Spanish speaking patients in labor

[gravida]

I need some advice on a problem that is new to my area. I live in a small Kentucky town and a local food processing plant has recently began a new program of recruiting workers from Mexico. In the next couple of months it is expected that as many as 400 families (Non-English speaking) will be in our community. My problem is this.......since I work at the closest hospital they probably will be coming to our facility to deliver. None of the nurses speak Spanish, and I have been told that a large majority of the patients are also unable to read Spanish. So the communication gap will be huge. I am sure that many of you in larger areas with Spanish-speaking communities are familiar with this situation, but here in Ky it is new for us.

I am searching for a website that I can find some literature on common medical phrases, and hope to be able to educate the nurses in at least some basic ones......push, don't push, Where do you hurt, etc..... Plesae help!

Many of the local churches are concentrating on having Spanish speaking services and English classes. But no one is really prepared for the health care aspect or how best to bridge this gap.

Please help, any suggestions will be appreciated.

Thanks

[SmilingBluEyes]

The point of the thread, however, is not whether we agree with importing workers who speak little to no English to the USA. It is a done deal in this case. Now, the object is how to best care for the people who are going to be joining that community. It's not up the medical community to decide hiring practices of local companies. For the record, I agree with and see your point. But wanting and getting it done are two different things.

Please, Let's not derail this into a political debate. This thread was a request for a solution to an existing situation. There are a lot of threads already dedicated such debates.

Have a good day!

[mamafeliz]

I have worked with the Spanish Speaking migrant population throughout my adult career. You may certainly carry your ideas regarding immigrants' need to learn language, culture. Within your job capacity, those are opinions best kept to yourself, and should in no way impact the quality of care you provide your patients. The bottom line is that we must approach our patients with every intent to meet their needs. If we are not fluent in their language, we must access interpreters who can ensure informed consent and guide our nursing actions. If we have a large ethnic community served within our hospital, management should provide education to better meet that groups' needs in so vulnerable a window as birth. Most cultures have specific beliefs and needs surrounding a transition as profound as birth, and the onus in on us to learn about and support those needs.

I am fluent in Spanish, and love working with this loving, gracious community. Although I do not speak any African languages, I care tenderly for women who do utilizing interpreters as needed. Special considerations have arisen with our growing Somali population regarding supporting women in birth with female circumcision. Nurse education has been considered to specifically address nursing actions to support this particular group of women.

It sounds like your institution is in great need of some cultural sensitivity training. Open your heart to diversity and your life will grow richer.

[morte, LPN, LVN]

I have worked with the Spanish Speaking migrant population throughout my adult career. You may certainly carry your ideas regarding immigrants' need to learn language, culture. Within your job capacity, those are opinions best kept to yourself, and should in no way impact the quality of care you provide your patients. The bottom line is that we must approach our patients with every intent to meet their needs. If we are not fluent in their language, we must access interpreters who can ensure informed consent and guide our nursing actions. If we have a large ethnic community served within our hospital, management should provide education to better meet that groups' needs in so vulnerable a window as birth. Most cultures have specific beliefs and needs surrounding a transition as profound as birth, and the onus in on us to learn about and support those needs.

I am fluent in Spanish, and love working with this loving, gracious community. Although I do not speak any African languages, I care tenderly for women who do utilizing interpreters as needed. Special considerations have arisen with our growing Somali population regarding supporting women in birth with female circumcision. Nurse education has been considered to specifically address nursing actions to support this particular group of women.

It sounds like your institution is in great need of some cultural sensitivity training. Open your heart to diversity and your life will grow richer.

inre the bold, why? ethically speaking, why? i know it is legally, ethics are not always the same thing.....and i dont perceive anything in the first post as being anti diversity, she/he is here, asking for help, not a lecture

[HappyNurse2005, RN]

I live in a state on the east coast and we have many Spanish speakers in our area. Mainly from Mexico and Honduras, with the occasional one from El Salvador or Cuba.

We have a few nurses who speak fluent spanish, and some who do alright and some who know none. We have a language line we can call, or some native spanishspeakers who work in other areas of the hospital and come translate.because of the high spanish population, someof the clinic doctors speak good spanish, and we have a native mexican dr as well. we are not supposed to use minor children as official translators.

I dont mind them b/c i speak decent spanish, but its when we get the african immigrants-i cant say anything in their language, and its hard using the language line when they are in active labor and dont want to talk on the phone.

though, without an epidural, you know when the baby is coming by how they act, no matter what language they are saying "i have to push" in.