This comparative qualitative study examined intercultural communication in care encounters from the perspectives of long-stay immigrants, nurses, and cultural mediators. The paper is directly relevant because it includes immigrants’ accounts of communication with nurses in care settings and compares them with nurses’ perspectives on those encounters.

The chapter states that "Discrimination against individuals and groups belonging to minority identities persists, leading to negative outcomes for patients and healthcare professionals." It notes that discrimination in health care can take many forms (including based on race, ethnicity, language and culture) and that these experiences "negatively impact the trust between patients and providers and may lead patients to avoid seeking care or to be dissatisfied with their care." It also emphasizes that unconscious bias and stereotyping by health professionals can contribute to unequal treatment of minority patients.

This systematic review found that discrimination is a major factor harming migrant and minority nurses’ health. It also states that migrant and minority nurses work in environments characterized by discriminatory practices, and that they report discrimination and racism at work in terms of poor career progression and poor learning environments.

The study explores how nurses talk about older adult immigrant patients in municipal health services in Norway. It is relevant because it examines nurses’ views of immigrant patients and how those patients are framed in care encounters, which can illuminate interpersonal treatment concerns in Western healthcare settings.

The review found one main theme, “Being an outsider at work,” with subthemes including “Loneliness and discrimination” and “Communication barriers.” It reports that many foreign educated nurses perceived discrimination, intimidation, and a lack of respect from others throughout the settlement process, and that patients sometimes declined services offered by them.

This qualitative phenomenological study aimed to explore the transcultural challenges nurses encounter when caring for migrant patients. It addresses communication and relationship barriers in nurse–migrant patient care, making it relevant background evidence for patient experiences in Western hospitals.

The study states that its aim is "to identify the specific situations in which immigrant patients perceived negative events in hospital care and treatment." It reports that immigrant patients described negative experiences related to "communication problems, discrimination, and feeling that their needs were not taken seriously" during hospital care. The authors note that these negative experiences occurred in interactions with different health professionals, including nurses, and were perceived as unfair or disrespectful treatment linked to their immigrant status or language difficulties.

Reporting on 2022 surveys of health workers in the U.S., U.K. and Canada, the article notes that "Across the U.S., U.K., and Canada, health care workers reported that patients of color most often received inferior care or treatment that was different from what white patients received." It adds that language and cultural differences are key determinants of discrimination: "Language and cultural differences are key determinants of discrimination for non-English speakers across the three countries" and that speaking a language other than English "may lead to different treatment from health care providers." The authors argue that such discrimination contributes to poorer health outcomes and worse experiences of care for racialized and migrant patients.

In a 2023 survey of 3,000 U.S. health care workers, the brief reports: "Nearly half of health care workers in our recent survey indicated they personally witnessed discrimination against a patient based on race or ethnicity." It further explains that discrimination based on "race, ethnicity, or language" is seen by workers as "a serious problem" that negatively impacts the quality of care and health outcomes. The authors conclude that "discrimination against patients based on race, ethnicity, or language is a serious problem that impacts care delivery and workforce morale," and recommend that systems review treatment of non‑English‑speaking patients and train staff to identify and respond to racism.

This qualitative study of nurses in Sweden, Spain, Belgium and the Netherlands found that nurses often experienced challenges when caring for culturally diverse patients, including communication problems, different health beliefs and expectations, and difficulties establishing trust. Nurses reported that these challenges sometimes led to misunderstandings and dissatisfaction: "Nurses described situations where patients from minority ethnic backgrounds felt that they were not being listened to or that their needs were not fully understood." The authors conclude that limited cultural competence among nurses can negatively influence the quality of nurse–patient relationships and the care experiences of migrant and minority ethnic patients.

This study aimed to describe how African-born Black nurses felt their race affected their experience of the work environment. The article’s framing indicates that race and workplace environment significantly shaped their perceptions, which is directly relevant to reports of mistreatment in hospital settings.

The report finds that "Overall, 25% of immigrant adults who have received care in the U.S. say they have been treated differently or unfairly by a doctor or other health care provider because of their race, ethnicity, immigration status, or English proficiency." It also notes that immigrants who are Black, Hispanic, or have limited English proficiency are more likely to report such unfair treatment. Examples of reported experiences include providers "not listening to them," "assuming things about them without asking," or making them "feel like a burden," which are aspects of perceived poor or disrespectful care.

The segment says a large study found pervasive racial and ethnic bias in health care and discusses first-hand accounts from health care workers. It provides secondary evidence that bias is not limited to patients’ experiences but also appears in workplace interactions affecting care delivery.

This nursing research article notes that "nurse researchers have a particular challenge in winning and maintaining trust in immigrant communities" and that "data from several studies suggest that erosion of trust in health care providers is especially pronounced among immigrants." It describes how immigrant patients may "fear discrimination" or feel that providers do not understand or respect their cultural backgrounds, which can lead to reluctance to seek care and dissatisfaction with encounters. The authors emphasize the need for culturally sensitive communication and relationship‑building by nurses and other providers when working with immigrant patients.

In its section on health and health care, the OECD reports that immigrants in many OECD countries are more likely than the native‑born to report unmet health care needs and difficulties in accessing and navigating health systems. The report notes that language barriers, unfamiliarity with the system, and experiences of "discrimination or lack of cultural sensitivity" from health care providers can negatively affect immigrants’ satisfaction with care. It highlights that such experiences of perceived discrimination contribute to lower trust in health services among some immigrant groups.

KFF reports that foreign-educated nurses play a substantial role in U.S. hospitals, with 32% of hospitals and 45% of all hospital beds saying they hired foreign-educated RNs in 2022. This provides context for why foreign-born nurses’ treatment and workplace experience can matter for patient care in Western hospitals.

