Re: Nurses who can't communicate with their Patients Originally Posted by Honnête et Sérieux 
It seems to me that the original post was rationally based on an article which recognizes there is a problem with miscommunication related to the English skills of international nurses.
I hardly think that Yu Xu, the nursing professor born in China, was blaming his coworkers in recognizing and addressing this issue.
Yes, I agree wth you that Yu Xu, was not blaming his co-workers in this article. However, my point was - communication needs to be worked on. The article states, "Xu recalled his own experience working as a nurse in Alabama. One time he asked a patient how she liked her food and she replied: “It’s as good as grits.”
The woman wasn’t eating grits, and though Xu knew what grits were, he had no idea why the woman was comparing her meal to them."
When there is something we as nurses don't understand, we clarify with the client and then summarize. That's how effective communication should be.
Also, while it is true that some Asian cultures really do have thick accents, I don't think it is fair NOT to hire them on that basis. It is not a matter of race or culture but delivery of care and competence. Although, I must say that the hiring process is subjective most of the time e.g. will his person work well with the team? does this person have the right attitude?, etc. There is no objective measure for this in an hour or 2-hour long interview.
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