I took 2 years of spanish in high school, but lets be honest, ya use it or lose it. I don't regularly never speak spanish. Occasionally, we have spanish-speaking only patients and there are even rare times, when a translator isn't available. I mean, yes, we always have capability to a translator. You get on the phone, call this 1-800 number and pass the phone back and forth, but sometimes in labor and delivery you don't have time for that! I remember pushing a spanish-speaking only patient whose husband was on his way to the hospital. But it was just the 2 of us...I did quite a bit of sign language for dummies and "Como esta?" Unless she said "Muy bien", I had no idea what she was saying. I do know that "dolor" means pain. Are you impressed?? And I THOUGHT I knew the word for push. While I was coaching her during pushing, using my most encouraging facial expressions told her "Punta, Punta!!" OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN. Weeks later...we had this spanish speaking housekeeper that went to English classes at a local church. We would often compare new words. When I proudly told her my new word and how I excitedly instructed her to push. She got red in the face and just shook her head and giggled. She never would tell me what the word meant. I googled it and according to Urban dictionary. I called my patient a "whore". OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN! Worst part is, I can't even apoligize to her and try to explain that I had no idea what I was talking about...I sure hope she knows that I'm a clueless-English-speaking-only-white-girl!
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