Spanish Speaking Patients.

[MedicPrincess]

Tonight I am working with a registrar who, to be nice about it, doesn't think outside the box. We are the first thing patients see when they walk through our ER doors, and we have a great big glass window they all come up to and ask how they get to see a DR.

Tonight, a hispanic man kind of stumbles up to the window, going on and on in Spanish. The girl I am working with kind of stares at him blankly and asks him if he speaks english. UMM..NO...DUH!! If he did, he wouldn't be desperatly trying to get her attention in Spanish. Finally I hear her say she needs to call someone who speaks Spanish and could I check the list to see who is here tonight.

I turn around and take one look at him and tell her He's having chest pain radiating down his left arm.

She says "Oh, I didn't know you speak Spanish."
ME - "Uh I don't"
Her "Well how do you know what his problem is then?"
Me - after hanging up with a Nurse letting them know we had a CP in the lobby "Umm, he is holding his left arm with one hand and clutching at his chest with his left hand."
Her - "Oh. I didn't notice. I guess you knew that because your an EMT, huh?"
Me - "Ummm, no...I looked at him." <_< :unsure:

UGH!!!! Some people just make me wonder. :unsure: h34r: <_<

 

[Jim Johnson]

Basic spanish should be mandatory for anyone who deals with the public. This case sounds like a common sense (or lack thereof) issue as well

 

[CaptainPanic]

Where I live there is a large Hispanic population, and none of the EMT/Medics here that Im know of speak spanish. Its hard when a good 20-30% of your pts is Hispanic and unable to speak English. Now here is my kick, if you are moving to the US where English is the most widely spoken language you should be required to learn English, not optional. We have alot of Hispanic high schooler that know little to no english and even though they are failing classes horribly they are still being passed from grade to grade because the state dept of education says you have to pass them for up to two years before you can fail them. No wonder our test scores are so low. Call mean or whatever but if you live here in this English speaking country you need to at least put forth the effort to learn our language.
But as of right now, we are stuck having to learn their language as per education requirements. And to put out another example, if I moved to Mexico for whatever reason, yes I would learn their language and abide by their cultural rules and ettiquite.

-Capn

 

[BloodNGlory02]

Basic spanish should be mandatory for anyone who deals with the public. This case sounds like a common sense (or lack thereof) issue as well

Um.. how about they learn the language of the country they're residing in? Why are you going to mandate that I learn their language, when they are just as capable of learning the language thats spoken in this country that they call home?

 

[TTLWHKR]

Originally posted by BloodNGlory02@Sep 16 2005, 09:56 AM

Basic spanish should be mandatory for anyone who deals with the public. This case sounds like a common sense (or lack thereof) issue as well 

Um.. how about they learn the language of the country they're residing in? Why are you going to mandate that I learn their language, when they are just as capable of learning the language thats spoken in this country that they call home?

I wonder if they make an English Language translation book like they have for every other language? It's not that hard to learn spanish, or french, etc...

No es ese dificilmente para aprender espanol...

Se hablar espanol, puede usted?

 

[Wingnut]

In high school I had the option of taking Spanish or French. At the time I worked in pharmacy and they said Oh Jenn, you need to take Spanish so you can help our customers. I was constantly asked already if I spoke Spanish just becuase I had black hair (and I have the Irish fair skin, so this pissed me off after the first 100 times.)

So out of spite I took French. Anyway, I resent the fact that almost all our sign are in English and Spanish, that everytime I get a letter from my son's school, I have to look for the English paragraph and that I can't treat people accurately because THEY didn't learn the language or the customs of the country THEY moved to. And I am so tired of them claiming that they are being mistreated, etc.. when all I see is our country and communities making countless concessions for them. (and I'm not talking about any specific race really, this is all of them.)

I don't want to sound prejudiced (I'm really not) and I'm not trying to piss people off (although I'm sure I will) but I'm just plain sick of it.

Princess, *claps hands* You're one of the few left with common sense. Good Girl!!!


Sorry about the tyrade, but I get started on things and just can't seem to shut up. And all the stuff going on lately in news and in my life have really made question what the HELL people are thinking anymore.

