Is it professional??????????

bookwormom · Mar 1, 2007

This seems to me more rude than unprofessional, unless they are discussing clinical info that you really have a need to know. In that case, of course they should communicate in the language understood by you. But otherwise, I think talking in a language understood only by the speakers is kind of like whispering in front of someone. It sends the message that they are not worthy of being included in the conversation, or that they don't want you to know what they are talking about. (Not comfortable for the person who is on the outside!)

I sympathize!

carolinapooh, BSN, RN · Mar 1, 2007

To me, rude in the workplace = unprofessional behavior. No questions asked; the two are equal and cannot be considered separately. After all, if someone smarted off to fellow employees (rudeness!), you would certainly consider them to be unprofessional in action. This is no different. Rude = unprofessional.

Unfortunately in your case I don't know what you can really do about it. Someone would probably scream "DISCRIMINATION!!!!" if they were "required" to speak English at work.

Some aspects of political correctness are, in my opinion, ridiculous. But I digress...

Kyrshamarks, BSN, RN · Mar 1, 2007

How can it even be considered rude when our own government encourages it. You have them printimg everything in another language, you can vote in another language, they even teach kids in school in another language other than english. Heck there is not even an official language in the US. No where does it state that English is the offlicial language in the USA. It sucks I know but what can be done?

Kanani_Ikike · Mar 1, 2007

I work in a LTC where 90% of the nurses (including the ADON) are foreign graduates (and from the same country, actually not only nurses....the PT/OTs, dieticians and kitchen aids, laundry aids and also some CNAs are from the same country). I love diversity in workplace but the problem here is these people speak in their own language (99% of the time) while talking to other employees from their country. They don't care even if someone else, who doesn't undrestand their language, is around. I tried to tell them a couple of times but they are too many of them that it is impossible to tell each and every person to talk in english. Looks like in two years I am going to master that language.........I myself being a foreigner having different native language...I don't favor talking in native languages at workplace unless it is required to facilitate communication between the patient and the care provider..............What do you guys think? Is it professional????????????

I don't think that the perpetrators' intentions are to come across as rude. It's probably easier for them to communicate with one another in their native language. It's possible that they don't speak very fluent English and it is harder for them to speak English. I see nothting wrong with it. It's just about communication for them. As long as they speak English when coummicating to you and others about patient care, then speaking in that language is not relative to others. If I were you, I wouldn't let that bother me. Even if they were talking about me in their language, it wouldn't bother me.

morte, LPN, LVN · Mar 1, 2007

hmm a fine line.....at least some institutions req the dominant language (in this case English) to be spoken in front of patients.....it can appear to be threatening to them to hear all this talking and not be able to understand it...and yes, it is rude

meownsmile, BSN, RN · Mar 1, 2007

Their own language in their own home if thats what they prefer, however they are in someone elses home (your patients) and they need to be speaking whatever it is your patients are speaking. It goes beyond rude, its disrespectful to their patients considering the age and history of the people they are supposed to be caring for.

starbin, BSN, RN · Mar 1, 2007

How can it even be considered rude when our own government encourages it. You have them printimg everything in another language, you can vote in another language, they even teach kids in school in another language other than english. Heck there is not even an official language in the US. No where does it state that English is the offlicial language in the USA. It sucks I know but what can be done?

Then why is a foreign student required to take the english proficiency exam? Why is a foreign graduate nurse required to take the English exams?

And the employee handbook from my facility clearly says the official language is english.

rn undisclosed name · Mar 1, 2007

We had a situation at work where a spanish speaking nurse was speaking with the secretary who also speaks spanish. She was talking about another nurse and called her a fat a** in spanish. Little did she know that this particular nurse was fluent in spanish. So, unprofessional, you bet. Depending on who is doing it I may but into their conversations as a joke. I don't think anything is going to change.

starbin, BSN, RN · Mar 1, 2007

Their own language in their own home if thats what they prefer, however they are in someone elses home (your patients) and they need to be speaking whatever it is your patients are speaking. It goes beyond rude, its disrespectful to their patients considering the age and history of the people they are supposed to be caring for.

It is disrepectful, rude and humiliating to others. Sometimes you are talking to them in a group and all of a suden they start talking in that language and start laughing. You are the only who doen't find any humor in that comedy.

evans_c1 · Mar 1, 2007

I think that it is sort of unprofessional..but this is their culture (no matter how much we want them to become more cultivated to our own). It is probably a struggle for them..but yea i agree that I would not like it! haha understand your dilema

RNfaster · Mar 1, 2007

I speak English, a good bit of Spanish, a little French and can say some basic phrases in several other languages. I was recently doing clinical work in a LTC facility, and had a patient tell me how frustrated she was that her caregivers (two women from Latin America who spoke English and Spanish) often spoke only Spanish in front of her. --They were not talking to her --they were just carrying on amongst themselves. I think it made her feel objectified. On the other hand, those Spanish speakers communicated easily to Spanish speaking residents at the facility.

I used both my English and Spanish. --Used the Spanish to try to make native Spanish speakers feel more comfortable.

I also used a few Arabic phrases with a man who I had only seen as very depressed. He lit up when I spoke in his native language and began to communicate in both Arabic and English to me and the other aid with me. I was amazed at how much impact his native language had on him. We moved a picture of his family to a place on the wall where he could see it while laying down. He fell asleep while staring at it. It was so nice to see him "come to life" a bit.

With the Internet, language information is easily available. And there are really only a few phrases that you need to communicate many basic things. I think it is a nice touch to use language to brighten a patient's day.

One other note...while in my previous technology work, I worked with a China team (web conferences with voice and data shared on the desktop). I was amazed at their utility with English. I asked about it. The lead person told me he'd been studying it since middle school and it was the language of business there. I think it wise to be fluent in multiple languages. I think it also good to communicate in a language common to all.

I have noticed that I forget and speak Spanish once I have gotten started ---and I just do it without thinking --sometimes to folks that don't speak it. So sometimes, people may just forget that they are speaking it.