Last night, while I was on rounds, the staff was looking at a book of medical Spanish. In a section of phrases that nurses should know it included translations for:
"You can smoke in your room."
and
"Please don't hang from the ceiling."
How useful is that? And not a single phrase for "don't pull out your IV" or "You're in a hospital, not a Hilton".
"Uno cerveza por favor" wasnt in there either??
ReplyDeleteI <3 ur blog Doc G. I read tons of them and you've definately got it goin on. =)
Try eavesdropping on the night shift while they tell each other jokes in tagalog.
ReplyDeleteI need to re-learn some spanish...being so close to the border requires some degree of knowledge in "medical spanish".
ReplyDeleteLol...Dr. grumpy, you crack me up. That's funny.
ReplyDeletehere are some basics from my own limited medical spanish in the ICU. "No Trizas"- no pulling "tienes dolor?" -do you have pain? "abra su boca"- open your mouth "abra su ojos" -open your eyes "abreitte me la mano" squeeze my hand "wavas las peiasas"- wiggle your toes "respeire profundo" take a deep breath. "Yo soy infermera" I am your nurse. and for the confused ones "Donde esta?" where is this? and my favorite "si se puede." yes you can!
ReplyDeleteregarding tagalog: I was friendly enough with one of the filipino lab staff at the hospital that she shared this with me: The lab staff used technical terms to refer to various people. So "reagent" meant the boss, and "antibody" meant an obnoxious co-worker. Then they'd gossip away in tagalog, periodically saying "reagent" and "antibody" -- eavesdroppers would think they were talking science.
ReplyDeleteHow about , "No, your entire family of 13 can NOT spend the night in your semi-private room." and "Please do NOT light the candle to the Blessed Mother when Poppy is on high flow oxygen".
ReplyDeletePattie, RN
"wavas las peiasas"
ReplyDeleteI keep staring at it and I can't figure out what you were trying to spell.
I know "ultrasonido de vagina"... that's it.
ReplyDeletethis is AMERICA, so why aren't these patients/people, learning the english language. Don't really care how close to the border I am...what a pisser offer.
ReplyDeleteif you guys need to learn some spanish words please contact me
ReplyDeleteefrivas_h@yahoo.com.mx