Registered nurses' experiences with caring for non-English speaking patients

AimTo explore registered nurses' experiences with caring for non-English speaking patients and understand how those experiences influence their clinical practice.BackgroundThere is limited literature that examines nurses’ perceptions on caring for non-English speaking populations and the impact this increasing population has on the nurse.MethodsAn exploratory, qualitative study was conducted. Content analysis was used to identify major themes.ResultsTwo major themes emerged from 17 registered nurses responses: availability of resources and changes in nursing practice. Themes revealed the availability of resources provided supportive structure or could be a challenge to providing care. Changes in clinical practice included: increased awareness of patients' needs, personal development, increased knowledge of culture, and more time and resource management.ConclusionsContinued efforts are needed to increase cultural competence and ensuring healthcare institutions have easily accessible resources to improve the patient–provider experience for this population.