Hi. I am a nursing student in second year. I came here 15 yrs ago. Spanish is my native language. I know English, but I have a strong accent. I am doing good in school and clinicals. However, a medsurg nurse told my instructor that I have issues with pronunciation and that makes me less competent as a nurse. My instructor got into an argument with her about me. I cried because I really try to do my best in school. I feel depressed and so insecure now. I need to grow thicker skin.
The nurse was so friendly with me. However, she turned out to be so hipocrite. I haven't work with her, and she just decided to tell my instructor that about me. I understand that sometimes I have a hard time pronouncing medication names and medical terms. But, she doesn't know me enough to make that statement. How can I improve my pronunciation? Thank you!
klone, and others that pointed out the difference between interpretation and translation, are absolutely correct. The terms are not interchangeable. And actually I do both translation and interpretation. And I just slapped myself on the wrist for being lazy in my original post!
How I wish I could speak Spanish like you! That is a huge asset where I live. You can look into accent reduction programs and I am sure with a little practice plus more work experience, you will be fine.
A strong accent does NOT reflect on your ability to care for people at all. I've worked with fantastic nurses from all over the world. That being said, I've worked with nurses who's accents were so thick that patients and families couldn't understand them, and colleagues frequently had to ask them to repeat what they said. Communication is a necessary nursing skill, just as important as knowledge of medications and procedures. If your accent affects patient and staff communication, simply consider that a skill that needs to be improved on. There are a wide variety of online programs that can help you with this. Just do a web search. Your school probably has programs as well.
Also understand that the fact that you are bi-lingual is a valuable skill. It's more and more common to encounter patients who only speak Spanish. Don't lose heart. You will be a valuable asset to any health care organization.
Specializes in ICU, Neuroscience, Telemetry, Med/Surg.
I am so sorry that you had to go through this. I was born and raised in another country and have lived perhaps a good third of my life here in CA. English is also my second language and having lived in the Bay Area since I've had to move here in the US had introduced me to an exceptionally culturally diverse community. Please do not feel discouraged and understand that being bilingual makes you a valuable asset to whichever company you get employed at. Classes may help; however, I don't think you should shy away from your "accent", it makes you unique, exceptional, and more importantly, it makes it YOU. Best of luck with all your endeavors!
I did the course several times and it helped me tremendously. Now I speak with confidence and do not worry about being understood. I just am.
Sure, it seems like a lot of money but really, it's an investment. I go back to it from to time.
Start by speaking slower and project your voice. You'll know your speech is slow enough because it will feel uncomfortable and weird. Pause every few words. Record yourself. Become aware of how you sound.
There is also neurolingual. This one works different. It's more like hypnopedia and has helped me internalize the inflection of naruve speakers.
You need to go to a class to improve your pronunciation pronto!! Sorry, I have no sympathy if you've been here for 15 years. Living in south Texas, I have a different take on this probably. My last job I was made to feel "inferior" at times due to not speaking Spanish. We live in the USA; IMO English should be "it" as far as what is spoken in the public arena. If people want to speak their native language, do it in the privacy of your home. It used to be called the melting pot; now people feel that they don't need to assimilate. Want to be regarded as a professional? Gotta do the work.....if you have a patient crashing, you'd better be able to tell the doc what's going on clearly and succinctly so that he/she can understand. People put their lives in our hands; it's a sacred trust. Also, it's "hypocrite" and grammar also is important( at least it used to be; I guess things have really changed). Sorry; old-school nurse here.
Gotta do the work.....if you have a patient crashing, you'd better be able to tell the doc what's going on clearly and succinctly so that he/she can understand.
Where I'm at, most of the doctors are foreign born, too ...and certainly a large percentage of the patients, if not most of them. The doctors always have worse pronunciation and handwriting than any of the nurses, so I find your comment ironic.
Specializes in Nurse Leader specializing in Labor & Delivery.
You need to go to a class to improve your pronunciation pronto!! Sorry, I have no sympathy if you've been here for 15 years. Living in south Texas, I have a different take on this probably. My last job I was made to feel "inferior" at times due to not speaking Spanish. We live in the USA; IMO English should be "it" as far as what is spoken in the public arena. If people want to speak their native language, do it in the privacy of your home. It used to be called the melting pot; now people feel that they don't need to assimilate. Want to be regarded as a professional? Gotta do the work.....if you have a patient crashing, you'd better be able to tell the doc what's going on clearly and succinctly so that he/she can understand. People put their lives in our hands; it's a sacred trust. Also, it's "hypocrite" and grammar also is important( at least it used to be; I guess things have really changed). Sorry; old-school nurse here.
Wowza. The US has no official language. And by federal law, we are required to be able to communicate with patients in THEIR language of choosing, just so you know.
You need to go to a class to improve your pronunciation pronto!! Sorry, I have no sympathy if you've been here for 15 years. Living in south Texas, I have a different take on this probably. My last job I was made to feel "inferior" at times due to not speaking Spanish. We live in the USA; IMO English should be "it" as far as what is spoken in the public arena. If people want to speak their native language, do it in the privacy of your home. It used to be called the melting pot; now people feel that they don't need to assimilate. Want to be regarded as a professional? Gotta do the work.....if you have a patient crashing, you'd better be able to tell the doc what's going on clearly and succinctly so that he/she can understand. People put their lives in our hands; it's a sacred trust. Also, it's "hypocrite" and grammar also is important( at least it used to be; I guess things have really changed). Sorry; old-school nurse here.
When YOU, with your Southern Texan speech (which would, at best, go as "weird" up North) would made to go to that "pronunciation class" after moving to Boston, MA, then and only then I or any other foreign-born medical worker would do the same. Not before that.
When YOU, with your Southern Texan speech (which would, at best, go as "weird" up North) would made to go to that "pronunciation class" after moving to Boston, MA, then and only then I or any other foreign-born medical worker would do the same. Not before that.
South Texas speech is actually pretty non distinct, it's the northern and eastern Texans that have a "twang". I'm from south Texas and people have a difficult time figuring me out. I do say "ya'll" on occasion, though. That's made a few people jump back and ask me where the "heck" I'm from.
And yes, I believe that only those who went the lond road or immigration and integration can discuss it. Without all those "what ifs..." and such, because, somehow, huge hospital complexes in NYC and many other places are run just fine with pretty much everyone there speaking with some sort of an accent. If they can do it in NYC, I do not see what can be a problem in Omaha, NE, or Pleasant Lake, KS, except for the vices that still penetrate all layers of society of the country which deems itself as the World's beacon of freedom and democracy - namely, rasism, xenophobia and discrimination.
Well that was impressive. I'm sorry, but speaking understandably in English is a necessary nursing skill, as by far the majority of people in the United States are English speakers. English is the language of education and commerce. It is the language used by medical practitioners of all disciplines to speak to each other. If I don't have adequate IV skills, or chest tube skills, or medication titration skill, then I must work on those areas to ensure proper patient care. Communication is no different. If a nurse's, or physician's, or phlebotomist's accent is so thick that they can't be understood by patients or other members of the health care team, then that is a safety issue, and a skill that must be strengthened.
And the United States is the least racist nation on earth, and allows more legal immigration than any other nation on earth. Yes, that's right. All left-wing hand wringing and campus self-righteousness to the side, that's the simple truth.
emtqro88
8 Posts
klone, and others that pointed out the difference between interpretation and translation, are absolutely correct. The terms are not interchangeable. And actually I do both translation and interpretation. And I just slapped myself on the wrist for being lazy in my original post!