Doctors with poor English Skills

jjensen · Apr 7, 2009

This is such an issue... Half the time, I don't even know what Dr. I am talking to... Thankfully at my hospital we are all computerized, so the Dr's put in their own orders... I call and give my info, the Dr. tells me something and I say you are going to put that order in, correct? Thank goodness for that...

On a side note, I was in surgery working as a circulating Rn and the Dr was not easy to understand and put a mask on him and well, you know... I asked him what he said and I told him that I could not understand him, so he SHOUTED at me... I just kind of laughed and said that he was loud enough, but I could not understand what he was saying... Just keep asking questions until you know what they want...

morte, LPN, LVN · Apr 7, 2009

hmmm ..yet, foreign born NURSES have to take English language testing......something appears to be missing here....

Pauligirl · Apr 7, 2009

Good Communication is the foundation of everything else we do in healthcare. Healthcare workers in America should all have a good command of English in order to communicate well with one another.

I agree. And I've noticed that this problem also occurs when communicating with health care workers who are american born. As a patient I recently decided to see a new rehab doctor. After giving the receptionist all my paper work she asked me "has you seen him before?" . I initially gave her a blank stare because I seriously did not understand her.

SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN · Apr 7, 2009

I generally manage to understand people and make myself understood. It's in the trying.

chijon512 · Apr 7, 2009

I generally manage to understand people and make myself understood. It's in the trying.

:yeahthat:

I've managed to communicate with deaf, blind, foreign accents, speech impediments, etc.

If you have the aptitude, try using it. If not, I would like to suggest a job where communicating with people of different capabilities is not required.

sbyramRN · Apr 7, 2009

How about the foreign born nurses...I can't understand a world half of them say. Is that ok?

Nascar nurse, ASN, RN · Apr 7, 2009

:yeahthat:
I've managed to communicate with deaf, blind, foreign accents, speech impediments, etc.
If you have the aptitude, try using it. If not, I would like to suggest a job where communicating with people of different capabilities is not required.

All I can say to this is.. WOW! Little harsh maybe and certainly not helpful to the OP. And now that I have gone back to look at your profile, I see you are a student. So, how many foreign Doctors have you actually had to deal with?

morte, LPN, LVN · Apr 7, 2009

All I can say to this is.. WOW! Little harsh maybe and certainly not helpful to the OP. And now that I have gone back to look at your profile, I see you are a student. So, how many foreign Doctors have you actually had to deal with?

yup, the post you quoted was just plain rude.......and how much "effort" can you put forth in a code? everyone needs to understand what the heck is going on and what has been ordered......not the time to be saying, "could you repeat that please?.....

~Mi Vida Loca~RN, ASN, RN · Apr 7, 2009

yup, the post you quoted was just plain rude.......and how much "effort" can you put forth in a code? everyone needs to understand what the heck is going on and what has been ordered......not the time to be saying, "could you repeat that please?.....

I get beyond frustrated trying to decipher what the customer service person is trying to say that the company outsourced. I can't imagine trying to decipher something that can be a matter of life or death. I have the aptitude to try and communicate with tons of different disabilities. It takes a patience and so on. In a hospital setting though it shouldn't take someone having to spend 20 mins to establish communication. Their has been a few times when I was in WA and was being seen at Naval hospital that I could not understand what the Nurses were telling me. Very frustrating as a patient to not understand what I am being told.

Koyaanisqatsi-RN · Apr 7, 2009

All I can say to this is.. WOW! Little harsh maybe and certainly not helpful to the OP. And now that I have gone back to look at your profile, I see you are a student. So, how many foreign Doctors have you actually had to deal with?

This is the second time in two days that I have seen someone on AN assume that someone's life must literally not exist outside of being a nursing student. Do you believe that the person to whom you're speaking has never dealt with someone with bad English skills before now?

Nursing isn't a vacuum!

I agree with Sue; you have to honestly try sometimes, but it pays off. There have been a few doctors I've had issues understanding, but between body language and attitude, it's doable. But then again I'm only a student also. :rolleyes:

morte, LPN, LVN · Apr 7, 2009

This is the second time in two days that I have seen someone on AN assume that someone's life must literally not exist outside of being a nursing student. Do you believe that the person to whom you're speaking has never dealt with someone with bad English skills before now?
Nursing isn't a vacuum!
I agree with Sue; you have to honestly try sometimes, but it pays off. There have been a few doctors I've had issues understanding, but between body language and attitude, it's doable. But then again I'm only a student also.

AND WHEN THERE IS TIME, THIS IS COOL........but not all communications in healthcare have that possibility.these persons need to take responsibity for learning the language, if i were to practice in another country i wouldn't dream of expecting them to understand me if i didnt learn THEIR language, and well.