heres one...speaking other languages in front of patients

taz628, BSN, RN · Dec 3, 2009

I have a friend who is fluent in Spanish... a few hispanic residents were talking about the nurses one day thinking no one around them could understand until my friend joined in the convo and called them out on it. :) I understand foreign docs corresponding to one another about plans of care in native languages, it's easier for them to communite their ideas properly to one another, but they always switch back to English to update the pt right away. (At least, the ones i have regular contact with do such things.) but just casual convos in front of pts? that should be a no go, in any language.

truthbtolled77 · Dec 3, 2009

United States did start the whole "melting pot" country. With that came with it are different languages. Sure they can learn English and should, as a universal language to communicate with, but can people that share a language preserve their heritage as well? My husband feels as you do, not in the work place. I have no one to communicate with, as far as the foreign language I speak, therefore, my skills have diminished. I was born here in this beautiful country with no regrets! I do find myself under stress speaking in a foreign language under my breath, but I do try to make it as clean and professional as I do with the English language, you never know who is bilingual and could understand (a patient, a co-worker, etc.). Not all foreign speaking persons talk about others. This is not to stand on a soap box!!! On the contrary, I am just trying to shine a light on the other side of the situation. Also, just to add, before we expect others that speak a foreign language to speak English, we should focus on teaching the English speaking population proper English first, sometimes it is difficult understanding them too!:1luvu:

caffeineRx · Dec 4, 2009

To be frank, I find it annoying. English is one thing...we live in the USA (at least I do) you SHOULD speak English. I'm not worried AT ALL if anyone is offended that I speak English in front of them. I'm not going to tip-toe around either.

I am SICK of hearing Spanish. I know this sounds awful. I have a Spanish family. But our main language is English. I don't really speak Spanish at all. They do. But never unless they need to. And they do not do that "buddy-buddy" let's-speak-spanish-together-even-though-our-english-is-perfectly fine stuff. Go ahead..grill me. I think it's tacky and rude. Save it for home....or somewhere else where everyone is speaking spanish.

I swear, I want to learn a random language (Japanese maybe) and speak it in front of them one day. Just do it nonstop. See how they feel. They'd have a cow. I'm all for people wanting to retain their language..but I just seems like a lack of common sense when they speak it so openly in front of someone else. WHAT IS THE NEED FOR THAT UNLESS YOU ARE HAVING TROUBLE COMMUNICATING IN ENGLISH?

Yeah..I'm annoyed..can you tell I deal with this often? It's stupid.

kaiasunshine · Dec 4, 2009

I think, as a few people have mentioned already, personal conversations in private are just fine. But say it's you, a fellow Punjabi-speaker, and one or two other coworkers who only speak English, and you started having your own conversation in Punjabi. It's rude to exclude people from the conversation, period- like by not giving the English-speakers an opportunity to join in or voice their opinions or whatever, you're closing it off to them.

However if there are two nurses whose first language is french, and they can communicate care plans to each other better in french, then go right ahead. But if you're in front of the patient, afterwards it's typically more polite to say "We were just discussing your care plan. We're thinking...(blah blah blah)." English is a difficult language, rememeber, and just because someone may communicate okay in English doesn't mean that they can't explain things better in their own tongue. But it's important to translate it to the patient if they're right there.

My Spanish isn't amazing and when I was traveling, there was a point when I was hanging out with two Canadians and a Peruvian girl who didn't really understand or speak much english. I tried to stay in Spanish but found I often just reverted back to english because I couldn't think of the spanish words for lots of things. I felt so bad every time I caught myself in english mode but it seemed to happen without me even noticing!

StNeotser, ASN, RN · Dec 4, 2009

What does bug me is that a certain group of spanish speakers will be talking in English when I am out of sight, but within earshot and as soon as I move into their line of view the conversation immediately switches to Spanish. Being in the med room with the door open is a good example.

A spanish speaking nurse during group report used to talk to her CNA's in spanish in front of everyone else who didn't speak spanish. She then asked me a question and I replied in French. She got the point.

