What did she say? by Dinorah

What did she say? by Dinorah - August 2017 Scholarship Essay

As a bilingual nurse practitioner, I have heard this question asked too many times. Since I have began my transition to education, I have had the privilege to travel to Central America with nursing students. The objective is to expose nursing students to a different health care system and to discover their nursing skills don't change. I designed some language boards with common pictures and numbers for students to use as they tried to communicate with the patients. I found the students used them and were quickly well received by the locals. Upon our return stateside, I had another opportunity to take students on a domestic location in South Texas. The predominance of Spanish speakers is >90%. Students also used local translator as well to deliver healthcare.
From these experiences, I would teach Medical Spanish for Healthcare Providers because of the increase in Spanish speakers in my state of Texas. In order to provide the best care to patients, one must be able to communicate with patients as well as patients communicate with their providers. The lines of communication must be clear and concise because a diagnosis or treatment is dependent on this exchange, and ultimate improvement or worsening of patient's health outcome. Another reason for teaching Medical Spanish for Healthcare Providers is it widens the population a healthcare provider can care for. From my personal experience, I have been able to reach those who needed healthcare but were limited in their ability to speak or share their story by someone who understands their language. The patients feel as if they have been heard and that may be the just what they needed. To be heard and understood.