Better pay if Bilingual?

[Little Doe]

Hi everyone,

I'm new to the forum and won't be starting my nursing program until fall of '09. My husband and I are thinking about relocating after I finish my program and I want to work ICU. I was wondering if anyone has found that being bilingual makes you a more desirable job applicant or if it has an impact on your salary. I have been thinking about trying something like Rosetta Stone to learn Spanish, thinking that this might really help me get hired if we move to AZ (or anywhere, for that matter.) If anyone has any input, I would really appreciate it.

[JettaDP]

I was thinking that the program may provide basic language skills that would help me communicate with patients and families in a supportive way, however I'm not sure if there will be much medical terminology covered.

I've only been using it a month so I'm barely into the first disk. I am not even an 1/8 of the way through it and I have learned A LOT. I would not be a bit surprised if at least some medical terminology was covered. If not, check your school. My school offers a Spanish for Health Care Professionals course every Spring semester.

[GrumpyRN63, ADN, RN]

I can see it open more doors in an outpt setting/clinic where there is a lg spanish speaking pop, I am seriously considering learning now that I'm in HH, we also have translators but I think it will be very beneficial to communicate on my own. I don't think it will get you more money, just more opportunities, good luck!

[RedhairedNurse, BSN, RN]

I've only been using it a month so I'm barely into the first disk. I am not even an 1/8 of the way through it and I have learned A LOT. I would not be a bit surprised if at least some medical terminology was covered. If not, check your school. My school offers a Spanish for Health Care Professionals course every Spring semester.

Are you using Rosetta Stone? I just visited the website...I'm not sure if I'd need the Spanish (Spain version) or the Spanish (Latin America) version. I would like to learn Mexican language and I don't know which is most compatible. Thanks.

[MikeyJ, RN]

I've never heard of Tagolog. Does Rosetta Stone have that language? I know they have a large selection of languages.

Tagalog is one of the main dialects that Filipino's speak. Yup they have it:

http://www.rosettastone.com/personal/languages/tagalog

[MikeyJ, RN]

Are you using Rosetta Stone? I just visited the website...I'm not sure if I'd need the Spanish (Spain version) or the Spanish (Latin America) version. I would like to learn Mexican language and I don't know which is most compatible. Thanks.

Purchase the latin america version if you plan on interacting with the Mexican population.

[RedhairedNurse, BSN, RN]

Thank you

[JettaDP]

Are you using Rosetta Stone? I just visited the website...I'm not sure if I'd need the Spanish (Spain version) or the Spanish (Latin America) version. I would like to learn Mexican language and I don't know which is most compatible. Thanks.

Yes, use the Latin America version.

[kcalohagirl]

There is a big (huge) difference in being able to converse in a language and being able to converse in that language to a degree that you would be considered competent to translate for legal matters. Medical matters are necessarily legal matters.

I speak Spanish pretty much fluently. I lived in Mexico for an extended period, I can speak conversationally with a huge degree of confidence, but when it comes to medical matters, even though I have a pretty darn good idea about what we are talking about, I absolutely rely on our trained medical interpreters.

Someday, given the facility I already have with the language, I believe that I could possibly be a competent medical interpreter.

However, as competent as I may be in everyday, spoken spanish, I know that I cannot competently translate medical terms. Even though I may take classes in medical terminology "en Espanol," our patients deserve and are entitled to have things explained to them in their primary language by someone who hopefully has the facility in that language to understand the cultural nuances.

Where I live, that language is primarily Spanish, but I have also had patients whose primary language is Italian, Croatian, Serbian, Russian, and Afrikaans. Those are the languages I recognize, there are also a lot of Asian languages that are spoke that I do not.

As I stated, I speak Spanish fluently (conversationally, not to the point where I can discuss the results of an MRI), I also speak Italian, Portugese, I can read French, German, Dutch, and Afrikaans.

However, as much as I may be able to converse in any of these languages, I would never presume to communicate something of life-threatning importance.

That is why we have trained interpreters. (or why we should)

I can interact with a patient who speaks any one of about 10 languages, but only on the most basic level.

"Do you hurt?"

"Are you hungry?"

"Would you like me to call someone?"

There are people who will say that "if you go to a hospital in this country, you should speak the language."

To that, all I can say is. . . my mother was a tourist in Italy and became seriously ill. She was terrified, because she didn't speak any Italian. Two days after she was in the hospital, she had a nurse who spoke a tiny bit of English. Though she was in Italy and didn't expect anyone to be fluent in English, this one nurse who could converse in the most basic of terms, made the largest difference imaginable to her.

[classicdame, MSN, EdD]

I doubt you will receive more money, but you may have more opportunities, if that makes sense. Also, consider that unless you are a licensed medical interpreter, HIPAA prevents you from interpreting and translating out of convenience.

[Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN]

I don't know if it will guarantee you a bigger paycheck, but if may make a wider range of jobs open to you, especially if you live in areas (such as AZ or NYC) where Spanish is spoken by a lot of the population.

When I lived in South Texas, almost any job you could apply for--not just nursing--strongly preferred bilingual applicants. I didn't work while I was there because I only knew enough Spanish to follow a few Mexican soap operas on TV, and with doing my pre-reqs for nursing school, I had no time to learn more than that.

[Atheos]

HIPAA doesn't prevent the use of casual interpreters. You just have to get the patients verbal consent before continuing.

As for Spanish. The Latin American version will only get you so far. Each and every country speaks a different version and a lot of the words will not mix.

Spain Spanish and Mexican Spanish are the same except for a few things. The words are different in every country. So not only should you get the Latin American Rosetta Stone you really should converse with a Mexican.

Also realize that southern, central and northern Mexicans speak differently as do many Mexican Americans.

Remember: To be considered fluent in a language you pretty much need to speak it as well as a native speaker, which includes proper pronunciation. I do know more medical terms than the average Spanish speaker out of necessity but there are still words I don't even know in English. I do however have my wireless PDA on hand if I come across a word I do not know.

[MikeyJ, RN]

I agree with kcalohagirl -- when it comes down to speaking in medical terms, it is essential to get an interpreter if you are 100% fluent in Spanish.

The hospital I work with actually requires any staff member that plans on speaking to clients in another language to actually go through an evaluation. They are required to speak with a linguist we have on staff who either "okay's" or "denies" you to speak with that population.