Spanish for health care workers (& Rosetta Stone)

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Hi! I would say about 40% of the pt's on my unit are Spanish speaking only. To orient them to the unit etc. I have to either use a translation line or hope a family member speaks some English.

Right now all I know in Spanish is how to ask if there is any pain, did they go to the bathroom, or how to say a few numbers in Spanish. I really want to learn enough to carry on a bit of a conversation with them at least.

Has anyone learned Spanish successfully? Does Rosetta stone or any other program actually work? I ask because it's not cheap and I don't want to waste my money.

So let me know guys. Thanks.

I agree. Rosetta Stone is good, but the Spanish for Healthcare workers is the one to go for.

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I would like to recommend Medical Spanish by Gail L. Bongiovanni, 4th ed, ISBN 0-07-144200-6.

I enjoyed this very much. I hope you will too. Please let me know if there's a newer edition.

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Specializes in Nursing Informatics.
bellep-just wanted to say thanks for the link to that site. i signed up and am loving it!:up:

i'm glad you like it!

oh, for those who are considering rosetta stone, you might want to look into this site for discounts:

homeschoolbuyersco-op.org

i have purchased quite a few things from them and i am considering rosetta stone for myself and my family. anyway, i think they might have some coupons or something....not sure.

i really miss being around people who speak spanish (and other languages) and i am hoping that i will have the opportunity to be exposed to it again once i am done with ns!:yeah:

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Seriously, the best way to learn is to get a little Spanish. Be it from school, Rosetta Stone or whatever and then jump into the deep end. Immerse yourself in it. That is how I learned Hangul (Korean). I learned a few phrases and a little structure when I learned I was going to be transferred there in the Army. When I got there and got settled in, I started striking up conversations with everyone. Alot of times, the Koreans would walk me through what I was trying to say. I wound up conversational in just a couple of months and fluent in about 6.

Stick your toe in (learn a little bit) then dive in. You won't be LESS fluent if you do it.

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Specializes in LTC, Med/Surg, Peds, ICU, Tele.

I'd like to get a good audio medical Spanish program. I took Spanish from 5th-11th grade, but never used it much, plus never learned medically specific language.

I do find that my attempts to speak the language with my patients goes a long way toward winning their trust.

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Specializes in school nursing, ortho, trauma.

i really have been thinking about plunking down the cash for a rosetta stone program. I hope that more poeple that have had experience with this type of system will echo in. I will look into the suggestions made. Thanks all!

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Specializes in ER.

Hey, thanks for the livemocha link, I love it.

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Specializes in school nursing, ortho, trauma.
bellep-just wanted to say thanks for the link to that site. i signed up and am loving it!:up:

i signed up too - already completed one lesson. mucha gracias!

ps- look me up there - my user name is libertybelle

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Specializes in CDI Supervisor; Formerly NICU.

For a great intro into conversational spanish, look into the coffee break spanish podcasts.

http://www.coffeebreakspanish.com

I love these, as they are typically 15 minute lessons, with the instructor and a chick who is learning (and repeating) along with you.

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