Are you kidding me???? It's not possible to speak "without an accent"... or do you mean WITH an AMERICAN accent? Jeez.
You sound a little angry there...although everyone has an accent of some type, learning to speak clearly, without an accent that keeps you from being understood, would be the goal. Calm down and don't get so worked up....nothing is wrong with an American accent IN America :icon_roll
You sound a little angry there...although everyone has an accent of some type, learning to speak clearly, without an accent that keeps you from being understood, would be the goal. Calm down and don't get so worked up....nothing is wrong with an American accent IN America :icon_roll
Yang
precisely, yang.
whether it be a dialect or accent, the goal is to be understood.
Although you have a point I think the issue being discussed here is not as serious as people think it is...I have had couple of foreign nursing instructors,for majority of the time they were fine with their English skills,but at times it did sound like one had listen harder in order to understand,but no biggie,for the most parts the lecture was comprehended...I also did tons of rotations and work with more foreign nurses than american ones....I havent really notices that anyone made a big deal of those RN's accent,they were pretty much undurstood,please give me a foreign nurse anytime for exchange of doctors terrible handwriting,I will be at heaven...
esp md's, where you'd think they'd understand the importance of articulate communication.
miscommunication, misunderstandings are extremely dangerous, i agree.
leslie
I think he was frustrated at having to repeat himself to everyone all the time. Maybe he should have taken the hint and did something constructive to improve his communication rather than take his anger out on the nursing staff.
Oh well, I'm from Philippines and even people complained that my accent is too bad..Oh well, maybe I just have to write in a piece of paper so that they will understand what I'm saying. (even my grammar is too poor..but I speak 5 different languages.)
Umm what are you going to do in an emergency situation where you have to be understood? You can't just write it down! My advice is for you to improve your communication rather than relying on others to try and decipher what your saying.
pts have the inherent right to understand everything that is being communicated to them about their medical care.
whether it is r/t an accent or an md not using layman's terms, pts should understand what is being said to them.
our shortage is not their problem.
leslie
I couldnt agree more.
My problem is.....how are they performing pt. education if they cant understand one another? What happens when this nurse discharges someone?
It is the nurse's responsibility to make their pt. as comfortable with their care as possible. If there is a language barrier, and the pt. is the one who does not speak english well, we go out of our way accomodate them. Why should a language barrier with the nurse being the one with broken english be any different?
Oh well, I'm from Philippines and even people complained that my accent is too bad..Oh well, maybe I just have to write in a piece of paper so that they will understand what I'm saying. (even my grammar is too poor..but I speak 5 different languages.)
I thought that they start to teach English in Philippines beginning from the early childhood or at least grammar school,maybe I got my facts twisted?
No. The pt. can cross the line too, but not in this instance. I dont feel expecting to understand your nurse is letting the pt. get away with anything. I dont think making accomodations for a pt. that speaks broken/no english is letting them get away with anything either.
Put it this way:
During school, we learn how to create an atmosphere of "theraputic communication". Body language, not talking in technical terms and all sorts of things to improve how we communicate with the pt. are focused on.
This focus on how we communicate, to me, implys that our ability to communicate with the pt. is a part of being an effective nurse. If one wishes to practice nursing here, they should have a functional command of the predominant language.
Now, I'm not saying any nurse who's english is broken is subpar or in the wrong. But sharpening their language should be on their minds, because it can be a barrier between them and the pt.
We have enough barriers to break through as nurses as is. Why let another, optional one, linger?
I'm sorry, but with our severe nursing shortage, it just HACKS ME OFF when our patients complain about their
foreign nurses having an accent. Sometimes I just want to say "yknow what.....be glad you HAVE A NURSE to care
for you at all !" I am just SO tired of it.....if it's THAT bad, the patient should just ask the nurse to WRITE things......:typing..
No, I'm not foreign nor do I have an accent..........I am just SO TIRED of our patients complaining about that.
Yes, they're sick and they don't want to have to "work" to understand staff, but if they realized how BADLY
we need nurses, they might rethink how rude their comments are!
I was also appalled hearing a doctor speak to a foreign nurse VERY rudely due to her accent.....get over
yourself, doctor!
nervousnurse:
I live in NY, but I have never received any complain like that! Our hospital has nurses coming from 54 different countries. It sounds like you hear this very often!
Very strange!
The only time I heard about a patient complaining another nurse is when it was "incited" by another nurse! Some nurses like it, they like to complain about other nurses, not only to other health professionals, but to the patients as well!!! These nurses are very bad!
Yin Yang
656 Posts
You sound a little angry there...although everyone has an accent of some type, learning to speak clearly, without an accent that keeps you from being understood, would be the goal. Calm down and don't get so worked up....nothing is wrong with an American accent IN America :icon_roll
Yang