A work climate which is defined by both a high social capital (i.e. mutual understanding, shared aims, and unifying members of social networks and communities) as well as support for the individual to feel confident and supported in making ethically or morally difficult decisions.
Published in Chapter:
Distressful Situations, Non-Supportive Work Climate, Threats to Professional and Private Integrity: Healthcare Interpreting in Sweden
Elisabet Tiselius (Stockholm University, Sweden & Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, Norway), Elisabet Hägglund (Stockholm University, Sweden), and Pernilla Pergert (Karolinska Institutet, Sweden)
Copyright: © 2020
|Pages: 26
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-5225-9308-9.ch003
Abstract
This chapter describes situations of distress and the working climate of healthcare interpreters in Sweden. A questionnaire focused on distressful situations was administered to interpreters with experience in healthcare interpreting. The results indicated that distress in healthcare interpreting could be traced back to ethically and emotionally challenging interpreting situations and working conditions, and a lack of respect for the interpreters' work. An interview study using Grounded Theory showed that interpreters' main concern was the threat to professional and private integrity. Despite the fact that in general the interpreting profession in Sweden may seem professionalized, interpreters struggle with dilemmas connected to less professionalized activities. Our study was conducted in Sweden, but we argue that the results can be generalized to other countries. Although differently organized in different countries, health care interpreters experience similar dilemmas. Equal access to equitable care can be effectively hindered by language barriers.