Effective Communication – How Nurses Can Make an Impact

Effective Communication – How Nurses Can Make an Impact

Mercedes Ruiz, MBA, MAOM, MAEd, EdD

When you think of nursing, you may think of medication administration or performing medical treatments. Nurse practitioners may diagnose and determine a plan of treatment. However, the one thing that will always ring true to the nursing profession is the role of educator to their patients. Nurses have always been viewed as the educators of the health care arena – teaching patients how to prevent and / or manage disease. Yet, how do they determine the best approaches for educating their patients? Better yet, how can they best reach a patient if a language barrier exists? Latinos alone make up approximately 39% of the total population.¹ With the increasing number of non-English speaking patients in the healthcare system, it is crucial to approach this vulnerable population in a mindful manner.

There are simple strategies to help ease the communication between educators and non-English speakers²:

• Communicate using simple words. Pronounce the words clearly and deliberately.  This allows your patient the time to understand the message you are trying to communicate
• Consider taking a brief pause after you’re a few sentences. Pausing after the message is spoken is another beneficial strategy. This allows the time for your patient to assimilate the information provided. It is crucial to remember that while they are listening to the information, they are actively trying to translate the message in their mind to their native tongue
• Avoid using professional jargon or acronyms as these may cause confusion to non-English speakers
• Avoid the common mistake of speaking loudly as this creates increased tension and produces an uncomfortable environment
• Tap into your resources. Utilize drawings, brochures, handouts, or even draw as you talk to your patient
• If needed, repeat the message. In many cases, repeating the information can reinforce the understanding and learning
• Finally, allow the time for the patient to ask questions for clarification or better understanding

Most importantly, remember to practice patience and demonstrate empathy. With a little bit of added effort and time, the nursing profession can continue to carry the torch to empowering patients for the betterment of their health. 

1. Fielding-Miller, R. K., Sundaram, M. E., & Brouwer, K. (2020, July 1). Social determinants of covid-19 mortality at the county level. medRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7340202/ 
2. Quick Tips for Communicating More Effectively with Nonnative English Speakers (NNES). https://www.cmu.edu/student-success/other-resources/handouts/index.html