This scoping review identified six relevant studies and reported five recurring themes in nurses’ experiences of caring for patients from different cultures: "lack of cultural knowledge, language barriers, micro‑racism, lack of time to attend training and provide culturally competent care, and recommendations to improve care delivery." The authors note that micro‑racism and insufficient cultural competence can affect the quality of interactions and that further research is needed "to address common challenges such as micro‑racism" in order to promote culturally appropriate care and health equity.

This meta‑ethnography of qualitative studies on ethnic minority patients’ experiences of nursing care in hospitals found that many patients reported feeling marginalized or not fully respected. The synthesis notes that some minority patients "felt that nurses were distant, rushed, or uninterested" and that they "perceived that their cultural and religious needs were ignored or misunderstood." Language barriers and stereotypes contributed to feelings of being "treated differently" compared with majority‑population patients. The authors highlight that such experiences can undermine trust and satisfaction with hospital nursing care among ethnic minority groups.

Using large‑scale patient experience data from US hospitals, this study reports that patients from racial and ethnic minority groups rated several aspects of nursing care lower than white patients. Minority patients were more likely to report that nurses did not always treat them with respect, did not listen carefully, or did not explain things clearly. The authors state that these disparities in reported experiences "suggest that racial and ethnic minority patients often feel that the nursing care they receive in hospitals is of lower quality or less patient‑centred than the care received by white patients."

This meta‑synthesis of qualitative studies on immigrant patients’ hospital experiences reports that many immigrants "felt vulnerable and powerless" and described care as "impersonal" or "lacking in respect" from staff. The review notes that communication problems and lack of cultural understanding often led immigrant patients to feel that nurses and other professionals did not listen to them or respond to their needs. It concludes that immigrant patients frequently perceived hospital care as not being patient‑centred, contributing to feelings of not being treated well.

This qualitative study of hospitalised immigrant patients in a Western European country reports that participants "often felt ignored or not taken seriously by nurses" and described interactions as "cold" or "distant." Some patients believed that nurses "prioritised" native‑born patients over them or paid less attention to their needs. The authors highlight that these experiences contributed to feelings of "being treated as outsiders" and diminished trust in the hospital care they received.

This integrative review of studies on immigrant patients’ experiences of nursing care in Western countries found recurring themes of "communication barriers, feelings of alienation, and experiences of discrimination." The review reports that some immigrant patients "felt that nurses were less attentive" to them than to native‑born patients and that their "cultural and religious needs were ignored or minimized." These experiences led some participants to perceive nursing care as unfair or disrespectful, affecting their overall satisfaction and trust in the health system.

This qualitative exploratory study obtained rich descriptions of older adult immigrants’ hospital experiences in Denmark. It is relevant because it focuses on immigrant patients’ experiences while hospitalized in a Western healthcare system, including interactions with staff and communication difficulties.

This study explores care experiences in palliative care services from the perspectives of patients, family members, and nurses. It is relevant because it centers on non-Western migrant families’ experiences of care and communication in a Western health system.

The article reports that during adjustment in the U.S., Black African nurses and nursing students experience feelings of alienation and isolation. It states that they often encounter negative reactions in the workplace, making the source relevant to treatment of culturally diverse nurses in Western hospitals.

This university educational resource explains that one of the "most apparent" barriers for immigrant patients is language, noting that language differences can lead to "miscommunication, decreased trust, and lower satisfaction" with care. It states that immigrant patients may feel that providers "are not listening" or "are dismissive" when communication is limited, and that they may fear discrimination based on their accent, immigration status, or cultural background. The piece emphasizes that these dynamics can make immigrant patients feel they are not being treated as well as other patients.

This working paper examines immigration of foreign-born registered nurses in the U.S. and its effects on occupational choice and long-run employment decisions. While not focused on patient mistreatment, it is a primary labor-market source on the scale and integration of foreign-born nurses in Western hospitals.

This study documents how West African immigrant patients perceive and understand their communication experiences in U.S. healthcare settings. It is directly relevant because it focuses on immigrant patients’ perspectives on communication with healthcare providers in a Western hospital context.

This overview article states that "for decades, patients from marginalized populations have long felt insecure in healthcare settings, often because the healthcare providers who were caring for them were distinctly different and did not seem to have an understanding of their own culture and belief systems." It explains that cultural competence in nursing can "reduce the sense of perceived racism within a healthcare setting" and "improve the patients' perception of the care that they receive." The piece argues that increasing cultural competence and diversity in nursing is key to improving trust and satisfaction among culturally diverse patients.

Immigrant patients reported communication barriers with Western physicians, including difficulty understanding medical terminology. This is relevant because it documents firsthand patient-reported communication problems in a Western healthcare setting, which can contribute to feeling poorly treated.

Across qualitative studies in the U.K., U.S., Canada, Australia, and other Western settings, foreign-educated and migrant nurses commonly report discrimination, exclusion, communication barriers, and lower respect from colleagues and sometimes patients. This broader literature is relevant because the claim concerns whether culturally diverse patients often feel not treated well by nurses, but the strongest direct evidence in the provided search set is about foreign-born nurses rather than patients.

The thesis found that language barriers and diversity in beliefs were central issues in nurse–foreign patient relationships. It is relevant because it addresses perceived trust and communication problems between foreign patients and nurses.

The study discusses patient-provider communication and its importance for healthcare teams and patient experience. It is only indirectly relevant to immigrant patient treatment, but it provides supporting context on communication perceptions in nursing.