What are the lived experiences of deaf patients when communicating with nurses in Scotland?

Few healthcare professionals are trained to communicate with Deaf people and the effect of this is that communication is often inappropriate and exchanged without knowledge or understanding of the Deaf person's communication needs (Middleton et al. 2010). Effective communication between nurses and patients is a vital part of safe and effective nursing care. The purpose of this research proposal is to explore the experiences of Deaf people when communicating and receiving care from nurses within Scotland. This study will pay particular attention to gaining a deeper understanding of what Deaf people believe the role of the nurse to be. Deaf peoples understanding and perceptions of health beliefs and values will also be explored. Within the proposed study, six Deaf individuals who are willing to participate shall be interviewed to gain qualitative data on their opinions, feelings, attitudes and thoughts experienced while being nursed as an in-patient in hospital. Findings will suggest whether or not nurses within Scotland are providing culturally competent care and communicating effectively to meet the needs of this minority population. It is hoped that by carrying out this proposal insights of Deaf experiences of nursing care can be instrumental for nurses and other healthcare professionals in practice when planning care for this patient group.bsc_Nurunpub1793_ethesesunpu