THE IMPORTANCE OF SPEAKING SPANISH IN THE HEALTHCARE INDUSTRY

With the increasing number of Spanish speakers in the United States, there is a growing need for physicians to bridge the communication gap in all areas of healthcare. Communication is vital in the healthcare industry, and whether you're a doctor or a nurse, you need to be able to communicate with your patient to be able to provide them with the care they need.

When patients describe the details on their symptoms, any pain they may be experiencing, healthcare workers have to understand that to be able to assist clearly. Having a language barrier between a patient and the healthcare provider is a challenge on any given day, but particularly when fast aid is needed, and the patient's life is at risk. Communicating with a patient's family is another area where language barriers create a challenge; they need to be able to share vital information about the patients as well as understand what is happening with them.

An essential part of practicing medicine is building a meaningful and often long-term relationship with patients. Those you treat usually feel more comfortable when they can communicate freely with their doctors. Having Spanish speaking healthcare workers on a medical team is essential to cater to those who feel more relaxed talking in Spanish.

Proving better healthcare

Being bilingual or having the ability to speak Spanish isn't just about conveying actual information to patients. It's also about making them feel at ease and cared for - building a bond and assisting their healing. Healthcare personnel speaking the same language as the patient can be much more effective at creating a relationship of understanding and trust, thus making the patient feel more relaxed.

Hospitals can be scary and intimidating enough without the added stress of not being able to communicate correctly or understanding what is happening with you or your loved ones. Having healthcare workers speaking Spanish can help close the language barrier and ensure everyone has access to quality, timely care and fluid communication.

Communicating in Spanish with Spanish-speaking patients and their families allow healthcare workers to ensure that patients fully understand their care through their whole visit to the clinic or hospital. This includes also includes information upon discharging the patient when the nurses need to ensure that patients fully understand discharge instructions and prescription directions. This is essential to avoid patients becoming "lost in the system" or suffering from accidental misuse or overdose on medications.

Better communication with families

Medical workers not only have to deal with patients but also be required to communicate with family members. And most likely, when patients are Spanish-speakers, their family will be too.

Even if the family member can speak some level of English, there is no guarantee that they will fully understand the instruction or information shares and relying on them to convey the right information to the patient can be risky. Due to their lack of training and at cases, a full understanding of the details, the information can get lost in translation, and cause health risk at worst and delayed healing at best.

Career opportunities

The call for more healthcare workers to speak Spanish is not only beneficial to patients. It can also expand the scope of career opportunities for workers. Healthcare professionals who learn Spanish have the potential to develop their career at a faster pace with the chance of higher earnings. The ability to speak Spanish is a very valuable asset a medical worker can possess.

There are numerous benefits to learning the Spanish language for those working in the healthcare industry. Bilingual workers mean that communication is clear, timely and effective and that the medical team, patient, and family are all receiving the same, correct information. If you're a medical professional in the United States and are thinking about learning Spanish, check out our flexible Online Spanish Course for Healthcare workers.