Regardless of the job title, situation etc. It is very, very frustrating when you cannot understand what someone is saying. As a nurse, I hate it when I cannot understand what a doc is saying. It takes time to ask them to keep repeating themselves, and I think the risk of error increases. Pts do have a right to understand what is being said to them...all of the time. If a pt. cannot understand what the nurse is saying, they have a hard time trusting, and understanding what is going on with their care. If a pt cannot understand what the nurse is saying, then ask for a different nurse. Yes, we are short staffed, but pt satisfaction is important too.
Specializes in Home Care, Primary care NP, QI, Nsg Adm.
Being from New York, having spent two years in Bangladesh doing relief work and now working in Saudi for over 13 years I have developed an ear for accents and how to understand English when its used as a second language. In fact, today, I was jotting a few notes down in my office and I wrote a sentence in the way one of my Egyptian nursing supervisors speaks. I thought, 'the metamorphosis is complete'.
An example, the same supervisor uses the word 'allergy' to refer to being annoyed, anxious, afraid. For example, I initiate a new policy and some staff are unhappy or anxious about some aspect of the implementation so they have an 'allergy' to it.
I have become so accustomed to so many different usages of English words other than the true meaning that I even think with these terms.
About accents, we have many. "Sanks" (Thanks). "Mon-zyz" (months) and more (TNTC).
Then, every once in awhile I just let my american english (ny style) cut lose with a , fast paced English, hitt'em with a waz-zup and let them just stare at me. An American would understand it directly, but, I can lose them if necessary. Frankly, I'll miss it when I have to leave. These are my 'boys'.
Difficulty with accents isn't just in the hospital. A few years ago I was at a Dunk'in D with my father. This particular store was owned and operated by Indians. I have Indian staff and there are many Asians working in Saudi so I am accustomed to the different accents.
A older man was next to me on line and the clerk asked him in what he would like. The man said coffee. The clerk, said in what was a run-on and rapid response, "milkinsuger", The man said, "what", "milkinsugar". This went on two or three times until I 'translated' for the customer; He said; "milk and sugar". The customer just said yes and thanked me for the help.
One accent I still have trouble with is a deep Nigerian accent.
On the other hand I can get some strange looks when I use my broken Arabic. (Someone always asks, "13 years and you still don't speak Arabic; At 51 I just don't get embarrassed anymore and I tell them "its a right brain/left brain thing" and I'm left alone-(lol).
Difficulty with accents isn't just in the hospital. A few years ago I was at a Dunk'in D with my father. This particular store was owned and operated by Indians. I have Indian staff and there are many Asians working in Saudi so I am accustomed to the different accents.
This is true... However, I think it highly unlikely that someone could die because someone misunderstood a Dunk'in D's order
Specializes in Psych, ER, Resp/Med, LTC, Education.
No no one will die you are correct but it just goes to show that is a problem everywhere.........heck have you called and tried to order Chineese food lately? Lord its a good thing each item is numbered.....but I still never really know for sure after they read back my order to me....if when I pick up the order it will be correct. Yes in the health care setting this is a more critical issue.........but as I think has been mentioned the handwriting of docs--and even nurses sometimes is dangerous as well. I have been known to jokingly ask co-workers/docs if they used a pen to write something or a chickens feet and an inkpad!
No no one will die you are correct but it just goes to show that is a problem everywhere.........heck have you called and tried to order Chineese food lately? Lord its a good thing each item is numbered.....but I still never really know for sure after they read back my order to me....if when I pick up the order it will be correct. Yes in the health care setting this is a more critical issue.........but as I think has been mentioned the handwriting of docs--and even nurses sometimes is dangerous as well. I have been known to jokingly ask co-workers/docs if they used a pen to write something or a chickens feet and an inkpad!
LOL Yeah- definately agreed. But- I do have more tolerance for it at an ethnic restaurant or whatnot than I do in an arena where people's health and possibly lives are put at risk. That goes for accents, anything that affects comunication ability- including handwriting.... I mean- at least at the Chinese place I can smile point and hold up however many fingers to indicate the quantity I want and I'm pretty sure I'm gonna get what I pointed to LOL
Not that I think that people shouldn't go into the field- but I just look at it as something everyone should work on. In fact- I believe in this so much that I am currently learning spanish to better help me in the professional arena when I do become a nurse. I can't learn every language or dialect- but I can *try* to do my best to make myself as clearly understood as possible, by as many people as possible- and not to get my panties in a knot if someone who doesn't have english as their primary language misunderstands me or complains that they want someone they can more readily understand. :) In today's global village it's a given that communication issues are *going* to arise. I just think we all should do what we can to minimize the risk that such entails. :wink2:
I think the difference is when you go to a Chinese restaurant you go there EXPECTING that they'll be speaking fluent Chinese and choppy English.
