Impact of Language Barrier on Quality of Nursing Care at Armed Forces Hospitals , Taif , Saudi Arabia

Since Saudi Arabia has a shortage of nursing staff and depends on expatriate nurses, difficulties in communication because of language barriers may affect patient satisfaction or at the worst may lead to healthcare errors. Objectives: To determine the effect of language barriers on quality of nursing care at Taif Armed Forces Hospitals and to suggest possible interventions to mitigate the effect of language barriers on quality of nursing care. Methods: This study was conducted in Armed Forces Hospitals, Taif Region. Two different questionnaires were applied (one for nurses in English and the other for admitted patients in Arabic). Total number of respondents was 343 nurses. Results: Forty-nine percent of the nurses reported they have difficulty in dealing with patients because of the language barrier. Healthcare outcomes that were affected because of language barriers include general nursing care, understanding patients’ needs, communication with patients, healthcare errors, having trust in nursing care and feeling satisfaction). An equal percentage of nurses and patients (90% and 89.5%, respectively) suggested that attending an Arabic course during the orientation period is very essential. Conclusion: Future research is required to determine the effectiveness of suggested interventions (e.g., Arabic language courses, bilingual staff, common words dictionary, etc) and their impact on improving communication (i.e., access to care), change behaviors (i.e., health outcomes), and ultimately reduce diseases. Moreover, it is necessary to view the language barrier through a cultural competency model.