultures different from your own" (Queensland
Health Website). |
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Issues arising from differences in
language and communication style is a daily concern of medical staff at Bassett-
St. Elizabeth Family Medicine Residency Program. Many St. Elizabeth's patients
speak little or no English at all, and the availability of interpreters can be
extremely limited. Oftentimes, even interpreters cannot serve as an effective
medium of communicating between a nurse and a patient, because many words exist
in English that do not exist in other languages, and vice-versa. Furthermore, in
order for an interpreter to successfully convey a concern that a patient may
have, that interpreter must 1)understand the culture as well as the language,
and 2)must be a respected member of the ethnic community and trusted by the
family. However, the staff have taken recent steps to increase the availability
of trained medical interpreters, which should be much more accessible in the
upcoming months.
Issues That May Arise:
(the following information
is from Galanti, Geri-Ann, 1997 Caring for Patients from Different Cultures)
 | -unfair assumptions about patient levels of understanding: Body
language such as nodding and other gestures frequently varies across cultural lines, and a
nurse's assumption that a patient is nodding or saying "yes" does not
necessarily mean that they understand. Dignity and self-esteem are particularly important
for many Asians, and they may be hesitant to ask their nurses or doctors to repeat
themselves. On the contrary, patients may often understand when the nurse assumes that
they have failed to understand due to their silence or lack of English-speaking ability,
and a nurse repeating an instruction numerous times may cause patients' to feel
patronized (Galanti, p.20).
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| -use of first names: Many people from other cultures are not as
comfortable referring to strangers and acquaintances by their first name as we are in
America, so a nurse should always ask his/her patients which name they prefer to be called
before directing questions or examining the patient (Galanti, p.19).
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| -eye contact and touching: Members of some cultures are very
reserved and stoic, and rarely use direct eye contact and touching to emphasize points,
especially towards a member of the opposite sex. Members of other cultures may be open,
expressive, and affectionate, even towards mere acquaintances. Doctors and nurses should
try to make themselves aware of some general cultural patterns of a patient's ethnic group
before entering the room and examining the patient or directing questions at him or her.
Among many Bosnian Muslims as well as some traditional Vietnamese, direct eye contact is
frowned upon, especially when directed at a member of the opposite sex or towards an
elderly individual (Galanti, p.26).
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| -respect beliefs and attitudes, and listen and observe: A
healthcare provider can best serve the needs of a patient if he/she is willing to listen
and learn about the patient's different perspectives and experiences, and remain sensitive
to body language. However, "the same body language may express different messages in
different cultures: maintaining eye contact may be a sign of respect, and smiling may be a
sign of apprehension" (Queensland
Health Website).
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