Are nurses in other nations bilingual? Should US be?

Nurses General Nursing

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I had an arguement with one of my nurse practicioners yesterday. Irregardless of how any of us feel about immigrants, legal or illegal, it's very frustrating to have to treat a patient when you or no one around speaks thier language. I've encountered it many times, and most of you have as well.

As a military brat, I encountered other cultures that told me that in thier nation, they were required to take other language classes in school, from primary and certainly be fluent in at least one other than thier mother tounge to have a university degree. I sometimes think that we should require nurses to learn at least one other language. My practicioner got HOT and tells me I am nuts. That other industrialized nations do not require citizens to learn a second language in school. Back it up.

Can any of you help me with where to find data to back up my arguement?

Pumpkin, you're still off. The link you provided talks about true bilingual education......students taught in both their native languages and English. There are schools in CA that teach in only Spanish, and these kids come out of school still speaking little or no English.

Pumpkin, you're still off. The link you provided talks about true bilingual education......students taught in both their native languages and English. There are schools in CA that teach in only Spanish, and these kids come out of school still speaking little or no English.

These schools don't teach English as a course at all? I thought you meant that they teach all classes in Spanish and one English course to help them learn the language... the same way we take foreign languages. Is that not what you meant?

"Bilingual education in the U.S. focuses on English language learners." So they should.

Of course, other countries have programs to teach students additional languages. This is mostly done for the benefit of their own citizens who wish to learn English or another tongue. It is not done to handle an influx of immigrants who can't, don't or won't learn the local language.

Most countries with a standard of living comparable to ours set the bar high and place stringent restrictions on the immigrants they accept. Almost always, they require those who want to move to their country to be able to speak the language well enough to function.

There is no realistic comparison between the bilingual education other countries offer for the benefit of their own populace and the kind of bilingual education we are being asked (forced) to provide here to help immigrants (many who did not come here legally) to simply break even.

Even so, I do not think most people in this country object to bilingual education provded it actually does produce a student who is bilingual. If it merely enables students to get by without learning to speak English, that is another matter. I'd much rather put money into helping people learn to speak English than keep accommodating and enabling them to avoid doing that very thing.

Even so, I do not think most people in this country object to bilingual education provded it actually does produce a student who is bilingual. If it merely enables students to get by without learning to speak English, that is another matter. I'd much rather put money into helping people learn to speak English than keep accommodating and enabling them to avoid doing that very thing.

Well I agree (the whole point is to learn two languages right!) and there is a bilingual school right down the road from my house. I guess they are much different than the school in Tazzi's region b/c these students are taught English. I enjoy the fact that as a person who speaks English I can take study abroad and not have to learn a new language to enjoy a new culture. I was looking into a graduate program in Italy once and there are schools there that teach in English so you do not have to learn to be fluent in Italian. Oh well, mox nix.

I notice this type of Animosity here in the Miami Area when you go to some (not all) Cuban's Home as a Visiting Nurse. I am Bilingual in Eng/Span so its not a Problem(langauge barrier). I end getting a lot of extra Work because Truly Bilingual Nurses(speak&write) are a rarity here in Miami. Different times, even with that said, I have had Patients call the Nursing Agency requesting a "Spanish" nurse so being able to speak their langauge was not enough. I have observed Cuban Nurses (in their 40s-60s) who could NOT write or speak English other then Thanks, Hi, Good morning ect. Get This-- They payed their high school aged Children a Dollar a page to translate their Home Nursing Visit notes written in Spanish to English so they could turn them into the office to get paid. Unbelievable but true! Hipa, what is that?? LOL One has to Wonder how they sat for their Florida State Boards and passed the test as our State Boards are in English!!!

In a Federal Gov Agency here in SW Miami I used to work at imagine my shock on my first week of work when the End of Shift Report was taped or verbally given in Spanish. I received many dirty looks when I taped my reports in English! Believe it or not! At a Federal Agency yet!!!!!!!!!!! All but two of the Nurses were Spanish(cuban-american and puerto rican)I could write a Book on this subject but the last sentence " end of Shift Report in Spanish" definetly crossed the line,,,:madface:

Why would anyone be mad at you for speaking Spanish, or any other second language?

MTP,

That definitely was a convoluted post of mine. Thanks for pointing it out. Here's what I meant to say:

There is a significant problem with non-English speakers presenting for care in many parts of the US. What troubles many people, including me, is that the common short-term solution (providing translation services to patients who do not spake English) may actually perpetuate the problem in the long run. That's what I was getting at by trying to make the 'unrealistic vs. reality' distinction earlier. Can't as easily expect people to learn English if they perceive little need to do so.

MTP,

There is a significant problem with non-English speakers presenting for care in many parts of the US. What troubles many people, including me, is that the common short-term solution (providing translation services to patients who do not speak English) may actually perpetuate the problem in the long run. That's what I was getting at by trying to make the 'unrealistic vs. reality' distinction earlier. Can't as easily expect people to learn English if they perceive little need to do so.

