Occupational Spanish

Spanish for Nursing

Intended Audience: Hospital nurses, physician's office nurses, clinic and outpatient nurses, and members of the health care team.

Program Description: Prepares non-Spanish-speaking nurses to provide medical care and attention to Spanish-speaking patients in medical office settings and hospitals. Also provides trans-cultural training for nurses and future nurses. Emphasis is on enhancing the quality of patient care. No prior knowledge of Spanish is necessary.

Content: A 106-page manual and two accompanying CDs. Work-specific language sections include patient body commands, patient traffic, intake, assisting physician's exam, laboratory procedures, patient treatment and discharge. Hospital specialty unit includes check-in, initial assessment, routine in-bed and out-of-bed procedures, patient transport, medicines and injections, patient food and drink, family visits, and patient discharge. Also covers glossaries of the human body (interior and exterior), diseases and disorders, injuries, conditions and symptoms, operations and procedures, medical personnel, and pharmacology.

Objectives: To use Spanish to obtain basic information and patient history, obtain vital signs, perform physical assessments, perform routine procedures, prepare patients for surgery or other procedures, administer medications and injections, feed and bathe patients, assist and interact with patient's family, honor patient's requests, assist in emergency situations, identify Hispanic culture traits relating to medical care, reduce Hispanics' fear of hospital settings, and understand the Hispanic health belief system.

IVCE contact: Pam Blake, (641) 752-4645 or 1-800-284-4823, ext. 5617, or e-mail Pam.Blake@iavalley.edu.