Norwegian Nurses Organisation calls for language requirements to ensure patient safety

The Norwegian Nurses Organisation (Norsk Sykepleierforbund) is calling for stricter national language requirements in the healthcare sector, citing significant risks to patient safety. During a recent panel discussion, union leader Lill Sverresdatter Larsen noted that communication failures in healthcare have been linked to nearly 1,000 deaths.

A survey conducted by the professional journal Sykepleien involving approximately 1,100 to 1,200 nurses revealed that 98.2 percent of respondents believe insufficient Norwegian language skills pose a threat to patient safety. The data shows that three in ten nurses encounter language issues weekly, while 8 percent face them daily. These difficulties primarily involve oral instructions and written reporting.

According to the survey, 15 percent of nurses reported that language barriers have led to patient injury, and 1 percent reported instances where language issues resulted in patient deaths. While union leaders emphasize the political responsibility to address these gaps, representatives from the Norwegian Board of Health Supervision and the Norwegian Directorate of Health stated they currently lack a comprehensive overview of these language-related issues.