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?
I've come to realize that it is far more practical for me to learn medical spanish than it is to expect that they learn english, particularly since English is not our national language and there is no requirement that they learn english.
Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeere's your cookie. :gingerbreadman:
Now, please to not be forcing your own ideals onto other people who aren't required to comply. Much as the patients aren't required to learn English.
I live on the border with Mexico, and have frequently encountered this same scenario. You most likely handle it better than I, as you're a much nicer person than me.
No, it causes me much distress. I need a job so I put up with things a lot longer than I should. I realize that I am paying for this with my health.
That used to drive me nuts, too!!! Nothing quite like having the translator ask a question that the family didn't understand when I asked it, only to have the translator use the exact same words with the exact same inflection that I did... and they understand fine. One translator told me that there is for some people a mental block... they assume the gringa can't possibly speak Spanish so their brain literally doesn't hear you when you speak... or understand or something like that!!!
Perfect. So even if I learn Spanish, the patient will be demanding Hispanics to speak their language to them. Guess I'll mark that talent off my list anyway. lol
Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeere's your cookie. :gingerbreadman:
Now, please to not be forcing your own ideals onto other people who aren't required to comply. Much as the patients aren't required to learn English.
I'm guessing there are typo's in your statement because it doesn't really make any sense, but if I understand it correctly, you are saying I shouldn't force ideals onto people who aren't required to comply, even though you are advocating that Spanish speakers should have to learn English even though they aren't required to do so? Talk about the pot calling the kettle black.
Again, where I live, I see many Spanish only speaking patients for much of the year, they are migrant farm workers, here legally, and they typically work around 100 hours per week and many times are not able to read or write in spanish. The lack of available free time, and illiteracy makes it much harder for them to learn English than it is for me only working a measly 40 hours a week and having the ability to use written material as a learning aid rather than relying on verbal learning alone.
In my case, I can provide better care if I can communicate more effectively and efficiently with a significant portion of my patient population and it makes more sense for me to learn Spanish that it does for them to learn English given both our circumstances.
If by "ideals" you mean that I am suggesting we try and provide better patient care to a particular patient population, you bet that's an ideal I try to force onto other nurses because that is actually a requirement of us.
The only problem I have with this thread is that it takes one bad incident - and I agree that the patient in the OP wasn't right to say what she said -and people are using it to bash an entire group of people (in this case Hispanic immigrants). These are my friends and family and I don't appreciate the stereotypes being perpetuated in some posts I've read here.
Again, where I live, I see many Spanish only speaking patients for much of the year, they are migrant farm workers, here legally, and they typically work around 100 hours per week and many times are not able to read or write in spanish. The lack of available free time, and illiteracy makes it much harder for them to learn English than it is for me only working a measly 40 hours a week and having the ability to use written material as a learning aid rather than relying on verbal learning alone.
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All of us may not have the available time that you do. It is very nice of you to try to learn Spanish in your spare time to help these people. No one is arguing that with you (I don't think, at least I am not). I just don't agree with the premise that we should all be required (or feel a moral obligation due to the fact that we are nurses) to learn Spanish. TBH in my area we have way more patients speaking Russian (and I have taken Russian, it is an incredibly difficult language to learn) or Chinese. Spanish would not be that useful to me or my patients.
The only problem I have with this thread is that it takes one bad incident - and I agree that the patient in the OP wasn't right to say what she said -and people are using it to bash an entire group of people (in this case Hispanic immigrants). These are my friends and family and I don't appreciate the stereotypes being perpetuated in some posts I've read here.
That's probably about all I should say.
I don't care if you only speak Urdu. The principle is the same. People choose to come to this country. If I were to decide to return to Russia, I highly doubt that people would go "Oh, that's an American. We should learn English and only speak English around her so she doesn't feel so alone. Then, on top of that we should make sure that she never has to speak Russian, because that would be too hard for that poor stupid American to learn."
I was an ESL teacher in a former life. There are men and women who have been living here for 30 years without having to learn anything beyond please and thank you. Enabling any population in any way does nothing to promote the success of the whole.
I'm guessing there are typo's in your statement because it doesn't really make any sense, but if I understand it correctly, you are saying I shouldn't force ideals onto people who aren't required to comply, even though you are advocating that Spanish speakers should have to learn English even though they aren't required to do so? Talk about the pot calling the kettle black.
Ummmmm...I'm not? Good luck finding where I said Spanish speakers should have to learn English? And if you don't understand "please to be," then you're not well versed in broken English. You should take a class and become fluent in broken English, just in case a patient who speaks SOME English comes in, so you're better able to understand and comfort them.
The only problem I have with this thread is that it takes one bad incident - and I agree that the patient in the OP wasn't right to say what she said -and people are using it to bash an entire group of people (in this case Hispanic immigrants). These are my friends and family and I don't appreciate the stereotypes being perpetuated in some posts I've read here.
That's probably about all I should say.
My family and friends are of Hispanic too but I am sorry, it just so happens that that group in particular ( unfortunately) does this all the time. And again unfortunately stereotypes exist because most are true to an extent. I have only had this problem with this particular group. Maybe their more vocal about it than other ethnicities? I don't know. The point is. English is this countries language whether its "official" or not. It is what it is.
By the way, anyone's saying we need to learn Spanish for our patients, ha let's see that work when let sat oh the chinese get wind of it and complain that we should learn Chinese for our patients. Then the French come over here etc... is it fair? No. And personally I think that if you are gonna come here to live, I don't think you should drive or vote until you learn enough English. In my opinion. It's works for everyone. but whatever this counties lacking attitude will be our downfall eventually.
redhead_NURSE98!, ADN, BSN
1,086 Posts
Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeere's your cookie. :gingerbreadman:
Now, please to not be forcing your own ideals onto other people who aren't required to comply. Much as the patients aren't required to learn English.