Yes! Where does accommodation leave off and enabling begin? The healthcare arena is probably not the best place to make a stand--too much at stake--but what about other places like the Department of Motor Vehicles and other less crucial venues.

We should be putting more money into ESL services than stop-gap translation and bilingual signs. And there should be a powerful public service campaign using both everyday folks and celebrities touting the advantages of being bilingual and speaking English.

Bilingual schools need to be held accountable to make certain they really are turning out students who are fluent in both languages.

Areas of the US that are so saturated with Spanish speakers that English is the "odd man out," should have the same burden of providing adequate translation services that English-dominant places do now.

We ought to be sending the correct message--that translation services and bilingual literature, phone messages, and signs are a courtesy and of lesser value than ESL education. Speaking English needs to be presented as a tool for successful living.

The price of citizenship should be assimilation. Not the elimination of the language and culture of origin, but also not preserving it to the exclusion of English.

No one should have to make a choice of one or the other. Ideally, immigrants should be able to keep the old while embracing the new. This has worked well for decades with immigrants from many countries. Not having the "crutch" of ready translation, they had to lean on family members (often, the kids) to bridge the gap until they acquired enough fluency to function on their own. There was a level of urgency at work that is no longer a factor. Sure, that made for some short-term discomfort, but, boy, did it provide motivation.

Now, I think we have made it too easy to avoid learning English. Why would you make the effort if you knew that you didn't have to. This kind of capitulation on our part has helped to perpetuate the sense of separation and conflict that fuels and "us" vs. "them" kind of thinking.

I read almost the all topic. Almost all posts, but there are different reasoning lines here.

I would like to concentrate on the first question from the topic: "Are nurses in other nations bilingual?" I can speak about two realities. Two european countries.

Before that, I think that when nurses or even other ones emmigrate to a country, they should do their best to learn the language of the country. If you really want and make an effort is possible. Of course there are situations of patients on holiday or for one or other reason for a short time in the country and is not possibly to expect they speak the language. Is logical then to try to find a middle way. A common language, here in Europe is usually english. I understand that in the US is mostly spanish. I don't have any problems to speak english to my patients but if I know that they are in the country already for a long period I always try to speak dutch first.

I grew up in Portugal, there we have beside Portuguese, one or two languages that are compulsory to learn at school. Mostly we choose english and french or german. That means a good knowledge of the language when we go to University. It means also that you are able to communicate with other cultures after our graduation. I find that it is important to communicate in other languages than your mother tongue. In The Netherlands is the same, besides dutch they also learn two, sometimes three other languages at school, before University. Is known that the dutch are one of the nations who easier adjust to other cultures (in the languague). We also have here a big range of emmigrants. Is difficult sometimes to communicate with them. But is important to do our best. Learned other languages enables us to easier communicate, and this improves our care.

So, I can say that at least in two countries of Europe nurses are bilingual. And I see it as an advantage. If the US should be is another question. Is for me very difficult to have a point of view because I have a low knowledge of your reality there.

Very interesting topic, congratulations!

Specializes in Public Health, DEI.
I notice this type of Animosity here in the Miami Area when you go to some (not all) Cuban's Home as a Visiting Nurse. I am Bilingual in Eng/Span so its not a Problem(langauge barrier). I end getting a lot of extra Work because Truly Bilingual Nurses(speak&write) are a rarity here in Miami. Different times, even with that said, I have had Patients call the Nursing Agency requesting a "Spanish" nurse so being able to speak their langauge was not enough. I have observed Cuban Nurses (in their 40s-60s) who could NOT write or speak English other then Thanks, Hi, Good morning ect. Get This-- They payed their high school aged Children a Dollar a page to translate their Home Nursing Visit notes written in Spanish to English so they could turn them into the office to get paid. Unbelievable but true! Hipa, what is that?? LOL One has to Wonder how they sat for their Florida State Boards and passed the test as our State Boards are in English!!!

In a Federal Gov Agency here in SW Miami I used to work at imagine my shock on my first week of work when the End of Shift Report was taped or verbally given in Spanish. I received many dirty looks when I taped my reports in English! Believe it or not! At a Federal Agency yet!!!!!!!!!!! All but two of the Nurses were Spanish(cuban-american and puerto rican)I could write a Book on this subject but the last sentence " end of Shift Report in Spanish" definetly crossed the line,,,:madface:

I don't doubt anything you say for a minute.

Specializes in Public Health, DEI.
These schools don't teach English as a course at all? I thought you meant that they teach all classes in Spanish and one English course to help them learn the language... the same way we take foreign languages. Is that not what you meant?

"Bilingual education in the U.S. focuses on English language learners." So they should.

Should and do aren't always the same thing. However, typically these kids are taught in Spanish almost exclusively in the younger grades and gradually introduced to English. Therefore, they end up bilingual.

One of the problems with this approach is that what ends up happening is all the money that is earmarked for bilingual education goes to teaching English as a second language for those who don't speak it already instead of teaching English speakers a second language. The system is inherently unfair.

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