Understanding accents as a new nurse

[MidLifeRN2012]

I am a new nurse and need some advice for an awkward situation.

I work on a unit with a high population of predominantly Asian nurses and aides. Most of them are very nice and helpful to me as a new nurse. But, sometimes I have hard time understanding some of the things they are saying which has caused me to miss some things in report because I strain so much to make out the words they just said, I miss the new content.

The first preceptor I sat with had a very heavy accent and I missed some of the things she would teach me and I didn't pick up the info until I got into training with a nurse on another shift with a clear English dialect. I was too embarrassed to tell the first preceptor to keep repeating herself as I didn't want to insult her. Because of the lack of being able to pick up all of things she told me, I'm sure I left a bad impression on her as she gets irritated that I didn't remember things, so I feel like an idiot.

I also have difficulty picking out what some doctors are saying over the phone and they will get really annoyed having to repeat certain drug names and dosages over again..sometimes 2 or 3 times. I feel so stupid. Please tell me this gets easier over time.

Is there a tactful way to say I don't understand their accent without sounding racist? Or do you have any pointers in understanding them. I feel very lost in this world of multiculturalism as a 'very white' person :)

[NotReady4PrimeTime, RN]

About half of the physicians I come in contact with are not native English speakers, given that I work in a teaching hospital where international residents and fellows (and their money) are welcomed with open arms. When we have critical situations happening on the unit, I sometimes wonder if the critical care fellow is hesitating to give orders because s/he's trying to understand what's being said then figuring out what to say in response, or if s/he's just not a very good physician and doesn't know what to do. I like to think it's the former... but can't really rule out the latter. I remember one occasion where a surgical fellow was performing a cutdown on a tiny infant. His English skills were very poor and his accent quite pronounced. He asked me for something and I had NO clue what it was. I'm usually pretty good at interpreting but this time I was completely stumped. I asked him politely three times to repeat himself only slower and still couldn't figure out what he wanted. (Fortunately the baby was relatively stable at that point.) He finally pantomimed what he wanted and AHA!! I handed him some sterile scissors. I can only imagine what could have happened had the situation been more emergent.

The importance of communication in health care settings can't be overemphasized. Patients' lives depend on it.

[amoLucia]

Part of your problem may be that as a NEWBIE you don't quite have the fluid easy familiarity with terminology that is like a native language to many of us. This comes with time and experience. But like other PPs have commented, you have to be certain that you clearly understand any necessary conversations.

Even after a gazillion years working with many different staff and pts, I just politely & apologetically tell them that I am having difficulty understanding them. I clearly emphasize that it is ME, not them, having the problem.

Outside of work, I personally have difficulty distinguishing/recognizing voices, particularly on the phone. I even HAVE TO ASK my sisters whom I'm talking to - can't tell who is who. And I have no patience for the fools who try the "oh, guess. You know who I am". NO, I DON'T and I will hang up on them when they play games.

Only once in my long career did I have to give the phone over to another nurse to talk with the Doc. I just couldn't understand - the other nurses was OK with the Doc.

Just be polite when you ask them to repeat and don't get flustered. That won' t help you.

[KeepItRealRN, BSN, RN]

If one is a physician and is repeatedly asked to repeat himself/herself multiples times by multiple nurses, I beg to differ that it is the nurses problem. It is the speakers problem, and they need to get training on how to speak to be understood.

For example: If one is a physician from the orient, and plan on practicing in the US, do what is necessary to learn how to pronounce the letter "L", and quit substituting the "R" sound.

There is a big difference between "sterrer groves", and "sterile gloves", and a big difference between "Raisix", and "Lasix".

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

If one is a physician and is repeatedly asked to repeat himself/herself multiples times by multiple nurses, I beg to differ that it is the nurses problem. It is the speakers problem, and they need to get training on how to speak to be understood.

I totally agree with this sentiment. If I speak in a manner that is difficult to understand by most of the people in the area where I live and work, it becomes my responsibility to communicate what I want to say clearly and effectually. Many sound-alike drugs exist in nursing, so clear and effective communication is more of a safety issue than anything.