Bilingual

[Sasha]

Hence I had corrected soemone on the spelling yesterday in another thread, so he knew it was something that'd tick me off, which is why he brought attention to it.

 

[Shishkabob]

Hence I had corrected soemone on the spelling yesterday in another thread, so he knew it was something that'd tick me off, which is why he brought attention to it.

Yeah... well...



RAWR!

 

[VFFforpeople]

Do you know the history of Florida?

Do you know how long the Cubans have been in Florida? The Spanish?

Do know anything about Baptista, Castro or the Bay of Pigs?

Gee, in times of persecution and revolution, learning English to go to a land which some of their Spanish ancestors already helped to establish might not have been a thought at the time.

Do you also know the role the U.S. played in the Mariel Boatlift? Again, I don't think President Carter gave the Cubans enough time to learn English. But wait, their families who spoke Spanish were already in Miami.

Now, do you want to talk about NYC or SF?



And you found all of that a waste of time? Then why did you even take the courses beyond the required?

As I said before, some in EMS just belong in the grunt and groan club.

I am a medical professional that lives in the real world. I use whatever skill and education I have for the benefit of my patients, not for the selfish opinions of some EMS providers who believe it is all about them and not the patient.

Ya lets talk SF I live in cali, been there. Do you know how many different kinds of languages there are there?

Ya I know history thanks. I state once again and has been brought up before. You can learn all the languages what happens if you dont interpret something right? Miss diagnose and they flatline? Now what? You are being sued. That is the real world thanks that everyone lives in. I am all about patient care and the best for them, ect. When it comes to dominance in an area for language and lets say spanish...what about your 1.2% German speaking people? Now you are failing them and letting them down. So, you still fail either way you cut the pie, and dont say well atleast I can help the majority. That is then saying that the language spoken the most is more important than that or the lesser. Really it is a double-edge sword where there is no real wrong or right answer. We can debate this all day long and still run into the same problem, we will always fail to meet the needs of the people 100%. We can lessen by learning a dominant language ok, if that was you chose. Being forced to have to learn a language is not right. I would bet everything I own that if that happens and you get "paragods" like your-self running around translating and you mess up you will be in court, your company will be in court, and you will be mailing you card back to NR. The cons of financial back lash due to the need to have to raise insurance for thus reason. If you want to learn it great, I say go for it better your education. (be prepared to learn all dialects and beable to pronounce the words properly. One slip up it could be it.)

 

[Sasha]

Miss diagnose and they flatline?

One slip up it could be it.

The body works the same, Spanish, French, American, British, Japanese, Haitian, what have you. If you give a medication that some how makes them flat line because of a language barrier, you deserve to lose your cert.

I can't think of a single instance where this would happen. (maybe because it's early.) Since you mentioned it so much, surely you have an example? Or are you spouting off about something you THINK might be able to happen without any actual education behind it?

 

[VentMedic]

Ya lets talk SF I live in cali, been there. Do you know how many different kinds of languages there are there?

Ya I know history thanks. I state once again and has been brought up before. You can learn all the languages what happens if you dont interpret something right? Miss diagnose and they flatline? Now what? You are being sued. That is the real world thanks that everyone lives in. I am all about patient care and the best for them, ect. When it comes to dominance in an area for language and lets say spanish...what about your 1.2% German speaking people? Now you are failing them and letting them down. So, you still fail either way you cut the pie, and dont say well atleast I can help the majority. That is then saying that the language spoken the most is more important than that or the lesser. Really it is a double-edge sword where there is no real wrong or right answer. We can debate this all day long and still run into the same problem, we will always fail to meet the needs of the people 100%. We can lessen by learning a dominant language ok, if that was you chose. Being forced to have to learn a language is not right. I would bet everything I own that if that happens and you get "paragods" like your-self running around translating and you mess up you will be in court, your company will be in court, and you will be mailing you card back to NR. The cons of financial back lash due to the need to have to raise insurance for thus reason. If you want to learn it great, I say go for it better your education. (be prepared to learn all dialects and beable to pronounce the words properly. One slip up it could be it.)

Misdiagnose and flatline?
Spoken like an EMT-B with very little knowledge of medicine to back up what you are saying about language. If you misdiagnose and flatline you have more problems than language.

I am in SF right now and yes I do enjoy the diverstiy here. I also enjoy the fact that EMS has so many employees of many different nationalities who are multilingual. They don't seem to have the same closed mind attitude you do. It makes for a great team effort to give good patient care. You need to see just how diverse California is and get out more.