I'll go sit in the corner now. :unsure:

 

[HotNoldEMTchick]

Originally posted by CaptainPanic@Sep 16 2005, 09:25 AM
... but if you live here in this English speaking country you need to at least put forth the effort to learn our language.

I agree 100%%%%%%

If you traveled to any other country, you have to learn their language to effectively communicate, even if its a very small amount...

 

[mine-rescue-emt]

I have to agree...I live in an area with a large hispanic population. Some speak English very well, some not so well, and some not at all.

I have made the effort to learn Spanish (without much success, because I don't have to speak it all the time. When I do try to use it, I have to stop, think about what I'm trying to say, which loses time)

When I do finally get it out, I usually get a bewildered look, as if I just told them I put their cat in the dryer with a yogurt towel. Which I may have.

Anyway, I feel that if someone moves here, has a job here (or uses the welfare system), and feels the need to speak to others here, they should make the effort to learn the language.

It can be difficult for adults to learn a second language, but it can be done.

Perhaps if we stopped putting up bi-lingual signs, and spoke only in English, it would provide more incentive for those who have recently taken up residence in our country.

As I recall my grandfather telling me, when he came over from the old country (germany), they either spoke English, or they didn't get anything accomplished.

 

[MedicPrincess]

Originally posted by Jim Johnson@Sep 16 2005, 08:48 AM
Basic spanish should be mandatory for anyone who deals with the public.

I too, would like you to explain your rationale for this one. Nobody asked them to move here. Hell, a lot of them weren't even invited. Just because we are the richest country in the free world doesn't mean we should have to support a bunch of freeloading illegals.

Lemme climb up on my soap box for a minute and tell you what really pisses off. We have these women of other cultures who come here, they are illegal so they cannot get a SS#, but they can spread their legs so they get knocked up. Now when they come to my desk at the ER I am supposed to jump through hoops to get the set up on MEDICAID!!!!! just because they are pregnant!!! And in 100% of these illegal freeloaders, they DO NOT SPEAK ENGLISH!!! NOT ONE WORD!!

No! I will not knock myself out trying to learn another language just because they were able to sneak across the border and are now here to build the houses in my neighborhood. They can take the time to learn some basic english so they can tell me what they want.

And another thing...those schools in California that are teaching IN SPANISH so the kids can understand them, but not in English like it should be....they ought to stop that nonsense as well and teach those Spaish Speaking kids English....

*****stepping off the soapbox now****

 

[ECC]

Originally posted by Jim Johnson@Sep 16 2005, 08:48 AM
Basic spanish should be mandatory for anyone who deals with the public. This case sounds like a common sense (or lack thereof) issue as well

Then the following should be required as well:

256 Dialects of Chinese
Polish
German
French (for those serving in NO or Canada)
Russian
Persian
Arabic
Sanskrit...just because ya never know who is gonna come in a speak a 5,000 year old dead language! <_<

Get the point? If you come to the US...you had better learn to speak the language predominately spoken here...not the one being forced on us by illegal immigration.

 

[Summit]

Time and again my espanol classes have helped me understand a patient.

At facilities they usually have interpreters on call. If they aren't at the facility they can usually do it by phone.

 

[ECC]

Allow me to clarify: I speak enough Spanglish to communitcate...This means I have put in the effort to be able to communicate...it is only fair that immigrants regardless of their status learn to communicate with the rest of us.

 

[Summit]

Originally posted by ECC@Sep 16 2005, 02:02 PM
Allow me to clarify: I speak enough Spanglish to communitcate...This means I have put in the effort to be able to communicate...it is only fair that immigrants regardless of their status learn to communicate with the rest of us.

Our country is the only country on the planet where political organizations have en masse created the mindset that immigrants shouldn't have to learn the language and culture of their newly adopted homeland.

 

[PArescueEMT]

I hate to be the one to point out that contrary to what you guys keep saying, there is no official language for this country. I also have to point out that when it comes to popular language, within the next few years, Spanish will be the most common language spoken. If everyone was expected to speak the language of the country they came to, we wouldn't be speaking "English" We would be speaking some form of Native American dialect. English was a forced language, like spanish seems to us. I speak 2 languages, and am getting ready to learn a third.

I think i'm going to get off my soap box now.

