Kayla
Is it a good idea for a nurse to know foregn languages?
I'm interested in minoring in multiple foreign languages. I will do so regardless, but I would like to know if it would be a good thing to have as a nurse. #nursing #nurse-practitioner
2 answers
Cielo Ortiz
Cielo’s Answer
Being bilingual is absolutely helpful. I'm bilingual myself (English is not my native tongue) & although I don't get to use it all the time, it helps. You'd want to learn a language that is almost as widely used as English, like Spanish. But like Patty said, medical terminology language is completely different from conversational language, just like in English. It would be good to check & see if your school offers the foreign language in a "Healthcare" version. For example, the school I attended offers Spanish but they also offered Spanish for Healthcare.
And though it's great to know multiple languages, being able to fluent in one or two is always much better than knowing a little bit of four & five.
Good luck!
Patty Born
Patty’s Answer
Hi Kayla,
I am a bilingual nurse and it certainly comes in handy to know more than one language. My advice to you is yes, learn another language if you have the opportunity to. Just remember, learning medical terminology is quite different from learning conversational phrases and words. Make sure you learn medical terminology or you will find yourself struggling and looking uncertain. Good luck!
Patty