Improving the Delivery of Care to Limited English Proficiency Patients

Effective communication is critical to the delivery of safe, high‐quality care. Identifying and delivering safe, high‐quality care to patients with LEP can be challenging. Failure to address language barriers inadvertently affects health outcomes. National efforts are underway to address disparities in care. As direct care providers, nurses must appreciate the importance of providing culturally sensitive care to avoid miscommunication and misunderstanding. Nursing administrators need to recognize the challenges associated with caring for the LEP patient and advocate for appropriate support and resources to meet the needs of LEP patients and health care providers.