Spanish for Health Care Workers

By Erin Portman
Oklahoma Department of CareerTech

In 2005, Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education launched an online program where health care workers learn to communicate with their Spanish-speaking patients.

The CareerTech Health Careers Education Division, in partnership with the Oklahoma State University Rural Health and Policy Research Center, is sponsoring Spanish for Health Care Workers, according to Debbie Shumaker, special project coordinator at CareerTech. 

Spanish for Health Care Workers is an interactive course, providing an online resource 24 hours a day.  The course includes 10 chapters, 16 practice exercises, eight quizzes, a glossary and optional final exam to test your knowledge.  Participants learn the Spanish alphabet, articles, verbs, prepositions and interrogatives.  They will also learn basic colors, greetings, family members, numbers and parts of the body.

“We are helping health care workers overcome the language barrier that can stand in the way of treating a patient promptly and efficiently,” Shumaker said.  “As our Spanish speaking population continues to grow, our healthcare providers experience the daily challenge of communicating with their Spanish speaking patients and their families.”

Hearing how the word is spoken through a video monitor helps participants learn how to spell, read and say the word.  One exercise that encourages the participant to practice is the family tree.  The family member’s names are in Spanish, and the English version appears as the participant scrolls over the word.  If the participant clicks on the Spanish version, the instructor pronounces the word.

Participants also receive a spiral bound glossary that fits perfectly in a scrub pocket, allowing the health care worker to access the vocabulary whenever needed.

Health centers buy a one-year license to obtain access to the course.  The license is available to hospitals, individuals, county health departments, nursing homes and educational institutions.

Currently, there are 60 health facilities and educational institutions in Oklahoma with access to the course.  Five educational institutions in Colorado are also taking part in the program.

Technology centers taking part in the program include Moore Norman; High Plains in Woodward; Kiamichi Technology Center campuses in Idabel and Durant; Metro Tech in Oklahoma City; Canadian Valley in El Reno; Tulsa Tech and Indian Capital in Tahlequah.

For a course demonstration, please visit the following Web site http://divisions.okcareertech.org/ruralhealth/demo

For pricing and registration information call ODCTE Curriculum Customer Service at 1-800-654-4502.