As to patients rooms, I do remember an older man who had lived for some years in Spain that he was tired of hearing about the techs love lives and could they stop.

caliotter3 · Dec 4, 2009

My clients regularly conduct conversations in Spanish and I am certain that they do it intentionally. What they do not understand is that I understand a lot more Spanish than they think I do and I take note of the behavior. For years I worked in facilities where the language spoken was Tagalog. Why the administration ever put forth any edicts to use English, I don't know. Administration was the brunt of jokes (in English) for this very practice. I have related the incident of what happened concerning a resident who complained about Tagalog instead of English, and what happened to her. It was no mistake that the conversation for my benefit at the nurses station was in English and not in Tagalog. I resigned that job soon thereafter as I did not want to be accused, in English, of abusing the resident.

meluhn · Dec 4, 2009

I cannot speak any other languages except English and French (not many French people where I live in California). However, it bothers me when CNAs, RNs and managers converse in Spanish in front of me or my (non-Spanish-speaking) patients. Simply because we cannot understand...
A short anecdote - I was eating my lunch in the canteen with several CNAs who were conversing in Spanish. Feeling left out and somewhat paranoid, I asked them what they were talking about... they were discussing whether God exists... I was immediately humbled, having assumed they were complaining about me! Sometimes egos get in the way!!!!

I still think it's rude because they were deliberatly excluding you from the conversation. We have many Philipino nurses on the nite shift were I work, they all speak English when we are around and I love them for it. I have worked other places where I have been the only non Philipino and they were not as considerate. It kind of makes you feel like they dont care to speak to you when they all sit around talking all nite knowing you cant respond or join in the conversation. Kind of makes you feel all alone. Very rude in my book.

suejara · Dec 4, 2009

the us does not have an official language the majority of our population speaks english as a native language (about 82%). spanish is the 2nd most common language in the country, and is spoken by over 12% of the population.

i think the point of this thread was whether or not you should speak in another language with a co-worker in front of a patient, which i think the obvious answer is no, because the patinet may think you are complaining or speaking badly about them.

it also seems apparent that many feel excluded or think they are being "talked about" when conversations take place between co-workers in another language. so either way don't do it.

caffeineRx · Dec 4, 2009

I know that the USA doesn't have a "language"...but I'm wondering if other countries establish theirs?

I cannot help but to notice that all of the following are in English:

1) Declaration of Independence

2) Traffic Signs

3) DMV Licenses

4) Presidential Speeches

..............I dunno..was just a thought.

caliotter3 · Dec 4, 2009

I know that the USA doesn't have a "language"...but I'm wondering if other countries establish theirs?
I cannot help but to notice that all of the following are in English:
1) Declaration of Independence
2) Traffic Signs
3) DMV Licenses
4) Presidential Speeches
..............I dunno..was just a thought.

Those documents are in English due to the lack of education of those who produced them. In my state, ballots and other important documents for the public are provided in eight languages other than English last time I counted. We all are aware that to be properly educated in the USA means communicating in any language except English. Maybe this is a humorous observation, then again maybe it isn't.

VM85 · Dec 4, 2009

I think its great to be multi-liguil BUT feel that in the work place, especially in front of patients, it is not well mannered to speak another language. They have translators for patients that do not speak the commonly used language of English- and while it is not the official language, it is the language that is used. Yes, I know not everyone speaks it, and for those that can communicate TO the patient that doesnt speak english, BRAVO!!!! But by all means it is not appropriate to have a conversation ESPECIALLY in front patients or at the workplace...obviously if you are talking to a friend in spanish and you two are alone at lunch than what does it matter. But being around anyone in w/in an earshot calls for English....and you might as well assume that you are always w/in hearing distance.

NeoNurseTX, RN · Dec 7, 2009

When I took a foreign language class (sign language) we were taught it is rude to speak in front of a Deaf person without signing, too (if you know it). I would assume if you know the language the patient speaks, use that in all conversations in front of them. It drives me nuts when my Spanish speaking friends hold conversations in Spanish in front of me when we ALL know English (and I do not know Spanish).