Certified dual-role nurse interpreters improve the hospital experience of Spanish-speaking LEP patients by brokering communication

Narrative synthesis #

By serving as broker between the health care system and the patient, certified dual-role nurse interpreters were perceived to convert a discordant, error-prone, anxiety-inducing encounter into one where patients felt relief, were put at ease, and became active participants in their own care. The evidence is nurse-perceived and qualitative (four participants, one hospital), so the mechanism is plausible and consistently reported but not quantified or generalizable.

"Of note, all nurse participants perceived they were able to break the language barrier through their dual‐role as nurse and certified medical interpreter." (L, 2023) "Having certified nurse interpreters deter errors in healthcare and enable patient empowerment through education and advocacy." (L, 2023)