Are you fluent in more than one language? How has it benefited you as a nurse to possess fluency in not only another language but the culture it dictates as well?
I'm fluent, of course, in English as it was my primary language growing up. I've been told I'm gifted in written arts. Because I am deaf, I attended a state deaf school for a couple of years and picked up on signed English. That's not an actual language, but a mixture of American Sign Language with English grammar principles. It's how deaf children learn English in the United States. I'm also fluent in American Sign Language, the actual language of Deaf American and Deaf Canada. ASL has it's own grammar that can be used in writing.
That's two languages for me. But I think I'd like to learn Mexican Spanish as well. Latin American culture seems so fascinating, not to mention I'm Mexican myself. I'm sure all three languages will help me immensely as a perioperative RN/NP.
By the way, if anyone is interested in becoming a medical interpreter for a foreign language....and is fluent in English and of course, the other language that you want to interpret...I can hook you up for a job to work at home as interpreter while going to school...that's what I'm doing part time. :)
Yes! Spanish English from New Mexico Here! I wish that the work force valued it more... hehehe, we should charge more.
I just moved to New Mexico and I need to learn Spanish! I have several residents who don't speak any English! I am fluent in ASL, I used it a few times in clinicals but it hasn't come in handy at my job in LTC.
By the way, if anyone is interested in becoming a medical interpreter for a foreign language....and is fluent in English and of course, the other language that you want to interpret...I can hook you up for a job to work at home as interpreter while going to school...that's what I'm doing part time. :)
Alot of times one can't obtain a job in the area I live in w/out knowing spanish. We have a large population of Hispanics that only speak Spanish. Some of the jobs specify if you don't know Spanish then you need not apply. I know some very basic spanish but that's it.
according to the trusty source of Wikipedia, the top 5 language most spoken in the U.S. after English are:
1. Spanish
2. Chinese
3. French
4. German
5. Tagalog
So if you want to learn new language for job purposes, I would say your best bet is Spanish.
It really depends on the area you work at. My new hospital did some special things before they opened to cater what they would thought would be a mostly asian population coming in, and all the patients that speak farsi are going there. So depending on if you plan on staying in your area, that would be the most beneficial
I'm fluently bilingual and conversation in a third language. And I use it everyday. Language is power! You can never go wrong learning as many languages as your brain can handle.
English/Spanish here. I work mother/baby and a good third to half our patients speak Spanish as their first language. I don't get extra pay for being bilingual, because with the extra pay comes the unwritten expectation that you will always be available to interpret, which if I am taking care of my own patients is not always the case. (If it's an emergency or if I'm not busy that's one thing, but I still have a license to keep and can't leave my own patient needs to interpret something minor.)
It comes in real handy, just in terms of sheer volume. Plus, I like being able to explain things to my patients in terms they can understand without the added time and cost of an interpreter. Most of my patients are from Mexico, and Mexican Spanish is what I mostly speak (years of working with migrant farmworkers from Mexico, being married to a Mexican national).
GoofieRN, LVN
28 Posts
Did you know that hospital have to pay anywhere from $3 to $4 dollars per minute to get an interpreter!!?? Bazaar huh?