 

[Wingnut]

Originally posted by PArescueEMT@Sep 16 2005, 02:57 PM
I hate to be the one to point out that contrary to what you guys keep saying, there is no official language for this country. I also have to point out that when it comes to popular language, within the next few years, Spanish will be the most common language spoken. If everyone was expected to speak the language of the country they came to, we wouldn't be speaking "English" We would be speaking some form of Native American dialect. English was a forced language, like spanish seems to us. I speak 2 languages, and am getting ready to learn a third.

I think i'm going to get off my soap box now.

That's all fine and dandy, but for the majority of the time the USA has been here, English was/is the predominant language. And the only reason that Spanish has become so prominent is because the sad saps in the gov in trying to be "fair" to our melting pot society has allowed it to happen.
I'm sorry that 200+ years ago the native americans were pushed out, I'm sorry that the blacks were slaves, but that was a long time ago, this is today, we need to focus on where things are going instead of looking back and saying "Oh poor me" which incidentally is more like "Oh my poor great great great great great grandfather" I'll be damned if I'm going to learn spanish or any other language just because other people won't respect our culture.
I want to learn russian, that would be an awesome language to learn...

Do I sound angry? I think I sound angry, I''m really not..this topic just gets me riled up.

h34r:



Edit: Oh princess, I'm right there with you on that one. I've seen that 200 too many times in the pharmacy.

 

[TTLWHKR]

Originally posted by ECC+Sep 16 2005, 12:10 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (ECC @ Sep 16 2005, 12:10 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin-Jim Johnson@Sep 16 2005, 08:48 AM
Basic spanish should be mandatory for anyone who deals with the public. This case sounds like a common sense (or lack thereof) issue as well

Then the following should be required as well:

256 Dialects of Chinese
Polish
German
French (for those serving in NO or Canada)
Russian
Persian
Arabic
Sanskrit...just because ya never know who is gonna come in a speak a 5,000 year old dead language! <_<

Get the point? If you come to the US...you had better learn to speak the language predominately spoken here...not the one being forced on us by illegal immigration. [/b][/quote]
You first!

Then come back and tell us how it all went.

 

[Jon]

I really don't speak spanish, but I know what "Dolor" means . Used to be that I had 2 other guys around who could speak spanish (PA Rescue and a paramedic aquantiance) but they all left me... I've keyed up PArescue on the nextel for translation assistance a few times.... it's worked... not great, but OK.

Jon

 

[usafmedic45]

Originally posted by Jim Johnson@Sep 16 2005, 08:48 AM
Basic spanish should be mandatory for anyone who deals with the public. This case sounds like a common sense (or lack thereof) issue as well

Then should we also require a knowledge of English for those who are coming to our country as residents? Otherwise according to your theory, we should be basically conversational in German, Spanish, French, Italian, Tagalog, Hindi, Arabic, Farsi, Portugeuse, Chinese, American Sign Language and Russian to avoid offending anyone we might run into. By the way, those are just the languages I hear spoken (or see used in the case of ASL) nearly every day on our campus.

Why is it if I go over to Germany or France as a tourist and demand that people speak English to avoid the "inconvenience" on my part I'm a "rude American", but if a Mexican enters this country illegally it's us English speakers that have to learn his language, and if we speak up we're biased.

By the way, I have no problem with Mexicans, I'm just arguing based upon logic for the sake of argument....in fact I'd rather hire an illegal Mexican immigrant than I would hire the average American. At least that way I know I'll get a decent amount of work out for my money. Not to mention that I've found most Mexicans to be far more respectable, decent, honest and outgoing than most Americans. I used to know enough Spanish to get by in an emergency, but there has been a decrease in the number of Spanish speakers around here in the past few years, so I haven't gotten enough practice to keep my skills up.


EDIT: SORRY IT'S LATE AND I DIDN'T NOTICE SOMEONE HAD ALREADY MADE A SIMILAR ARGUMENT.....OK....going to bed now..... :lol:

 

[ECC]

It is always nice to be recognized...even if it is as 'someone'. <_<

 

[usafmedic45]

Originally posted by ECC@Sep 19 2005, 01:02 PM
It is always nice to be recognized...even if it is as 'someone'. <_<

Sorry....like I said, I was half conscious....you're lucky you could read that because of the amount of cold meds and sleep deprivation I've been operating on here lately.... :lol: