Patients’ immediate concerns are more
easily interpreted when relatives are on
hand to translate. Knowledge of the
patient’s life and views equips family members
to act as advocates. However, there are
risks to patient autonomy if nurses heavily
rely on family members. Any form of interpretation
via a third person increases the
chances of misinterpretation. This risk is
further increased by relatives’ conscious or
subconscious tendency to distort patients’
messages to address their own concerns.