Major Vent

[LouisVRN]

So this has lately been a pet peeve of mine at work, patients that live in this country and speak NO English. I can totally understand and sympathize with how scary it must be to be visiting get sick and be hospitalized in a country where you do not understand the language and what the people around you are trying to convey but when you LIVE here?!? Whenever I have visited other countries I have made an effort to learn the basics of their language to make them more at ease, after all I am in their country I don't think they should have to make special accommodations for me. But I am so tired of calling an interpreter to explain what I am doing 15 times during the shift, after I've already had them come up and explain in detail what would be happening and when throughout the night and clarifying any questions that the patient had. Do I need to learn more patience for my diverse patients or does this irk anyone else as well?

[GM2RN]

Are you even allowed to use family as an interpreter? I've always thought that was strongly frowned upon, since families will often misinterpret questions and answers for the sake of family harmony or what they think is best, or for simple lack of understanding of what you are saying, and is also a violation of the patient's privacy.

My best friend's husband works as an on-call Polish translator for hospitals, and the hospital pays for him to come in and translate before surgeries and such. Perhaps your hospital needs a better publicized policy on translation..?

It's actually against policy, at one hospital where I work, to use an interpreter that has been brought by the family, due to a possible conflict of interests. For example, when it comes to asking the pt what his/her code status is, or if the pt wants pain meds.

[nursel56]

QUOTE=Orange Tree;4293385]Well, that's a new angle....I've never heard it expressed as a concern about growth and development before.

You haven't? Please tell me you didn't think I was talking about growth as in height and weight. Let me put it another way. If your goal in life is more than an entry level job, a tiny apartment, and a rudimentary formal education in the US, you will need to master the language.

I'm not even sure what to say....so I'll just say that I have a pet turtle and his name is Crumb.

ummm. . . my mom had a pet poodle and her name was Peaches?!?

[GM2RN]

You know, I get irritated at the *idea* of people being here for years and years and "not knowing" English. Of course, if you want to live here as a citizen, you should pay the taxes, speak the language, and pick a baseball team...the whole enchilada (pun intended). And, yet, I rarely find myself getting frustrated at a patient...no matter how long I think they might have lived here.

Why? I think it's because I can usually keep in view the thought that I never know the whole story. Maybe it really is a time issue. Maybe they speak some English, but are too proud to speak it, because it isn't very good and my Spanish allows them to get by without using it. Maybe (it's the women I see, primarily, who don't speak it, usually the Dads speak English fine) they are isolated being SAHMs and don't really get out of their circle of friends. And, just maybe, more and more, they are afraid to seek services because of immigration/enforcement issues. I'm seeing many more moms with no prenatal care/medicaid/etc because they don't want anything from our government, only the ability to stay here.

I just don't think it's as easy as it looks, always. I'm *more* frustrated by the folks born here who have an entitlement mentality. This country was built on the ideal of an opportunity that is the same as anyone else's, not a promise of an outcome the same as anyone else's.

Pride may indeed be a reason that some don't speak English, but it's not a good enough excuse. While immigration enforcement issues may keep someone from seeking services, they have nothing to do the ability to learn English, so this is a non issue in this thread. As for time being a factor, MAYBE, but that excuse won't fly forever.

The thing about opportunities is that they can be wasted for the lack of taking advantage of them, and in order to take advantage of them, you actually have to DO something with them, such as learn the language of the country that you CHOOSE to immigrate to. You can't expect to place an opportunity on a shelf and have it turn into something worth having without putting some effort into it. No one said that learning a new language is easy, but I don't buy that enough of the language to get by can't be learned by everyone willing to put some effort into it.

[Purple_Scrubs, BSN, RN]

It annoys me as well, but I try to remember to be frustrated at the situation not the person. Most of the people I deal with have very limited resources...they are doing good just to put food on the table. How on earth can I expect them to learn a foreign language? It's not like they can rush out and buy Rosetta Stone or even a book to help, then their kids might not eat. A language is not something you can just decide to learn, it has to be taught. And if you do not have the resources (financial, time, etc) for that, then you're stuck.

I have also found that many people do speak and understand limited English, but are embarassed or afraid to be misunderstood or to misunderstand the speaker, so they deny knowing any English. I can empathize with that as well. I know a little Spanish, but I would much rather have someone fluent translate for me, especially with issues as complex as medical issues.

I guess I just try and temper my annoyance with understanding. The families I deal with are good people only trying to do the best they can for their children. If learning a language is not top of their priority list, I can be tolerant.

