Prehospital emergency care nurses’ strategies while caring for patients with limited Swedish–English proficiency

Aims and objectives To explore the strategies of nurses working in the ambulance service while caring for patients with limited Swedish–English proficiency. Background Communication difficulties due to lack of mutual language is a challenge in healthcare systems around the world. Little is known about nurses’ strategies while caring for patients with whom they do not share a mutual language in an unstructured, unplanned prehospital emergency environment, the ambulance service. Design and Method A qualitative study design based on interviews was used, and a purposeful sample and snowball technique were used to identify nurses with prehospital emergency experience of caring for patients with limited Swedish–English proficiency. Results Eleven nurses were interviewed, and the main strategy they used was adapting to the patients’ need and the caring situation. The nurses used their own body, and tone of voice for creating a sense of trust and security. The nurses also used structured assessment in accordance with medical guidelines. Translation devices and relatives/bystanders were used as interpreters when possible. Another strategy was to transport the patient directly to the emergency department as they had not found a secure way of assessing and caring for the patients in the ambulance. Conclusion The nurses used a palette of strategies while assessing and caring for patients when there was no mutual language between the caregiver and care seeker. Relevance to clinical practice The nurses need to be prepared for how to assess and care for patients when there is a lack of mutual language; otherwise, there is a risk of increased unequal care in the ambulance service. To further explore and learn about this field of research, studies exploring the patients’ perspective are needed.