Importing Foreign-trained nurses

-jt · Dec 3, 2001

Just an aside here:

There is an intern at my hospital who is a member of a Middle Eastern royal family. On her first day in my ICU, (which was 2 weeks after Sept 11), she marched right into the managers office, informed her that she is a "princess in my country & I expect to be treated a certain way". Then she told each of us one by one the same thing. Additionally, she refuses to speak in English - rather speaking to other interns/residents in their language & having them relay whatever she wants to say to us. She writes orders & leaves them at the bedside rather than talk to us about them - anything to avoid speaking English or speaking directly to the "servants". One nurse had had enough & said to her "you may be a princess in your country but youre in America now & we have certain expectations for the way we are to be treated too"

Lo & behold, this intern wrote a discrimination complaint to the hospital against this nurse because she stated "you may be a princess in your country..." All that nurse did was quote back to the intern what the intern had already said to her & the rest of us a million times. Now the intern is trying to make a federal case out of it - claiming discrimination.

mopsi · Dec 3, 2001

Now that story brings out the grouchy in me.....

am I the only one who wants to say"DISCRIMINATE THIS PRINCESS" okay I vented.........

Peeps Mcarthur · Dec 3, 2001

Originally posted by Mijourney
In regards to the language barrier, I do get self-conscious around those who speak other languages besides English. I also feel a little strange around others who may have a different English dialect then mine. One way to help some of the self-consciousness, IMO, is to learn another culture and language.

At my job I took the time to learn a muslim salutation that is equivalent to "merry christmas" so I think taking the time to learn a little bit about other cultures is a very good exercise in personal growth and goes a long way to make someone feel welcome.

I work with two muslims who forget and start talking in thier native dialect because it's comfortable(as Reggiedoc stated). I walk up to them and politely interrupt and point out that there are people all around them that may think it strange that they are not speaking english. Customers come and go, but nothing short of a loud fart clears out a store faster than that.

My manager, who is from Pakistan, doesn't seem to care about his communication problem, but he does care if he drives away his income and takes the conversation in the back.

Which brings me to my point.

I find that his lack of english writing and speaking skills affect our communication seriousely.

It took four months for me to get direct deposit of my paychecks. At first he didn't really understand what I wanted but filed requests anyway in a galant attempt. The home office didn't get it, sent it back, wanted corrections, had him send it again..........Then they requested I fill it out, which I did and placed it in a pre-addressed envolope for him to mail. This same excersise in futility was carried out with a request for bonus money I never recieved.

The fact is, this wasn't life threatening, but it could have been in the right circumstance. Our language barrier has cost me bonus money on occasion for lack of correct information, but I don't see it as being maliciouse.

He speaks and writes english differently. He's a good guy and is always fair in his dealings with me, but there is a communication barrier that affects operations here. The numbers he writes, for instance, don't make sense and I have to call him and ask what they mean. He doesn't write too fast, he just doesn't care to learn the correct way. I have to ask him, sometimes more than once, to repeat what he said and sometimes misunderstand. It's not life threatening, but we have missed some important communications because of it. You can see how that would be detrimental in a healthcare setting wouldn't you?

He has just passed the ten year mark with the company. He has been in America for more than that. He has had PLENTY of time to learn english and observe the way numbers are written and listen to how the words are pronounced. He just doesn't care.

He's more comfortable with his native tounge. He just doesn't care if he makes people uncomfortable or miscommunicates. He's not a rude person otherwise. It actually works in my favor on occasion when he has to manage personel. It's not like the guy can communicate a memo or anything.

I think that's what it comes down to.

Do you want to try to understand this guy in a code?

At report for allergies?

Administering anesthesia?

Trying to figure out a vacation schedule?(

He's not a nurse or a doc, but he is plenty smart enough to be one.....................Here is the most hilariouse thing about it.............He's only a few hours from getting his MBA:eek:

No....I'm compleatly seriouse. That's what he says. He's an honest person, not prone to fibbing and given the current opportunities for government assistance I can compleatly see how this could happen.

I think the "thesis thing" is possibly a roadblock eh?