COMMUNICATION CHALLENGES AND USE OF TECHNOLOGY BETWEEN IMMIGRANT MOTHERS AND NURSES IN CHILD HEALTH CENTERS IN SWEDEN (Nurses and Doulas’ perspectives)

Abstract

The aim of this project is to describe and to analyze the perceived communication challenges and cultural differences (from nurses and doulas' points of view) in meetings between Swedish nurses and immigrant mothers in Swedish Child Health Centers (CHC) from dense immigrant areas. A special focus is put on the use of technology for managing their communication. The study is based on the results of semi-structured interviews with 5 CHC nurses and 4 Community Based Doulas who work with immigrant mothers on a daily basis. Interviews are transcribed and analyzed using Thematic Content Analysis. The results show that the nurses and doulas perceive encountering communication challenges related to the mother´s language competence, problems of understanding and interpretation issues when mothers visit CHCs. Furthermore, nurses and doulas perceive cultural differences related primarily to the mother's role in the family, food and nutrition habits and the importance of child bonding. The context where nurses and doulas meet, together with the amount of time they spend with mothers also affect their communication. In addition, nurses report using their computers to search for images and videos on the internet. Nurses and doulas report that mothers use their mobiles to show images, videos and translation apps for supporting their conversations. The novelty of this study resides not only in giving a double perspective from two very different professional pro lfies related to health-care maternity (CHC's nurses and doulas); but also in exploring their use of technological tools to facilitate their communication with immigrant women.