Question

The PNP in a community health center meets a family who has recently immigrated to the United States who speak only Karon. They arrive in the clinic with a church sponsor who translates for them. The PNP notices that the sponsor answers for the family without giving them time to speak. The PNP will implement what intervention to help with communication?

A) Use written communication
B) Encourage the sponsor to continue translating
C) Provide a professional interpreter
D) Speak loudly and slowly to ensure understanding

Answer 1

To facilitate communication with a Karon-speaking family, the PNP should provide a professional interpreter. This ensures accurate and culturally sensitive communication, which is crucial for effective healthcare delivery.

Step-by-step explanation:

The intervention that the Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (PNP) should implement to help with communication with a family who speaks only Karon is C) Provide a professional interpreter. The use of a professional interpreter is essential as it ensures that the family’s voice is heard directly, allowing for accurate communication without the risk of misinterpretation or bias that may occur when using a non-professional translator like the church sponsor. Furthermore, a professional interpreter is trained to understand the nuances of both languages and the cultural sensitivities involved, which can significantly improve the interaction between healthcare providers and the family.

It is also beneficial to understand that effective communication in healthcare is critical, as emphasized by insights from social anthropologists who have trained teams during health crises like Ebola outbreaks. Their findings suggest the importance of respecting culture, hospitality, and politeness to ensure messages are well-received and promote collaboration with communities (World Health Organization 2015). Therefore, ensuring proper language interpretation aligns with these principles of effective communication and cultural consideration.