Spanish in patient care: basics or fluency

[Yris Bea Diaz]

I'm in healthcare and often work with Spanish-speaking patients. I was curious to hear from nurses here — if someone decides to learn Spanish for patient care, do you feel basic Spanish is enough, or is aiming for fluency more beneficial in your daily work?

[hppygr8ful, ASN, RN, EMT-I]

I think learning a new language is great. I speak a very limited amount of Spanish and can usually make myself understood. Still most hospitals require that verbal translations need to be done by a certified medical translator. That's protects you and the patient and makes sure the information is properly translated.

hppy