Nurses not speaking english at work

[Guest296136]

I work nights and the majority of the night nurses are foreign, they are all very good nurses but sometimes I feel out of place because they are always speaking their language to each other. They all take their breaks together and have a feast every night, many times leaving me on the floor by myself. I am out numbered and am afraid to say anything, it took awhile to get accepted and I don't want to make waves.

[rn/writer, RN]

I'm not a Director at a Social Services Program and we have a policy that while at work only English is to be spoken. Forgien languages may be spoken on breaks when out of the sight of our consumers.

Did you mean "now" instead of "not"?

[Intern67]

When this happened at the LTC I used to work at, I would yell loudly, "HEY! This is America...speak SPANISH!"

This usually cracked everybody up and I think helped the situation a little.

[caliotter3]

When this happened at the LTC I used to work at, I would yell loudly, "HEY! This is America...speak SPANISH!"

This usually cracked everybody up and I think helped the situation a little.

There is irony in that response.

[sassy_cassie]

I am as white as they come and only speak English. However, The USA does not have an official language. Due to freedom of speech we may speak whatever we please. If the nurses are speaking to the patients in the patients first language, there is not much the hospital can say.

Them leaving you alone on the floor is a saftey hazard that should be addressed.

[madwife2002, BSN, RN]

I am a foreign nurse who came to America when there was 'a nursing shortage'

Now there is no longer a shortage of nurses should I go 'home'??

[mindlor]

My answer to that question may not be popular so I will keep it to myself :)

Bottomline as I see it is that my politics and philosophies are opposite to about 80 percent of this profession. Therefore, I will either need to learn to keep my mouth shut, or find something else to do :)

I do have one question though. I hear how fab NHS is....why am I seeing British nurses away from "home" in droves? Just curious

[healthstar, BSN, RN]

I am a little stupid so bear with me.

Many US CITIZENS who are RN's are out of work yet we have foreign nurses speaking a foreign language at work in a US hospital while the unemployed US nurses are having their homes foreclosed on?

Can someone please educate me on how this is possible?

During an interview you are not asked if you are American or foreign(just for your information doctors and nurses have to speak the language in order to work in the hospital, they do not have to be fluent), they are looking for knowledge, responsibility, if you can work under pressure, communication skills and so many other things. Just because a doctor or a nurse does not speak english it does not mean they do know know how to do their job. there are so many great foreign doctors out there that can diagnose a patient without using technology. In america people do not fire foreign doctors to have the American citizens working, that is racist.

[Propranolol]

People at work speak tagalog all the time. Recently at my job, they sent a memo around stating that english is to be spoken on the units. Didn't read it personally, but thats what others told me. People still speak their languages on the unit. My mother and father are both americans (puerto rican/mexicanamerican). First language is spanish. They hate when someone tries to speak spanish to them when there are people who don't understand the language around. they say its disrespectful.

[futurenicunurse2008]

personally I dont see the problem with the language as long as it is on breaks. However the thing that bothers me is the cliquiness (sp) thing. I see this everywhere regardless of nationality. There always seems to be those one or two nurses that are just left out. That can be very hurtfull and create an unpleasant work environment and the make the person feel they are alone instead of part of a team, also leaving anyone on the floor should be a nono what if she were in a pt room and there was an emergency or even just a call light noone can take care of the floor by themselves.

[Ginger's Mom, MSN, RN]

Please people, you are scaring me. In some of the posts if you substitute the word Jew for foreign nurses, these workers, or illegals, it sounds like Hitler's Germany! Can't we all get along?

I think you are way off base, illegal workers does not equal foreign trained nurses. Never saw any discriminatory language used, the only issue discussed is America hiring foreign workers while their are US nurses unemployed and appropriately people pointed that being foreign doesn't mean they aren't American Citizens.

[Silverdragon102, BSN]

Hmmmm everyone is dancing around my questions.

I will assume this is because the answers are not known and I can respect that as I also do not know the answers.

They may have had a job for a long time. Since Oct 2006 the US has been under retrogression and many nurses from all over the world have been affected and many are still waiting for a visa allowing them to live and work in the US.

[Ginger's Mom, MSN, RN]

I am a foreign nurse who came to America when there was 'a nursing shortage'

Now there is no longer a shortage of nurses should I go 'home'??

Absolutely not, you came in good faith, you met your obligations of service to your sponsor. But you bring up an interesting problem, the US needs to look at the issue of importing nurses in tough times, instead make nursing a better occupation so qualified Americans can go to school and be employed.

Not all foreign nurses share your attitude about America, many look at the USA as a way to make money to send back home. These nurses have no intention of making the USA "home", it is a means to living a good quality life in their homeland.