 

[BossyCow]

Most europeans are multi-lingual. Being able to understand more than one language is a life skill unrelated to your beliefs on the policies of immigration. It amazes me how many americans are offended at the suggestion that they learn how to speak more than one language.

I speak english fluently, french well enough to be understood but sneered at by all but French Canadians, and enough spanish to find out what hurts where on a patient, and enough to cuss out a jerk in a bar. The only Italian I know is either food related or obscene.

We shouldn't have to make being multi-lingual mandatory. It shouldn't have to be. Most thinking individuals learn another language other than their language at birth.

 

[VFFforpeople]

Misdiagnose and flatline?
Spoken like an EMT-B with very little knowledge of medicine to back up what you are saying about language. If you misdiagnose and flatline you have more problems than language.

I am in SF right now and yes I do enjoy the diverstiy here. I also enjoy the fact that EMS has so many employees of many different nationalities who are multilingual. They don't seem to have the same closed mind attitude you do. It makes for a great team effort to give good patient care. You need to see just how diverse California is and get out more.

I am not closed minded, but thanks. I have been in california my whole life, from the bay, to LA, to up here in redding. Ya it is great, having so many different kinds of people. I am friends with 100% south korean,a mexican, a few african americans,germans, all sorts of people. I have taken the time to learn some languages and did enjoy it. To say be manditory it shouldn't have to be not everyone enjoys it. You have a pretty big soap box your preach from, and I think you need to step down from it. I come from a family of nurses so thanks I do have knowledge past basic. You want to talk real world, then here it is up front, people die no matter what you do, regardless of what they can speak. I don't care if you got 4.0 from all your classes, they will die. You speak as if your a god, that you can save everyone and your so great we should kneel before you. I am taking an agree to disagree stance of this because if you are going to learn a language awesome! I did! If you don't want to, then thats your choice and you have that right. To call someone ignorant for not learning something like you have makes you just as bad. Especially when the person you are calling ignorant knows 3 other languages. Guessing that is more than you know. My final post to this thread. Manditory No. Simple as that, I wish you luck in your job and what not, and if we meet I like to shake your hand on a great debate and think you are a smart person. I have looked into expanding my 3 languages to know medical phrases and terms. Also, signed up for medic school. That is what I have taken from the debate.

 

[medic417]

No habla inglish. Quite toda la ropas hora. Que dolor mi pecho. Ayuda mi. No tengo dinero. Donde esta. Quin necesita ayuda?

Ok.

So did anyone do as I told them with this statement "Quite toda la ropas hora"?

 

[Sasha]

I am not closed minded, but thanks. I have been in california my whole life, from the bay, to LA, to up here in redding. Ya it is great, having so many different kinds of people. I am friends with 100% south korean,a mexican, a few african americans,germans, all sorts of people. I have taken the time to learn some languages and did enjoy it. To say be manditory it shouldn't have to be not everyone enjoys it. You have a pretty big soap box your preach from, and I think you need to step down from it. I come from a family of nurses so thanks I do have knowledge past basic. You want to talk real world, then here it is up front, people die no matter what you do, regardless of what they can speak. I don't care if you got 4.0 from all your classes, they will die. You speak as if your a god, that you can save everyone and your so great we should kneel before you. I am taking an agree to disagree stance of this because if you are going to learn a language awesome! I did! If you don't want to, then thats your choice and you have that right. To call someone ignorant for not learning something like you have makes you just as bad. Especially when the person you are calling ignorant knows 3 other languages. Guessing that is more than you know. My final post to this thread. Manditory No. Simple as that, I wish you luck in your job and what not, and if we meet I like to shake your hand on a great debate and think you are a smart person. I have looked into expanding my 3 languages to know medical phrases and terms. Also, signed up for medic school. That is what I have taken from the debate.

You have yet to list an example of where misinterperting a word would mean flatlining the patient.

 

[Mountain Res-Q]

So did anyone do as I told them with this statement "Quite toda la ropas hora"?

First we all have to learn to speak another language... and now you want them to learn to read another... some here can barley read English....

 

[VFFforpeople]

So did anyone do as I told them with this statement "Quite toda la ropas hora"?

So you want to remove all the clothes? your broke? with chest pain? and someone named quin needs help. and you don't know where you are.

 

[Medix]

Only a few words from here: in Germany we have to learn some basic English in all public schools and advanced English in junior high and secondary school. In junior high an secondary school we often also have to learn french.

