People in healthcare should speak Spanish, she said

[Paulie G]

I had a 78 year old woman patient, bunch of kids and grandkids in the room. The patient spoke only Spanish and the grandson was translating. As I was exiting the grandma patient said something forceful so I turned and asked the man what she'd just said, and it was exactly that: "People in Healthcare should speak Spanish."

I was, well, insulted, speechless, fill in the blank. The patient had not been much of a problem until then. I stared at the grandson and didn't reply, just left. As I thought about it, I started thinking. I'm not a foreigner, why should I learn another language? I'm in the middle of the country to boot! And, why are these people insulting their caregiver anyway?

Talking this out with other nurses, I guess I wasn't the first one to hear such stuff. Is this something I should get used to?

[iNurseUK, RN]

Definitely I ought to speak Punjabi, Urdu, Polish, Ukranian, Greek, Turkish, Mandarin Chinese, Afghan, Hindi, Iralian, Spanish, French AND Lithuanian to meet the needs of all the patients I ever nursed.

Don't worry about it. We all encounter the language barrier at some point. It is such an established problem in UK hospitals that there is a "Language Line" telephone translation service available.

[April, RN, BSN, RN]

The smart a** in me would have wanted to retort with "People in America should speak English". I know, I know... insensitive, and I would never actually say that outloud, but it really irks me when people come to the hospital with an entitled attitude and insult their caregivers.

[ChristineN, BSN, RN]

I have never heard a pt be quite as open as that about their sentiments. I do have pt's frequently ask if there is a Spanish speaking nurse working, even if I have brought interpreter services to their needs as well as translator phones. The Spanish speaking nurses get tired of being assigned pts solely because they speak Spanish and I don't. Which, I agree, is not fair, pt's should be assigned based on acutely and not language of staff.

[etaoinshrdluRN]

Spanish is also a widely used language in this country, and many native-born Americans speak it as their primary tongue. To think otherwise is just wishful thinking and a bit xenophobic, as well.

I learned Spanish in school and did some interpreting both as a nurse and as a non-professional, and let me tell you, speaking it has opened doors, even in the upper midwest.

[DeeAngel]

I tell people, "I don't speak another language because I have no personal need to learn one". THEY may need me to speak their language but that doesn't mean I have any interest or obligation to do so.

You don't speak the language then you need to bring your own interpreter to stay with you if possible.

[klone, MSN, RN]

I tend to agree with her.

Spanish is the most common language spoken in the home in the US, after English. I think in 10 years, it's estimated that 40% of people in America will speak Spanish as a first language.

Per the Nurse Practice Act as well as the US Department of Health and Human Services, every person has the right to have healthcare delivered to them in their preferred language.

Absolutely there should be translators available. But I find it simply easier to learn the language so I can speak to them myself.

[etaoinshrdluRN]

The Spanish speaking nurses get tired of being assigned pts solely because they speak Spanish and I don't. Which, I agree, is not fair, pt's should be assigned based on acutely and not language of staff.

I think, from the patient's point of view, it is a relief and comfort to have a caregiver who can speak with them easily. I know I would want that for myself. Multilingual nurses who have this ability should consider it an hugely important arrow in their quiver.

FWIW, I was hired recently in part because the unit had had a terrible experience with needing the language line.

[RNperdiem, RN]

Sometimes I have worked with elderly patients who get a little uninhibited with their tongue when they are patients-drugs, mild delirium, whatever.

I have had their adult children apologize for the dirty language or tactless comments with "Momma never used to talk like that".

I would put what that lady said as one of those tactless remarks to be shrugged off.

[CaregiverGrace]

You should have told her that it would make more sense for her to learn English, esp. since she is the one that left her native-Spanish speaking country to move here. Of course hospitals have some responsibility to assist patients with a language barrier, but that is different from a patient suggesting that any caregivers in the US should speak what is still a "foreign" language. Unless some Spanish-speaking country has beaten us in a war that I'm not aware of lol.

[Motivated grandma]

" Unless some Spanish-speaking country has beaten us in a war that I'm not aware of lol."

We're not in a war - just under siege in the border states. Since the government is going to do nothing about reigning in illegal immigration and just generally slow it down until we can absorb these immigrants, it's going to behoove hospital administration to make sure that we have enough Spanish speaking staff to take care of these patients' needs.

[Bella'sMyBaby]

You should have told her that it would make more sense for her to learn English, esp. since she is the one that left her native-Spanish speaking country to move here. Of course hospitals have some responsibility to assist patients with a language barrier, but that is different from a patient suggesting that any caregivers in the US should speak what is still a "foreign" language. Unless some Spanish-speaking country has beaten us in a war that I'm not aware of lol.

Your Comment reminds me of a Bumper Sticker I've seen which states.....

"If you still Speak English, Thank a Soldier."