Encounters in neonatal care between health care professionals and foreign-born parents with language limitations
Most neonatal units in Sweden conduct family-centered care where the parents' involvement in their child's care is considered as being obvious. The family is seen as the child's main carer and should be supported in this role. When the parents are involved in their child's care it is important the parents learn to recognize the child's signals, signs of stability and sensitivity.
Background
When health care is provided to children the best interests of the child must be taken into account and the parents should receive information about their child's care and treatment. The information should be adapted to the parents' linguistic background and individual preconditions. It should also be made possible for the parents to stay with their child, and they should be allowed to participate in decision-making after receiving thorough information.
Aim
Study 1: Identifying the use of guidelines on neonatal departments in Sweden regarding communication with parents through an interpreter.
Study 2: To highlight health professionals at the neonatal unit, their experience in communicating with foreign-born parents who have limitations in speaking and understanding the Swedish language. Manuscript submitted.
Study 3: To describe foreign-born parents' experience of having their children cared for in a neonatal ward, where they have limitations to speak and understand Swedish.
Study design
Study 1: Survey questions answered by medical professionals (physicians, nurses and nurse assistants) in all 38 neonatal units in Sweden. Data analysis with descriptive and comparative statistics is in progress.
Study 2: Sixty interviews with health professionals (physicians, nurses, nurse assistants) at five different neonatal units. The interviews were analyzed using qualitative content analysis and approach.
Study 3: Twenty-five interviews with foreign-born parents with limitations to speak and understand Swedish whose children are cared for in the neonatal intensive care unit in Sweden. Data collection is ongoing.
Outcome
The study results are expected to highlight how and when interpreters are used in neonatal intensive care and the staff's experiences of using an interpreter in conversations with parents. The study is also expected to provide knowledge about how these parents experience their parent, and thus be a basis for the formulation of health policies that lead to a treatment that includes the entire family, both children and parents, and where parents need attention and priority.