I'm glad about that, because we often have patients (tourists, foreign citizens) who don't speak our language. In many cases we can talk to them in English. We need to communicate to our patients if we want to make them feel save.

 

[Melclin]

I reckon if you're involved in the community in any way, you should make an effort to know a few basic of the languages you will come into contact with. It shouldn't be mandatory or anything. For me it includes vietnamese, a sudanese dialect of two and sign language.

Sign language is a big one for me. I just think its good manners to make an effort to communicate with people in a way that's comfortable for them.

 

[WannaBeFlight]

Personally, there is alot of grey area with this... Yes, adults that are immigrants should definately know english, or at least enough to carry a conversation with you. The down side is that children are not being encouraged to use english in the home (cause the parents dont) and it never helps when trying to communicate with a child. I work in family practice and in order for the hispanic children to trust you, you have to get on their level, literally, and speak to them in spanish, otherwise if you talk to them in english they typically cry, or run away and hide. It makes treating them harder too when the parents dont speak english either. Unfortuantely our government has made things very easy for immigrants to NOT HAVE to learn that it is impacting society greately. I was appalled when I went in to renew my drivers license and there were spanish booklets with all of the road signs and such in spanish. !!!! WTF? Last time I checked the road signs are not in dual languages up here, maybe in Florida, but not here!
I give up...I am not sure where I stand...Nevermind! <_<

 

[Seaglass]

I think it's useful, but I don't think it should be required. In my area, you'd need to speak like 20 languages to be able to interact with all of the patients anyways. Usually patience and charades go a long way.

 

[46Young]

From my personal observations, at least in the five boroughs, a good number of immigrants legal or illegal, particularly of Central/South American origin, will move to their respective barrio, and live there almost exclusively. There are few attempts to assimilate into the American culture. It's almost like they move here, but they change their surroundings to make it like they're still in their native country. America has a habit of catering to immigrants, giving them everything, and requiring little to nothing in return. Mandating proficiency in another language as a condition of employment is one such example of catering, along with free medical benefits, and such. If it were somehow possible to apply for illegal status here, I could save money on healthcare, income tax, and not need a drivers license to operate a motor vehicle. If you're new to this country, you're probably here because your current situation was intolerable. I can't fault someone for wanting to improve their socioeconomic status by moving here. I'm generally respectful and understanding towards immigrants that I come into contact with. I give them the benefit of the doubt that they're here to provide for their family, and intend to do the right thing. Some initial aid is warranted, but the immigrant should be required to become a productive member of society, which involves working and speaking english. No one forced them to come here(human trafficking notwithstanding). I can understand if someone can't speak english initially, but not five years after living here. Having said that, I believe that we, as medical providers, have a moral obligation to serve our pts to the best of our ability. That includes making an earnest attempt to learn the languages, at least in part, of our primary service area. I've learned enough spanish to be able to gain a full Hx, and to treat appeopriately. I also became tired of those who feign ignorance due to language barrier.

 

[VentMedic]

I also became tired of those who feign ignorance due to language barrier.

If you do not have a decent command of their language or an understanding of their culture, how can you fairly judge them?

No one forced them to come here

Ever take a history class or even read a paper for current events?

 

[46Young]

If you do not have a decent command of their language or an understanding of their culture, how can you fairly judge them?



Ever take a history class or even read a paper for current events?

I know more than a few simple catch phrases. As soon as I start speaking spanish, all of a sudden they stop "playing dumb" as to whatever I was asking. I can tell usually tell the difference from someone who genuinely doesn't know the language, and someone who says "no engish" to avoid the situation. What current events are you referring to? If you're referring to refugees, there are many more countries to seek refuge in. G.B. throws all kind of free stuff to their immigrants.

 

[VentMedic]

I know more than a few simple catch phrases. As soon as I start speaking spanish, all of a sudden they stop "playing dumb" as to whatever I was asking. I can tell usually tell the difference from someone who genuinely doesn't know the language, and someone who says "no engish" to avoid the situation. What current events are you referring to? If you're referring to refugees, there are many more countries to seek refuge in. G.B. throws all kind of free stuff to their immigrants.

I again stand by my previous statements.

 

[chfite]

It would take more than a simple understanding of another language to be able to perform a competent assessment of any significant problem. If you factor in the cultural differences, it becomes all the more problematic.

I exercise extreme caution and cover all the bases in treating those who are not fluent in English. I will not accept a refusal from those who are not fluent in English.