Language barriers and professional identity: A qualitative interview study of newly employed international medical doctors and Norwegian colleagues

Abstract

Objective

To explore how language barriers influence communication and collaboration between newly-employed international medical doctors and Norwegian health personnel. Methods

Interviews were conducted with 16 doctors who had recently started working in Norway and 12 Norwegian born health personnel who had extensive experience working with international medical doctors. Analyses were consistent with principles of systematic text condensation. Results

All participants experienced that language barriers caused difficulties in their everyday collaboration. Furthermore, the participants’ descriptions of “language barriers” encompassed a wide range of topics, including semantics (e.g., specialized professional vocabulary, system knowledge), pragmatics (e.g., using language in doctor-patient and interprofessional interactions), and specific culturally sensitive topics. All participants described that language barriers provoked uncertainty about a doctor’s competence. Conclusion

Newly employed international medical doctors and their colleagues are concerned by ineffective communication due to language barriers. Experiences of language barriers threaten professional identity as a competent and effective doctor. Practice implications

Newly employed doctors who are non-native speakers could benefit from support in understanding and handling the array of barriers related to language. Skjeggestad, Erik, Jennifer Gerwing, and Pål Gulbrandsen. "Language barriers and professional identity: A qualitative interview study of newly employed international medical doctors and Norwegian colleagues." Patient education and counseling 100.8 (2017): 1466-1472. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.pec.2017.03.007 © 2017. This manuscript version is made available under the CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 license.