[GM2RN]

It annoys me as well, but I try to remember to be frustrated at the situation not the person. Most of the people I deal with have very limited resources...they are doing good just to put food on the table. How on earth can I expect them to learn a foreign language? It's not like they can rush out and buy Rosetta Stone or even a book to help, then their kids might not eat. A language is not something you can just decide to learn, it has to be taught. And if you do not have the resources (financial, time, etc) for that, then you're stuck.

I have also found that many people do speak and understand limited English, but are embarassed or afraid to be misunderstood or to misunderstand the speaker, so they deny knowing any English. I can empathize with that as well. I know a little Spanish, but I would much rather have someone fluent translate for me, especially with issues as complex as medical issues.

I guess I just try and temper my annoyance with understanding. The families I deal with are good people only trying to do the best they can for their children. If learning a language is not top of their priority list, I can be tolerant.

When immigrants first came to this country, Rosetta Stone and similar programs and books to learn languages didn't exist, but people with extremely limited resources still managed to learn English, and without having it "taught" to them. It may not be the quickest way to learn, but it CAN be done.

[BluegrassRN]

My great-grandparents never really learned English here. My great-grandfather was also an illegal immigrant, in the sense that he was turned away in New York (I'm guess he was ill), and then got into Canada and "snuck" across the border. They lived in a small, rural community in the midwest where everyone was either German immigrants or could speak enough German to understand them. They did develop some basic English; but certainly not enough to function in some place like the hospital. One of us always translated for them if they had to go anywhere among non-German speakers.

They weren't lazy and they weren't disrespectful. They worked all day from sun up to past sun down. They went to church (German speaking) twice a week. They built the school in their little community with their own hands. Their various offspring are all English speaking and productive members of society. We are farmers, teachers, business men and women, and nurses.

My great-grandparents contributed very positively to society in so many ways, both directly and indirectly. I am very proud of all they went through, and what they accomplished. Due to circumstance, work hours, and their peer group, English was never something they were able to learn and practice with any regularity or depth. They didn't do it to spite anyone, or to be disrespectful, or show disregard for their new country.

Whenever I encounter a non-English speaking visitor or citizen, I always think of my Grandma Clara, who was a wonderful, hilarious, strong woman. I loved her so much, and am very proud of her. She encountered more hardship than most of you will ever experience (thank your lucky stars), and it makes me both angry and sad to think that if some of you had met her, you would look down on her and think poorly of her because she couldn't speak English.

[dudette10, MSN, RN]

The enabling will never stop. In the early- to mid-90s large corporations--especially those in financial services--did all their calculations and determined that they could increase market share by catering to large non-English speaking groups. Until then, one rarely saw national corporations with posters and brochures from corporate in another language. Remember when the only businesses catering to non-English speaking populations were mom-and-pop shops owned by members of those same populations and situated in those neighborhoods?

Whenever there is a huge change in a society, always--ALWAYS--follow the money.

[chacomom]

We are a nation of immigrants except for the Native Americans who were just about obliterated. Respect the person and their culture. My husband is from Mexico and is studying to become a citizen. The older you get the harder it is to learn a new language. Don't be an ugly American.Accept people as they are. Many have had more struggles than you can ever imagine.

[RNLMT, ASN, BSN]

:O////:D

[RNLMT, ASN, BSN]

Why is it that Americans are annoyed by the fact that many people who were not born here don't speak English all the time. It's not like America own the English language. Why can't Americans invent their own language and call it American.

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

why is it that americans are annoyed by the fact that many people who were not born here don't speak english all the time. it's not like america own the english language. why can't americans invent their own language and call it american.

this is the united states; we speak english. (or canada, the uk, australia . . . ) if you intend to live in an english speaking country, you need to learn to speak and to be understood in english. i don't care what language you speak in your home, but if you're going to live here, learn to speak the language! it's just arrogant to expect others to cater to you.

[nursel56]

We are a nation of immigrants except for the Native Americans who were just about obliterated. Respect the person and their culture. My husband is from Mexico and is studying to become a citizen. The older you get the harder it is to learn a new language. Don't be an ugly American.Accept people as they are. Many have had more struggles than you can ever imagine.

Tarnishing everyone who advocates for learning the predominant language of the country one chooses to emigrate to as an "ugly American" is so unfair. Contrary to what most people seem to believe, is not an opinion shared by everyone who has a Hispanic background. It makes them crazy to hear those with the largest microphones assuming they speak for all people for whom Spanish is their first language.

You are also assuming that viewpoint is elitist. ("struggles you can never imagine") I don't need to imagine. I see it in front of my eyes. I'd appreciate it if we could have this discussion without making disparaging remarks about the attitudes of people you don't agree with.