Who can translate consents?

[Goodyear]

I don't speak Spanish well at all (yet) and work in an OR, where consents are our bread and butter. We have a LOT of Spanish speaking patients, and I run into a language barrier from time to time. The area supervisor tells me to just use a secretary or CNA to translate, but is that legal? I think I remember being told that consents, being what they are and carrying the weight they do, can only be translated (as in this instance) by another equally licensed professional, or better. Can anyone help shed some light on this or throw out suggestions where I might be able to get information on what is right? Thanks!

[ecierra]

One of my friends, who is an ER RN, is fluent in spanish. This helps her with the Pre procedure questions such as have you eaten today, and where does it hurt, but when it comes to any signature, like for blood products, even she has to get a certified interpreter since she herself isn't certified. My general rule is that I worked hard for my liscence, and I don't want to loose it over shortcuts. I would suggest talking to the unit manager over your immediate supervisor. I have found that the higher you go up in the administrative line, the more legal and less convenient the answers are. Other than that, I would see if the hospital has any programs for learning Spanish and then certifying yourself as an interpreter. It might take a while, but then you won't have to worry anymore :)