Common Spanish Nursing Phrases You Need to Know

A recent study revealed that in the United States, over 500 million people speak Spanish as their native language, and about 600 million speak it as a second language. As a nurse, you are very likely to encounter Spanish-speaking patients. Additionally, local regulations increasingly require nurses to know at least a few Spanish medical phrases to provide optimal patient care.

But if you’re one of the few who find learning a new language challenging or lack the time for an online Spanish teacher, there’s no need to worry about spending months learning Spanish from scratch. This article contains the key phrases commonly used in the medical environment.

Basic Greetings and Communication

As the first communication bridge, you need to learn how to greet a patient and start a conversation. The following are the things you should know:

1. Hello (Hola); Good morning (Buenos días); Good afternoon (Buenas tardes); Good evening (Buenas noches): This is where you’d start. When you first meet with a patient, you should say hello greet them according to the time of day. While some people may find it difficult to remember the others, holais pretty easy and can be used anytime. Remember to say it with a smile on your face.
2. I am your nurse.– Soy su enfermero (male)/enfermera (female): This is only for when you wish to let the patient know that you’ll be the one taking care of them.
3. What is your name?– ¿Cómo se llama?: The answer to this question is usually straightforward. Plus, you’ll need this information to open a medical card for the patient.
4. How can I help you?– ¿Cómo puedo ayudarle?: This should be the next line of conversation if you want to know what exactly is happening. For this question, you need to understand Spanish at least; otherwise, it’ll all sound like gibberish to you. If you don’t speak any Spanish, try closed-ended questions like the next one.

Discussing Symptoms

As mentioned earlier, if you don’t speak Spanish, try these questions and help the patient understand to answer you with gestures or a nod.

1. Where does it hurt?– ¿Dónde le duele?: A pointer at the body part would suffice if there is no vivid sign of blood or injury.
2. On a scale from 1 to 10, how much does it hurt?– En una escala del 1 al 10, ¿cuánto le duele?: When the patient answers, gesture to them, asking them to indicate the number they have told you with their fingers.
3. Do you have any allergies?– ¿Tiene alguna alergia?: A single nod or head shake would suffice for a response here.

Providing Instructions

You don’t need to worry about responses here since you’ll be giving them the instructions. Besides the ones mentioned above, the phrases here are also important, and it’d be best to get to know them as soon as possible.

1. Please take a deep breath.– Por favor, respire hondo: This statement is especially useful during physical examinations or before procedures.
2. You need to fast for this test.– Necesita ayunar para esta prueba: While this phrase may not be common, it is a very important instruction, and you may need to tell a patient. Plus, it is better than telling a patient not to eat.
3. Please sit up.– Por favor, siéntese.

Reassuring and Comforting

Other cases where you may need to speak Spanish are during comforting. Here are some words you would need to use:

1. Everything is going to be okay.– Todo va a estar bien.
2. I will be back soon.– Volveré pronto.
3. Do you need anything else?– ¿Necesita algo más?

Closing the Conversation

Finally, after you are done with observation or treatments, here are a few things you can say rather than smile awkwardly and leave.

1. Do you have any questions?– ¿Tiene alguna pregunta?: Remember to do this only if you understand a bit of Spanish.
2. Take care.– Cuídese.

Conclusion: Breaking the Barrier

Regardless of these phrases, you would agree that you’ll still need to familiarize yourself with some Spanish so that you can ask open-ended questions or understand when a patient is speaking to you. That’s why you should consider hiring a medical Spanish tutor. Unlike the regular tutors, these teachers focus on the phrases people use in the medical world, from conversational sentences to terms in medicine.

On top of these, you can learn from a real-time online Spanish teacher who can guide you in action and work with your pace and job demands.

Fortunately, finding a medical Spanish tutor is not impossible. However, ensure that you hire one with positive reviews.