When American patients go to an American hospital they're within their rights to expect to have a nurse that can communicate with them.
I'm the first to think an accent is cute, but only if I can indeed *understand* what's being said. That said, if an Australian was speaking to me I don't care what he's saying as long as he keeps saying it...I once told hubby that I'd never cheat on him unless it was with Patrick Swayze (this was in his Dirty Dancing days) or ANY Australian!!
Specializes in Home Care, Primary care NP, QI, Nsg Adm.
When anyone goes to a hospital, they expect to understand and be understood, American or not and in many cities an American may not speak or understand English well as in the case in cities like NY.
The problem should not get past recruitment. It's not the nurses fault. Better assessment is required.
There are also regional dialects that can be tough to understand like deep southern accents, if your not to accustomed to it.
Last, true, a problem with a not understanding a dunk'in D clerk may not kill you but the donuts might.
So something else to think about, and I just don't understand, as someone trying to get into nursing school. U.S. Born, English is my first language, 3.8 science GPA... And such a "shortage" and now I hear that accents and communication is a problem? Yet I go to bed every night worried as can be that I will not get into my program, its kind of not fair, see-ing as it is all a numbers game, and it really shouldn't be if this is an issue. I say all of this because I see all the people in my pre-req classes, and in no way what so ever am I better than anyone at all, that's not the point... The point is why do some people "get the job" over others... Or in my case get into school to start with... How do they even pass not being able to communicate? Now I'm not some "American" that thinks I'm entitled to it over someone else... My father is from another country, and I do speak another language as well, but English is the most important when in a critical environment, such as nursing, and should be a big requirement. Accents and such are not a problem, as long as you can understand them... We all have flaws no one is perfect, but then its time to fix the problem.
I am from Grenada and yes, we do have foreign doctors, nurses and lab tech working on the island, however if we are to complain about their accent they will do the same about ours. Most ppl failed to realize that ppl from all nations have different accents even ppl from the same country or island do not speak the same.
Our language here in Grenada is english, however we speak what we call creole which is broken english or a mixture of french,english and african that is since our island was once ruled by the French, the British, Spanish and we are decendants of African slaves.
We speak perfect english, not just the ppl of USA, to tell you the truth, I do not understand what the heck some of you ppl say at times.
I am from Grenada and yes, we do have foreign doctors, nurses and lab tech working on the island, however if we are to complain about their accent they will do the same about ours. Most ppl failed to realize that ppl from all nations have different accents even ppl from the same country or island do not speak the same.
Our language here in Grenada is english, however we speak what we call creole which is broken english or a mixture of french,english and african that is since our island was once ruled by the French, the British, Spanish and we are decendants of African slaves.
We speak perfect english, not just the ppl of USA, to tell you the truth, I do not understand what the heck some of you ppl say at times.
Bonne Annee
Feliz Ano Nuevo
One love to all
I'm sorry, but if you practice in the US then you need to speak ENGLISH, not "creole which is broken english or a mixture of frendh, english and african" so that the majority of American patients can understand what you, their nurse, is saying. If that insults you, I'm sorry, but the concerns of PATIENTS concern me.
Specializes in Home Care, Primary care NP, QI, Nsg Adm.
In the city in Saudi where I work, the central government hospital has hired Chinese nurses in the past that can hardly speak in English and none know Arabic, which is the mother tongue of this country.
In the city in Saudi where I work, the central government hospital has hired Chinese nurses in the past that can hardly speak in English and none know Arabic, which is the mother tongue of this country.
How did it affect patients?? I can't imagine their responses were much different than expressed in this thread.
MommyJoy
63 Posts
Regardless of the job title, situation etc. It is very, very frustrating when you cannot understand what someone is saying. As a nurse, I hate it when I cannot understand what a doc is saying. It takes time to ask them to keep repeating themselves, and I think the risk of error increases. Pts do have a right to understand what is being said to them...all of the time. If a pt. cannot understand what the nurse is saying, they have a hard time trusting, and understanding what is going on with their care. If a pt cannot understand what the nurse is saying, then ask for a different nurse. Yes, we are short staffed, but pt satisfaction is important too.