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?

[MunoRN, RN]

I don't think anyone is advocating providing less then stellar care to persons who do not speak English.

I know there are a lot of them but you may want to read back through these posts, many nurses have stated that regardless of how useful it may be and the proven improvement in patient care, they wouldn't make any attempts to learn another language as a matter of principle due to factors such as the perceived laziness of the patient.

[CaregiverGrace]

I know there are a lot of them but you may want to read back through these posts, many nurses have stated that regardless of how useful it may be and the proven improvement in patient care, they wouldn't make any attempts to learn another language as a matter of principle due to factors such as the perceived laziness of the patient.

Learning an entire language, and learning some skills in treating an obese patient, are so far apart that it is laughable to even compare.

I will add here that I have picked up conversational Spanish, Tagalog, and Polish on my job, and I am happy to use them with patients as far as greetings and light conversations with them. But medical discussions about their healthcare should be handled by translators. They are bilingual (or more) by trade and I hardly would feel comfortable making healthcare decisions based on moderately conversational language skills.

[April, RN, BSN, RN]

I know there are a lot of them but you may want to read back through these posts, many nurses have stated that regardless of how useful it may be and the proven improvement in patient care, they wouldn't make any attempts to learn another language as a matter of principle due to factors such as the perceived laziness of the patient.

It doesn't matter if the Spanish speaker is lazy, poor, no access to education, whatever. Patients who are in America and don't speak English shouldn't EXPECT that the rest of us are going to cater to their needs and learn their language. If we have picked up foreign languages along the way and can use them at work, great. None of us would go to Japan and expect that their natives to speak English to us, so why do certain others come to America and expect that of us?

[MunoRN, RN]

Learning an entire language, and learning some skills in treating an obese patient, are so far apart that it is laughable to even compare.

I will add here that I have picked up conversational Spanish, Tagalog, and Polish on my job, and I am happy to use them with patients as far as greetings and light conversations with them. But medical discussions about their healthcare should be handled by translators. They are bilingual (or more) by trade and I hardly would feel comfortable making healthcare decisions based on moderately conversational language skills.

So if the time required to learn another language were more justified by the benefit in terms of the number of patients you come across and the difficulty it presents, then you'd be willing to do so?

And yes, even nurses who are fluent in a language still must use Certified Medical Translators when indicated.

[MunoRN, RN]

It doesn't matter if the Spanish speaker is lazy, poor, no access to education, whatever. Patients who are in America and don't speak English shouldn't EXPECT that the rest of us are going to cater to their needs and learn their language. If we have picked up foreign languages along the way and can use them at work, great. None of us would go to Japan and expect that their natives to speak English to us, so why do certain others come to America and expect that of us?

All Japanese students are taught English, so yes you could expect that English be spoken to you.

[life_aknew]

*Sigh* If people in America (healthcare and non) want to learn another language provided by the gracious government of the US of A then by all means-have at it. But surely, there is a difference of Japan being taught english in school as a second language and the US barely reaching some kids mastering just the one. They're taught english for other reasons, then to accomodate one set of people. No one is migrating to Japan in hordes and displays disgust to their healthcare provider (who is doing the best that they can) that they SHOULD know their native language, just because they make up 1/6th of the population.

But I'll tell you one thing Nurse Muno, in another life you would make an excellent lawyer. I mean it as a compliment :)

[carolmaccas66, BSN, RN]

I keep telling my students and ENs you MUST use medical translators for patients that are CERTIFIED BY THE HOSPITAL and who have a license to be a translator. It is a law in our country anyway. I will not use cleaners, engineers, the ward clerk, the ward helper or any family members to convey medical info.

Learning a few words and conversing re weather etc is different, but many languages don't have 'other words' like English has, or meanings for the same words. My Spanish gf told me there are Spanish words where there is no English translation. Nurses and students are too blase when it comes to this aspect of the job - they just tend to ignore it.

If people want to use family members and cleaners etc to interpert all and any medical info, be my guest. The lawyers I worked with will sue your ass off believe me. Just always imagine standing up in court and explaining yourself. That's what I do and it's not a pretty picture. If you all keep doing it, you're going to be in serious **** one day.

