Best Way to Learn Medical Spanish?

[cbcle]

I speak very very limited Spanish (took 2 years in high school) and am finding that I really need a better grasp in order to communicate with my Spanish-speaking patients. I work both in an outpatient clinic setting and inpatient OB. What's the best way to become competent enough to take medical histories and stuff? Any books, CDs, programs or classes in the area that you'd recommend? Thanks!

[RNwannabe2011]

NVCC has a spanish for healthcare workers class, it's an online class. I think they have it in class as well. I took it, it was a bit tough but very useful. It would probably be easier for you since you have taken spanish before. I hadn't so that's probably why it was hard for me.

[mcbrinson7]

I took the Spanish for Healthcare workers class at NOVA too and it was very hard for me. The class said that you did not need prior knowledge of Spanish but the class went quick. By the middle of the class, the teacher expected you to turn in reports in Spanish. Honestly, I did not know how I passed. I learned a lot of words and phrases so that was good. I also kept the textbook to refer to when I start work.

[anonymurse]

We have translator phones and I use 'em. Translation is outside my scope of practice. If Spanish were my native language, OTOH, that would hold up in court.

[shannonFNP, BSN, MSN, RN]

I'd like to revive this thread. I have Rosetta stone and will start with it soon, but I'm curious what people use to learn MEDICAL spanish... which is like another language all together!

To anonymurse, we're talking about learning spanish to better communicate. I'm not concerned about "court" when I'm just trying to converse with my patient. If they're signing consents, we're doing admission paperwork, etc... then I'll use the line. But medical spanish would be very handy, especially in my ER in South Texas, just to ask them: hey, are you still in pain? Is it still in your abdomen? And still an 8/10? Additionally... it would be nice simply to make them feel less vulnerable or alienated. I don't feel it's my DUTY to learn spanish, but I have an interest in it. This thread is perfectly appropriate for nurses to speak to other nurses about how to better communicate in spanish in the healthcare setting.