A dialectical experience in the pursuit to understanding: perspectives from resource team nurses

Linguistic diversity is increasing in Canada, however, there is a dearth of information related to resource team nurses’ experiences with bridging language disconnect in the provision of care. This study aimed to understand the meaning of resource team nurses’ lived experiences of language barriers in an urban city in Canada. An interpretive phenomenological approach informed by van Manen, guided this study. Eight resource team nurses were recruited using purposive and snowball sampling strategies. In-depth face-to-face interviews served to unearth the lived experience of being a resource team nurse and the meaning ascribed to language in their everyday practice. The themes that emerged were (a) trying to span the distance, (b) everything comes down to time, (c) desiring shared meaning, and (d) experiencing disequilibrium. The overarching theme was: a dialectical experience in the pursuit to understanding. This study has implications for policy, nursing practice and further research.