Julie Griesinger
Professor Benander
English 289
12 April 2011
Manifesto
Healthcare is a demanding field and requires a lot of patience and hard work. There may be patients from other cultures that speak a different language than you do. Patients who come from all over the world may need to have a translator if they can not understand the language being spoken by the medical assistant. Having a medical assistant that is bilingual in several different cultures can really help in a medical practice. For example, if a woman walks into a doctor’s office speaking Spanish, she should have a translator with her to translate what the medical assistant is saying. An employee that adequately speaks different languages with no problem can communicate any useful information concerning the woman’s health to her. The patient will be satisfied by the care that she was given and the medical practice will benefit from having a bilingual employee.
Some principles that guide medical assistants’ in their practice are:
· There are many behaviors that medical assistants are expected to follow to maintain professionalism in the workplace. These professional behaviors include loyalty, dependability, courtesy, initiative, flexibility, credibility, confidentiality, and attitude. A medical assistant must show all of these qualities in order to be successful throughout there career. An employee that portrays all of the professional behaviors will be greatly appreciated by all of the employers and other employees.
· Never refuse care for any reason. Any healthcare professional should never refuse care no matter the circumstance. Whether the patient doesn’t have the money for treatment or if the patient is from a different culture than you. If a man walks into a doctor’s office wanting to be treated and he speaks a different language other than you or anyone else in the practice, there are plenty of nonverbal communication gestures that the patient can read so they can understand what you are saying.
· It is wise to avoid receiving unnecessary phone calls to the office from friends and family. The office phone should be considered a business line and must be used as such, except in emergencies. Never take a personal call or respond to text messages on a cell phone while working with a patient. An employee who takes personal phone calls at work or texts while with a patient is not acting with professionalism and could lose his or her job.
· In the medical setting, it is expected that medical assistants discourage apathy, show some sympathy, but act with empathy letting know the patients that you care. If a patient has been given some horrible news about their condition, it is the medical assistant’s job to show some concern but not enough to effect how he or she performs on the job.
If the medical assistant is able to communicate in several different languages with patients, it can be very beneficial to the practice in which you are employed. The medical assistant will be able to understand more of the patients that they come into contact with and be able to care for them. Employers may give out raises to those individuals who give outstanding care to patients including being able to speak different languages.
Julie,
ReplyDeleteI never even gave the language barrier a thought before until I read your manifesto. Wow, what a good point! You never know especially in a hospital setting who is going to walk in the door and need care. Are people in the medical profession provided with training in this area?
Jeanette
Jeanette,
ReplyDeleteTaking a second language such as spanish while you are in high school or college is the best preparation for a bilingual job in the medical profession. There are also several credited online bilingual programs offered. I could not find any particular areas in Cincinnati that offer bilingual classes just to medical professionals. Thanks for asking.
Julie
Julie,
ReplyDeleteI like the fact that you brought up texting and talking on "office time" it looks unprofessional and distracts from work. Also, the employer is paying for your time. Good point.
Language barriers are an issue in healthcare and the fact that you can provide service to people who speak another language makes you a valuable commodity.
Also excellent point about non-verbal communication. I can't stand when I bring a pt to an ER and the staff is rolling their eyes etc. We often do it to pt's too and your non-verbal communication overrides what is said.
Mike
I never considered the language barrier before. You brought up many good points about caring for individuals that cannot speak English. What is the normal protocol for this? Are all medical assistants trained in different languages or do medical offices have people on staff they can utilize or a translator available? I think in an emergency room of a large metro. area, this would be a necessity. What are some options available? I am curious about the Columbus, Ohio area now, and how people that speak a different home language are handled. Thanks for making that point. I am going to do some checking.
ReplyDeletelike how you emphasize the importance of being bilingual and the understanding or different cultures. I do agree with you on this. I myself, at one point, I worked as a medical interpreter (French/English interpretation) for 3 years and I have seen how language can be barrier between health providers and patients. If I were you, I would use "Medical providers" instead of "medical assistants". And I will suggest that you revise the sentence: "Having a medical assistant that is bilingual in several different cultures".
ReplyDelete