Medical Spanish for Nurses: A Self-Teaching Guide

by Dr. Soledad Traverso (Author), Dr. Laurie Urraro (Author), Dr. Patty McMahon (Author)

Designed for those with no previous experience speaking Spanish, this guide provides nurses, other medical professionals, and students with the tools to communicate with Spanish-speaking patients. Online audio is available to provide correct pronunciation and prepare learners for a wide array of medical situations. Using a step-by-step approach with plenty of examples, the text enables readers to quickly develop their Spanish knowledge. Question and response scenarios, vocabulary quizzes, anatomy identifi cation, summary exercises, and dialogue reinforce and expedite learning.

Chapters provide appropriate Spanish vocabulary, terminology, and expressions commonly used in health care interactions–as well as likely patient responses–to prepare readers for conversational Spanish. Key sections enable readers to speak with confi dence while taking a patient's history, assessing pain, conducting a physical assessment, and talking about nutrition and pediatric and adult illnesses. Tips on cultural competence are featured throughout, culminating in a comprehensive chapter on transcultural nursing and the impact of culture, belief systems, and social norms on health care delivery to diverse Spanish-speaking populations.

Key Features:

Requires no previous knowledge of Spanish
Focuses on Spanish words and phrases needed in common health care interactions with patients
Includes multiple interactive print and audio exercises to enhance learning
Gives print and audio examples of common patient responses
Includes examples of common conversations between health care professionals and patients
Provides scripted dialogues for conducting a complete history and physical exam, performing gynecological exams, and teaching scenarios for fetal development, pregnancy, breast exams, testicular exams, and contraception

About the Author
Soledad Traverso, PhD, is a professor of Spanish at Penn State Behrend, located in Erie, Pennsylvania, where she has taught since 1996. She is also the program chair for foreign languages. Dr. Traverso instructs students at all levels, from introductory to advanced courses. A native of Chile, she has written extensively about South American literature and has published books and articles about authors from her home country. In 2013, Dr. Traverso and Laurie Urraro cotaught a medical Spanish continuing-education course for health care providers at St. Vincent Hospital in Erie, Pennsylvania, which became the foundation for this work. As a result of her commitment to providing health care professionals in the Erie community with the ability to speak medical Spanish and the tremendous success of this course, Dr. Traverso received the Distinguished Award for Excellence in Outreach by the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at Penn State Behrend. Dr. Traverso and Dr. Patty Pasky McMahon teach "Conversational Spanish for Future Health Care Providers" at Penn State Behrend's nursing program, which has become a highly sought-after course among students.