Rhode Island (RI) is home to many different cultures, health beliefs, and health practices. Nearly one in four individuals speak a language other than English at home and nearly one in four adults lives with a disability. Common disability types include mobility, cognition, hearing and vision.

Through this continuing education activity developed by the Rhode Island Department of Health, Health Equity Institute, nurses will be equipped to deliver culturally and linguistically appropriate care and implement the National Standards for Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS) in all practice settings.

This free course explores The National Standards for Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS) in Health and Health Care, a framework created by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health for making health services culturally responsive and linguistically accessible, ensuring that all individuals, regardless of background, receive respectful, effective, and equitable care.

Discover how CLAS can guide your ethical, legal, and clinical responsibilities, and gain practical skills to break down communication barriers, advocate for your patients, and foster health equity. Through real clinical scenarios, reflection, and actionable strategies, you’ll learn how to operationalize culturally and linguistically appropriate care in any nursing healthcare setting.

Effective communication is a fundamental nursing competency and an essential component of safe, equitable, and patient-centered care. Nurses are responsible for assessing patients’ communication needs, providing understandable health education, and ensuring that patients have the information necessary to participate safely in their care.

In fast-paced healthcare environments, communication barriers can create significant risks, particularly when nurses provide medication education and discharge instructions. Patients with limited English proficiency (LEP) or sensory impairments, including hearing or vision loss, may experience additional barriers when receiving medication instructions and navigating the healthcare system.

When communication needs are not appropriately identified and addressed, patients may have difficulty understanding medication indications, dosing instructions, potential adverse effects, and the importance of adherence. These challenges can contribute to medication errors, adverse events, and disparities in health outcomes.

Nurses play a critical role in recognizing and reducing these barriers through effective communication, patient advocacy, and individualized education. Nursing competencies related to respectful, equitable and inclusive practice, as well as safety and quality improvement, require nurses to identify factors that may place patients at risk and implement strategies to reduce preventable harm.

This includes using qualified medical interpreters when appropriate, adapting communication methods to accommodate sensory impairments, verifying patient understanding through teach-back, and providing medication education that is culturally and linguistically appropriate.

Addressing communication barriers also reflects the nursing competencies of patient-centered care, cultural humility, and advocacy. By assessing each patient’s individual communication needs and incorporating accessible education into practice, nurses can promote patient autonomy, medication safety, and informed decision-making.

Ultimately, effective communication is not simply an interpersonal skill; it is a core nursing responsibility that supports safe practice, equitable care, and improved patient outcomes.

This free course will explore

• Practical, evidence-based strategies to improve patient outcomes
• The scope and impact of language and accessibility barriers
• How breakdowns in communication lead to patient safety errors and health disparities

• Login or create an account in URI’s learning management and CE reporting system using your email address and professional license number. Complete all required account set up fields to ensure accurate CE reporting. 
• Select “Available On-Line Activities” or “Home Study Programs” to find the educational activity.
• Select Take Post-Test. Use the code provided at the end of the CE activity.
• Registration for this program is free.