Stories from Those Who Interpret for Others in Healthcare

Symposium Editor: Gianna McMillan

Narrative Inquiry in Bioethics will publish a collection of personal stories from people who have served as interpreters in healthcare situations. Non-English speakers, the non-verbal, and the deaf and hard of hearing can be at a disadvantage when trying to access health care or medical treatment. They often rely on the services of others to interpret what healthcare providers are telling them and to make their own needs and questions understood. Professional interpreters are trained in language, cultural traditions, interpersonal communication, and medical vocabulary. The services of these interpreters are frequently, but not always, offered as part of medical care, providing a crucial connection point between patient and healthcare professional for the accurate sharing of important information.

We seek stories from people who have served as professional interpreters for patients who do not speak English, are non-verbal, or are deaf or hard of hearing. We want true, personal stories in a form that is interesting and easy to read. Please share this invitation and guide sheet.

In writing your story, please consider these questions:

• What surprises you about interpreting for those who cannot speak for themselves?
• Is there advice you wish to give those who need an interpreter?
• What do healthcare providers need to know about working with a patient who needs an interpreter?
• What training did you receive? How has the quality of your training impacted your ability to provide service?
• Do you have suggestions for people interested in taking up this profession?
• What have you found challenging in your role? How has the experience affected you physically, emotionally, or economically?
• What would you like people who develop policies and laws to know about the role of interpreters in medical practice?

You do not need to address each of these questions—write on the issues that you think are most important to share with others. If you are not a writer, tell your story in your own words and our editorial staff will help you.

If you are interested in submitting a story, we ask you first to submit a 300-word proposal—a short description of the story you want to tell. Inquiries or proposals should be sent to the editorial office via email: narrativebioethics@gmail.com. We will give preference to story proposals received by January 8, 2024. If your story is invited, we will ask you to submit it within 6 weeks of the invitation. Final stories are 4 – 10 double-spaced pages or 800 – 2000 words.

For more information about the journal Narrative Inquiry in Bioethics, the guidelines for authors, and privacy policies visit our webpage at http://nibjournal.org/submit/guidelines/

We plan to publish 12 stories on this topic in our print edition; additional stories may be published as online-only supplemental material. We also publish 3 – 4 commentary articles that discuss the stories that are published in the journal. To see a finished symposium, please visit Narrative Inquiry in Bioethics’ page on Project MUSE and click on the unlocked, open-access issue.