[pinksugar]

I keep telling my students and ENs you MUST use medical translators for patients that are CERTIFIED BY THE HOSPITAL and who have a license to be a translator. It is a law in our country anyway. I will not use cleaners, engineers, the ward clerk, the ward helper or any family members to convey medical info.

Learning a few words and conversing re weather etc is different, but many languages don't have 'other words' like English has, or meanings for the same words. My Spanish gf told me there are Spanish words where there is no English translation. Nurses and students are too blase when it comes to this aspect of the job - they just tend to ignore it.

If people want to use family members and cleaners etc to interpert all and any medical info, be my guest. The lawyers I worked with will sue your ass off believe me. Just always imagine standing up in court and explaining yourself. That's what I do and it's not a pretty picture. If you all keep doing it, you're going to be in serious **** one day.

I agree with you. One of our nurses (who speaks Mandarin as her native tongue) was written up for not using the language phone to speak to a patient that also spoke Mandarin, even though her Mandarin is perfect. Our managers maintained that the medical consent forms the patient signed weren't valid because she didn't use the language phone and instead spoke to the patient herself. That nurse now refuses to speak Mandarin to any Mandarin speaking patient at any time, for any reason. Like I have stated several times before in this thread, there is nothing wrong with using the language phone instead of learning a new language. In fact many facilities prefer (or mandate) their nurses to use the phone to protect themselves from liability.

[April, RN, BSN, RN]

But I'll tell you one thing Nurse Muno, in another life you would make an excellent lawyer. I mean it as a compliment :)

I agree! Even though I am against MunoRN's viewpoint, I look forward to reading her responses. I'm enjoying the healthy debate!

[carolmaccas66, BSN, RN]

I'm enjoying the debate as well! Yeh Muno, why don't you quit nursing and go into law? I'd love you to defend me anytime! Ha ha!

[anonymurse]

We have a language line where I work and we only allowed to use it for our initial shift assessment and for consents. Even then, 15% of hospitals don't use a language line at all.

Sorry to hear your hospital can't afford patient safety, but your comments point out that you failed to read my post:

Moreover, where a translator phone is provided, THAT'S THE STANDARD OF CARE. If an injury claimed to have been caused by translation error brings you to court, are you prepared to explain why you didn't use the best--and only hospital-provided and policy-approved--resource at your disposal?

[life_aknew]

"Most of the Nurses I work with speak enough Spanish to get by in between language line sessions, but there are still a few who refuse to learn any Spanish, even though basic Spanish classes are offered twice a month by the Hospital, and yes they get paid to attend, and yet complain on an almost daily basis about how frustrated they are having to deal with Spanish Speaking patients. It's hard to pinpoint where there refusal comes from, although in report one of them will often start out by saying "this is Enrique, he's a 65 year old wet-back from out in the County".

I think I can understand now why you are so passionate about this. It's unfortunate to work with peers who openly and publicly use such derogatories. But the nurses here aren't saying anything remotely like that. Understand that first, we are human beings. We are tired after a hard days work, we worry about our children (if we have any) getting the right education and or even paying for college, bills on top of bills, more things being cut and prices being raised. WE are all struggling, not just those who fleed for a better life. Both sides should be equally considered. You go in and give it 100% during the 8 or 12 hour shift youre there. The utmost patient care. And then, when you're done you want to go home. You want to see what your spouse looks like, your kids, your dog. You want to take off those scrubs and leave work at work.

How much is reasonable to ask of people. Of simple human beings who aren't always perfect, who doesn't think of how to make the world a better place every waking moment. They aren't selfish or bias or uncaring as nurses because they aren't willing to part with whatever free time they have to learn spanish. They are so many skills to keep up with as an active nurse. I've read posts where nurses were irritated because they worked overnight but had to stay in the morning for mandated meetings, that they were getting paid for. Feeling inconvenienced is just that. But God bless, that there are people who feel differently. Who is willing to part with that time. You are entitled to but so is everyone else.