Medical terms in Spanish

Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN · Nov 15, 2005

Spanish for Health Care Professionals

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0764111388/ref=pd_sr_ec_ir_b/102-1819843-7240969?v=glance&s=books&st=*

Medical Spanish Made Ridiculously Simple

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0940780453/qid=1132025135/sr=2-2/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_2/102-1819843-7240969?v=glance&s=books

And you might want to do this with someone that can help you with the accents and such, to make sure you're pronouncing the words right.

nurse4theplanet, RN · Nov 15, 2005

thanks marie!

unknown99, BSN, RN · Nov 15, 2005

Also, in the back of the Taber's medical encyclopedia, there is a section of commonly used words and phrases you might need in Spanish.

Also, in the RN Notes, there is a section.

SmilingBluEyes · Nov 15, 2005

I recommend, also, a good course in basic conversational Spanish. It helps you to be able to pronounce the words correctly and use them in their correct CONTEXT. Very important. Bravo to you, being willing to learn. I am fluent in Spanish, and believe me, it's so very handy.

bethin · Nov 15, 2005

I'm learning French through Michel Thomas. He also has other CD's in spanish. Check out amazon.com. I think the first thing that would be really helpful, as others have stated, is to take a beginning spanish class. See if your employer would pay for it since it's in their best interest to have someone who can speak spanish.

Bipley · Nov 15, 2005

I live in the south where we have a large spanish speaking population. They offer spanish here in the highschools and at my college, but not necessarily 'spanish for medical professionals' . I really want to learn it in the context that I can use in the hospital setting with my patients. Can anyone recommend an online course or any books or tapes (preferably) that they are/have used that will help me?:typing

I learned my Spanish from a police CD. Seriously, it's great. It's an interactive CD that teaches you the alphabet, numbers, common words, numbers, cultural issues, etc.

I can ask someone where their pain is OR I can tell them to put their hands on the wall and spread their feet. :)

The CD is written by the US Gov't, it used to be free (was when I got it) but now they charge $30.00 for it. If I can figure out how, I'm happy to make a copy for you. It says on the CD that I can do that. I just need to figure out how. I've had this computer for a year and never yet burned a CD.

Or, you can go to any community college, they have Medical Spanish classes. But, I like my CD better.

However... I did make a mistake once. I was the only Spanish speaking nurse and we needed to call a patient at his home (just discharged) and explain that an AHCCCS (Az's version of Medicaid) nurse would be at his home at 6pm to teach him to care for his PICC.

The housekeeper was standing behind me patting my shoulder furiously telling me NONONO!!! I knew my words were correct, or I thought they were, but I also trusted this gal enough that she wouldn't stop me in the middle of a phone call unless something was wrong.

Wellllll, it appears that there are various ways of saying something similar. Turns out I told him that his breast feeder would be there at 6PM. You know, nurse vs. nursing as in nursing a baby? Yeah, I told him his breast feeder would be there at 6PM. Thankfully, he didn't laugh at me, well, at least not until he hung up the phone.

Quite frankly, I was waiting for the breast feeder to call me and scream but she never did. :chuckle

Long Term Care Columnist / Guide · Nov 15, 2005

I recommend, also, a good course in basic conversational Spanish. It helps you to be able to pronounce the words correctly and use them in their correct CONTEXT. Very important. Bravo to you, being willing to learn. I am fluent in Spanish, and believe me, it's so very handy.

I didn't know you were fluent, Deb! WOOT!! Good for you.......it certainly does come in handy on the job, especially when you're one of the only people on staff who can tell a laboring mom to push without accidentally calling her a b****:chuckle

nurse4theplanet, RN · Nov 15, 2005

The CD is written by the US Gov't, it used to be free (was when I got it) but now they charge $30.00 for it. If I can figure out how, I'm happy to make a copy for you. It says on the CD that I can do that. I just need to figure out how. I've had this computer for a year and never yet burned a CD.

this would be great! If you can figure it out just PM me and I will give you my info and send you some money for postage and your trouble.

I think I may try and find a cd online from amazon or something...I'll just have to search around. I really need to hear the words vs. reading them.

KatieBell · Nov 15, 2005

I'm in agreement with Similing Blue Eyes about taking a conversational course.

our hospital teaches medical spanish. Unfortunately what happens is that the nurses leanr to ask "Where is your pain" or How did your disease start. They almost never can understand the patient after they ask the question. Thats because the patient may say, "well, at first my pain was in my foot, but then I walked home from the movies and called my mother, and then it started to shoot up my leg." It gets confusing, if all you know is medical terms.

There was a Medical Spanish book that really helped me- I speak Spanish, but did not learn works for blood sample, when I learned Spanish- so for a long time I used that book as a reference.

Bipley · Nov 16, 2005

this would be great! If you can figure it out just PM me and I will give you my info and send you some money for postage and your trouble.
I think I may try and find a cd online from amazon or something...I'll just have to search around. I really need to hear the words vs. reading them.

This CD is cool because you do hear the words and phrases. You can click as many times as you want and repeat the word. As good as I am getting the one letter I cannot pronounce is the letter "Y". It's impossible. Can't be done! :) I can pronounce words with a "Y" in them, I just can't say the letter "Y" in Spanish. My tongue doesn't do that.

After I posted previously I got to thinking, I wouldn't mind sending you my one and only copy, you can install it on your computer, then just send it back. Honestly, I think the reason I have never been able to burn a CD is that I don't think my burner ever worked. I had SO many problems with this piece 'o crap Dell computer when I first got it.

If you want me to do that I'm happy to do so, just please send me the CD back, it's my only copy.

nurse4theplanet, RN · Nov 16, 2005

This CD is cool because you do hear the words and phrases. You can click as many times as you want and repeat the word. As good as I am getting the one letter I cannot pronounce is the letter "Y". It's impossible. Can't be done! :) I can pronounce words with a "Y" in them, I just can't say the letter "Y" in Spanish. My tongue doesn't do that.
After I posted previously I got to thinking, I wouldn't mind sending you my one and only copy, you can install it on your computer, then just send it back. Honestly, I think the reason I have never been able to burn a CD is that I don't think my burner ever worked. I had SO many problems with this piece 'o crap Dell computer when I first got it.
If you want me to do that I'm happy to do so, just please send me the CD back, it's my only copy.

thanks so much for the gesture, but i think i will pass... I am in the process of moving, going thru finals, my hubby is returning home from a yr overseas...really really hectic schedule and my house is a horrid pile of boxes and nursing books. I am too afraid that I will lose it or damage it and I don't want to ruin your only copy. But if you could give me the exact title then i will do a search and just buy it:p