Honors Theses

Date of Award

5-2026

Document Type

Undergraduate Thesis

Degree Name

BS

Department

Nursing

Faculty Mentor

Sara Davis, Ph.D.

Advisor(s)

Brady Urquhart, Ph.D., Ashleigh Bowman, Ph.D., Cinthya Torres, Ph.D.

Abstract

Background: Few studies examine language barriers in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Miscommunication and lack of understanding between the healthcare team and a NICU infant’s parents may easily occur when the relationship is inhibited by a language barrier. Previous studies show that a lack of parent-provider communication creates additional anxiety for parents. The purpose of this study is to explore and describe the experiences and barriers in communication between an English-speaking nurse, an English-Spanish bilingual nurse, and a Spanish-speaking mother of a NICU infant.

Methods: This project was a case study using an exploratory mixed methods qualitative design. Qualitative data were collected using individual, semi-structured interviews with two NICU nurses who provided regular care for the infant during admission and the infant’s Spanishspeaking mother. Quantitative data were collected through a review of the electronic medical record (EMR) and a demographic survey.

Results: Three broad themes emerged from the rapid qualitative analysis including levels of communication, emotional support, and maternal understanding.

Conclusion: Findings from this case study show some success in cross-language communication, despite significant barriers. This study also highlights frustrations and barriers to communication between a Spanish-speaking mother and English-only speaking nurse in a NICU setting. Findings from this study may be used to inform future research on parental participation and language barriers in the NICU as well as support for hiring an in-person medical interpreter at this NICU.

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